Dream Gardens ep 6: Nestled behind the Central Coast of New South Wales and surrounded by native bushland, is the rural retreat of Phillip and Maria Visalli. Using materials that are sympathetic to the surrounds including sandstone, weathered steel, and decomposed granite they have big plans to transform their land into a minimalist inspired garden.
The planting scheme will be ornamental and mature fruit trees will provide instant impact and help frame the view that leads down to a lake. The garden is not the only project the couple are embarking on, they are also expecting the birth of their first child and hope to have the garden complete in time for the big arrival. They also run a busy Sydney restaurant so they want the space to be somewhere that they can relax, unwind, and watch their family, and garden grow.
Dream Gardens ep 6
Sounds idyllic, right? However, as with most garden builds, delays, bad weather, budget constraints coupled with an ever evolving design conspire to keep the expecting couple ever waiting.
Join leading landscape designer Michael McCoy as he showcases some of Australia’s most lavish and magnificent gardens from the first spade hitting the ground to the incredible end result. What does it mean to make a garden? What longings do gardens fulfil ? These are the question at the heart of a new show, Dream Gardens, launching on ABC TV this week. Eschewing how-to tips on growing plants (done so well by ABC’s other garden offering, Gardening Australia), this is a show that looks instead at what we want from gardens and how clever garden design can deliver it.
The host is the ebullient Michael McCoy, a garden designer and writer. McCoy has a degree in botany, long experience as a hands-on gardener and sought-after garden designer, and a passionate curiosity about what makes good garden design work. He’s empathetic, enthusiastic and opinionated – the perfect guide to lead viewers around eight gardens-in-the-making.
