Four years after buying a home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, award-winning TV landscaper Charlie Albone says he couldn’t be happier as the garden he made over from scratch is established; giving the whole family a resort-like experience to enjoy.
Like all good renovations, the makeover wasn’t without its challenges, much like the TV transformations Charlie is best known for. First, the plot was a frustrating 5cm too narrow to escape going through a full development application process, costing time and money, and second, when they started digging, they discovered rock, and lots of it! “It was not ideal,” jokes Charlie, who lives in the home with wife Juliet Love, a stylist who works alongside him on Better Homes & Gardens, and their two sons.
The 6m by 21m plot was more compact than many of the gardens Charlie, who has multiple horticultural prizes to his name, including from The Chelsea Flower Show, has worked on. But this time it was personal, being for his family. “I think many people had been put off by the different levels in the garden before, but I could see it as a blank canvas.” On the wish list was a pool, a grass area for the kids, entertaining space with good indoor/outdoor flow and a sauna. And he managed it, of course!
Sons Leo and Hart in particular are loving the magnesium pool, which Charlie says provides much more entertainment than a larger lawn would have done. Green space was important though, not least for their two dogs. Plans to put a full scale veggie garden on top of the shaded sauna area had to be shelved due to cost but some clever planting along the roofline softened it beautifully.
“I’m not a huge fan of chlorine pools because they stink and it’s not a nice feeling on your skin. The magnesium is a really simple way to filter the water. And you don’t feel like you need to rush and have a shower as soon as you get out!”
The planting of course, was well thought out by expert Charlie, who entertained us for years as the resident landscaper on Selling Houses Australia. He wanted something layered and low maintenance but with pops of colour and interest. “A lot of people think with a smaller garden you need to cut back on your planting but it really isn’t the case,” he says. “If you have more hard space, more planting and layers can really soften it.” Charlie went for a coastal vibe to suit the location, with silvers, green and blues. And he loves how having raised beds on one side of the garden adds visual interest with the different heights.
A small dining table and four chairs on the paved area outside the back door means they can enjoy eating al fresco as a family and Charlie says having the back yard on the same level as the house improved the flow no end. The area at the back where the sauna is, which is used three or four times a week, is a handy spot for outdoor exercise too. The stunning fluted green marble feature wall behind the sauna ties in with the marble inside their kitchen and is one of Juliet’s favourite elements.
Using his own staff from Inspired Exteriors to help, the garden took Charlie around nine months to complete in between client jobs. He admits it cost substantially more than upgrades to the house, which were largely cosmetic, other than a new kitchen. The garden certainly proves that size isn’t everything and that compact can still mean layered and multi-functional, with Charlie saying it’s a very versatile space.
“I love the planting down the side with the spineless prickly pear,” says Charlie. “I do like to sit up the back and take it all in. With time, the garden has filled in really well.” He adds: “Doing your own garden is really different. Of course, you know about all the options and have to decide which to use, not to mention it’s your own money! I’m happy it’s pretty low maintenance but having a white pool tile, although it looks fantastic, does show every speck of dirt!”
Enjoying a much quieter life since leaving Selling Houses due to the gruelling travel schedule, Charlie says home has become more important than ever. “Loving where you live makes a huge difference to your mental health, it’s really important. We are so happy with the end result.”
The couple are currently selling their country home on the Central Coast to free up some capital for their next venture. Watch this space!
The before:
The plants Charlie used:
Larger feature plants:
- Olives
- Echium candicans,
- Spineless prickly pear
Other plants:
- Raphiolepsis ‘Oriental Pearl’
- Kalanchoe ‘Silver Spoons’
- Kalanchoe beharensis
- Helichrysum petiolare
- Teucrium fruticans
- Euphorbia myrsinites
- Rhipsalis spp.
- Casuarina ‘Cousin It’
Check out more of Charlie’s work through his business Inspired Exteriors
Photography: Cath Muscat
