The Implications for Garden Design of Medium-Density Inner-Suburban Living

The move to higher housing density in inner-suburban areas in Australian cities has significant implications for the way we design gardens in these areas. This month we spoke to Ruth Beilin about some design solutions for these small spaces.
What are the major implications for garden design of increasing housing density in inner-suburban areas?
First we have to put the situation into context to see the major changes that are taking place. In inner suburban Melbourne for instance, we are moving from a situation where we had 15 houses per hectare to a situation where there will be 45 houses per hectare. Where there was one residence before, there will now be three.
This means a great change in how gardens fit into the overall context. Most fundamental of all is a huge change of scale. Previously most gardens contained large trees (albeit often too large for the space), but with these changes, there will little room for trees except in the streetscape.. What we will most likely see will be the use of shrubs pruned as trees. I expect that we will see a strong emphasis on small deciduous exotic species, or, dare I say it, miniature conifers. We desperately need indigenous nurseries to fund plant breeding research and selection, so the available plant spectrum is extended.
The other major change is likely to be a move to increased use of hard surfacing. Unfortunately many of the current villa designs appear to require a large amount of car access, which means there is little space left and perhaps no private space at all. All the common space may be transition space - used for moving through rather than as a focus in itself. I think we have to rethink how we use hard surfacing in these areas. One solution is to meld the ground plane and the vertical plane - perhaps run similar surfacing materials up the walls. This has the effect of symbolically pushing out the space and making it more than a transition zone and part of the livable space.
Should design be bold or subdued in a small space?
Design is very dependent on the surrounding architecture, but many of the new styles do not lend themselves very well to replication in the garden. The big challenge in these small gardens is to find a sense of place. Once you've determined what it is, I think you should set about dramatising it. The garden can be bold or subdued depending on the mood you wish to create. Careful selection of plant material can help reflect the mood. It is often best to confine your plant choice to a limited range of plants. You might, for example choose bold, dramatic plants in the style of Roberto Burle Marx and treat them like living sculptures. Plants like Papyrus and Strelitzia come to mind. Alternatively you could choose a selection of ferns and let their patterns and textures create a feeling of peacefulness.
How can you create the illusion of space in a small area?
The most effective way of increasing the sense of space is to make use of glass walls that extend the garden into the house and vice versa, thus making use of the 'borrowed landscape'. Depth can also be created by careful choice of wall colours - white gives the appearance of extending space and interestingly, a matt black on a corner wall, can suggest shadow and the illusion of on-going depth.
Another possibility is to make use of reflective pools. Even if the space only allows for a still pool that runs along the bottom edge of a wall, it will add depth to the space. Running water, too, can create this effect. Small gardens often lend themselves to contemporary style water features that sit flat against a wall, but bring light and movement into the space.
Courtyards can be difficult because the walls often create deep shade, except for a burst of hot sun in the middle of the day (especially in summer). What is the best way to deal with this?
Firstly it is important to choose plants that have the environmental tolerance to deal with these conditions. I think you have to live with the fact that these areas will be largely shaded. You can create shade structures easily in a small area and this may be the best solution for the midday sun - areas of hard surfacing can get very hot.
Courtyards also lend themselves to container gardening and once again I must emphasise the importance of the vertical plane. Containers can actually be built into the walls at different heights. Walls themselves need to be reassessed. Traditionally, walls have tended to be made of materials that discouraged people from leaning against them. In such small spaces walls need to be friendlier and part of the living space. They need to be part of the whole design.
I think we can make much better use of wall colour, and not just use invisible colours. Coloured galvanised iron can be used very effectively. The Sante Fe gardening style is a good example of the use of colour. Often in these gardens you will see a courtyard tiled in rich ochres, purples and midnight blues. Two of the walls might be white and the other picks up the wonderful deep colour. It's very exciting.
We can use plant materials in exciting ways too, to give walls texture and life. Plants like Hedera helix and Ficus pumila will cover walls. I like the idea of areas being cut into the foliage and three dimensional tiles hung on the wall - the wall becomes a feature wall.
The important thing in a small space like a courtyard is that there must be a great attention to detail. Care must be taken with edging and transition zones. Ornamentation and furniture must be kept to scale. A six-seater wooden table setting is unlikely to be an appropriate choice in a small courtyard. Something structurally finer would suit the scale of the area much better.