Clay bricks and clay pots: Dry laid recycled brick paving, a dry stacked recycled brick retaining wall, unornamented low fired Vietnamese terra cotta pots, standard terra cotta plant pots made in Portugal, some very cheap terra cotta pots from Kmart and the high fired brick wall of the neighbouring house ... and some ideas from the Mexican architect Luis Barragan.
A hundred years of history: This area of our garden contains many elements constructed or planted by the originally owners [from whom we bought the house] who moved here in 1915. To this I've added my own labours over a long span of time. All the materials show the patina of age and weathering ... a cherished visual quality.
The garden includes a small stand of pygmy date palms planted several decades ago, some pink-flowering crepe myrtles and brunfelsia shrubs planted by the original owners of the house, a very old patch of ferns growing under the crepe myrtles, a scattered dragon trees (now about 10 years old), mondo and fairylights grasses, river pebble mulch, some old philodendron selloum, and a small pond frequented by noisy miner birds backed by a swathe of bromeliads growing in the shade of the palms. The space is bounded on the south by a neighbouring house with it’s two storey dark terra cotta brick wall. Running through the middle of the space is an old and crudely made concrete wall and step built by the original house owners.
The space is paved with recycled bricks from many different sources including the South Brisbane Gasworks demolished in the 1970’s. The bricks are dry laid on drainage pebble to assist in rainwater collection and infiltration. A dry stacked recycled brick retaining wall has recently been added along the western edge of the paving. On the northern edge of the space is an old store room fitted between the stumps of the house and recently revamped. The concrete floor of the store room with its spalling edges, probably built in the early 1900’s, has been left as part of the visual history of the house.
RECENTLY PLANTED POTTED PLANTS ... BLUE CHALK STICKS AND MILD SWEET CHILLI. THE STONES ARE BUSH TURKEY DETERRENTS
SELF SOWN FERNS GROW IN INHOSPITABLE PLACES
an inscription on the boards under the house ... LOOKS LIKE a child’s hand printing
THE SPENT FLOWERS OF BROMELIADS AND PALMS HAVE A BEAUTY OF THEIR OWN
A COURTYARD I'VE LONG ADMIRED ... AT LUIS BARRAGAN'S HOUSE IN MEXICO CITY
