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A pool garden design with privacy and peace

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By listening carefully to his clients' ideas, this landscape designer created a beautiful outdoor space to meet their needs.

Rondi and her husband David had some specific issues that needed to be addressed in their backyard. There was a tall block of flats overlooking the yard, and on one side a neighbour could see over the fence as well. Privacy is a concern within many pool garden designs, and this one was no exception. With a swimming pool begging to be used, Rondi and David were understandably concerned about privacy.

They also had an open-plan living area at the rear of the house, which had a large expanse of windows looking out over the pool area. The view from this section of the house was uninspiring, and they wanted to improve the outlook.

"There was no fence around the pool, so we wanted that fenced in," says Rondi. "And we wanted the garden to be useable and safe for our child to play in."

In addition, the house fronted onto a busy road, so it was important to provide a safe space that was protected from traffic and enclosed without feeling too claustrophobic.

Rondi and David had seen the work of garden designer Pete Adley from Yardstick Landscape Design, and knew he was a talented professional. Pete listened carefully to their concerns, went away and returned with some ideas for them to think about. Rondi and David loved Pete's vision, and hired him straightaway.

Pete turned the previously ugly side area between the house and the neighbouring fence into a gorgeous and useable space. He used an orange-mustard rendered wall as a screen, and placed a series of strappy plants at its base. He installed a lovely tiled water feature and some timber seats wrapping around the corner of the house, linking the outdoor entertaining area to the side area. He also designed a timber reading deck in the shade of a graceful Bangalow palm.

Pete used hardy, drought-tolerant plants to soften the newly installed pool fence, a necessity in any pool garden design. He also reduced the size of the lawn area at the clients' request, but left it long enough to provide a space for ball games. And he selected bamboo and tall palm trees to screen out the block of flats.

"The clients wanted a tropical feel to the garden, but something that was quite easy to maintain," says Pete. "And it was important to just provide some interest and depth for them to look out on."

In turning his attention to the front yard, Pete designed a unique gate that would provide a simple but attractive barrier between the garden and the busy road.

"Pete was so easy to work with," says Rondi. "He was professional but friendly, and really listened to our concerns and addressed them with his design."