A small garden in Melbourne suburb Toorak was a blank canvas the first time designers Cameron and Stephanie Paterson of Grounded Gardens saw the site. During a recent remodel, the existing garden had been removed and the eco-conscious client had planned ahead by installing a graywater irrigation system to collect water from the washing machine and showers for use in a new garden.
Starting from scratch, Cameron Paterson designed a front courtyard as a focal point with native plants, shade trees, and a mix of drought tolerant perennials and grasses to create year-round color. Let’s take a look behind the fence:
Photography courtesy of Grounded Gardens.


The graywater irrigation system filters waters from the homeowners’ showers and washing machine through a sand system and then pumps it into the garden through a drip system.


Growing against the facade of the house is a clump of variegated-leaf Sansevieria trifasciata.



Plants at the edge of the patio include Phlomis Fruiticosa, Buddleja davidii, Sedum Autumn joy, Euphorbia Mellifera, Olea Europeae Limonium Perezii, and Perovskia Atriplicifolia.

For more of our favorite drought tolerant Australian garden designs, see:
- A Garden You Water Four Times a Year.
- Design Sleuth: Vertical Garden of Terra Cotta Pots.
- Modern Farmer: 10 Acres in Australia.
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