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To Blog
Urban food garden in productive part of Kew landscape design

Productive garden design – an example

July 7, 2019
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Landscape Design, Productive gardens
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Posted by Parveen

What is it?

What does “productive garden design” mean for me, personally? Is it a garden with a vegetable patch?  Maybe some fruit bearing trees thrown in? Having edibles secretly injected into your outdoor spaces?  Or is it something practical for the family with young kids to forage through and discover the bounty of nature? Does it need to be aesthetically pleasing? What about inviting wildlife into the garden?

For me it’s a customised amalgamation of all of the above. What it eventually gets designed to be is governed by which aspect of the above considerations play the bigger role for the client brief.

A case study on point!

Probably the most challenging design I’ve ever embarked on is the rejuvenation of my mum’s garden in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

Here’s a little snippet of the thought process and design considerations I had to ponder over.

Thankfully the brief was simple.

The end result needed to be low maintenance garden that would suit the needs of a long time but elderly gardener but look spacious, GREEN and have as many productive spaces as possible. 

Edible backyard garden design in Kuala Lumpur with fruit trees and shrubs

Maintenance of the garden was also a key consideration given how elderly mum is, so gentle negotiations were had as to how much could be outsourced!

Before

I don’t have any before pictures but just imagine weeds and not grass everywhere. Imagine plants planted haphazardly just because there’s space. Lots of pots and large branches, compost heaps, broken pots and unpruned ornamentals in the mix too. Anyway you get the idea!

Kuala Lumpur - Papaya

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Kuala Lumpur - Lime/Limau Kasturi

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Kuala Lumpur - Brinjal/Eggplant

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Kuala Lumpur - Mulberries and Green Pumpkin

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What it is now

Now we’ve created 4 garden layers and rehabilitated the grassed area somewhat.

The first layer

These are the Trees. They are mostly fruit but there’s 1 ornamental palm which has been retained for sentimental reasons.

We planted tropical fruit trees and which are in different stages of maturity. So we’ve planted papayas, bananas, the miracle/drumstick tree, starfruit, avocado, guava (pink and white), curry leaf and the noni.

The second layer

The second is the undergrowth. This consists of tulsi, mulberry bushes, various types of chilly plants, brinjals, surinam spinach and pandan.

The third layer

Groundcovers make up the third layer.  These are mainly young seedlings, serai/lemongrass, zuchini, asian greens, and the thai coriander.

The fourth layer

And lastly, all vertical surfaces including the unused clothesline and fences have been overtaken by different types of fruit bearing gourds and climbers!

Yes, it sounds a bit like a food forest but that’s the idea. Organic, pesticide free fruit and vegetables are in abundance and mum only needs to hit the shops for the bare necessities like milk and bread.

Another thing – the grassed area was important for aesthetics but has a dual function – mom walks a lot for exercise and we use the cut grass as mulch and fertiliser.

Yikes - sounds like it's a lot of work!

Actually, no.  Maintenance wise, there’s not much involved really. The occasional weeding and fertilising, cutting the grass, all of which are outsourced for a couple of hours a month. We just concentrate on looking after the yield and enjoy it. The garden is hand watered as is normal in this part of the world and some grey water is used for this purpose.
 
Another thing – the grassed area was important for aesthetics but has a dual function – mom walks a lot for exercise and we use the cut grass as mulch and fertiliser.

Habitat haven

Oh and not to forget, if you like wildlife then here’s the other thing.  I’ve been here for 10 days and have seen at least 8 different types of birdlife.  More importantly, 2 species of birds I’ve recently seen haven’t visited the garden before.
Given that it gets severely hot, I’m pretty certain that the birds don’t just visit for food.  Its the shade factor as the heat here can be extreme some days. Besides birds, we still do see the usual suspects like the local squirrels. This garden therefore definitely ticks the box for also successfully supporting wildlife habitats!
 

Is this garden style for you?

So having a highly productive garden which looks neat is possible. It is not a wow or show garden but it is a practical one that meets the family’s needs.

Do try it if this garden style sounds like you. You will have lots of delicious food to eat on top of other health benefits like being outdoors and getting some exercise!!

Anyway I could go on lol. But I’ll leave it here.

Will post an update soon to show the second part of the back yard once its ready. We are pruning the chiku (sapodilla) tree right back and getting it to produce fruit again after the storm a couple of years ago basically split the tree in half!!

In the meantime have a read of other articles I’ve published on productive gardening here and here.

Do visit my past projects below which also squeezed in some of this garden style!

Vermont South A

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Camberwell

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Kew

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Bundoora

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Glen Waverley

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Blackburn

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Caulfield

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If you need further suggestions or design or plantscaping both indoors and outdoors, please contact us for a onsite 90 minute consultation. 

Refer to our packages for further detail on how we can help you in the consults and subsequently throughout your garden implementation process.

Do check out our article on what to plant in your vege patch for spring and growing herbs (part 1 & part 2).

Our passion your garden! xx

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Parveen

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🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your 🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your door⁠⁠
Will never disappear, I've seen that road before⁠⁠
It always leads me here, lead me to your door⁠⁠
- The Beatles⁠ 🎶⁠⁠
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Your front yard is one of the first things visitors see when they arrive at your house – so you want to make it stand out. ⁠⁠
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Should you dress it up with colourful flowers, or keep it stripped back and simple? ⁠⁠
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Should you add fancy garden edging, or create a pretty stone path? ⁠⁠
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There are so many options and that’s why I’ve put all of these wonderful front garden ideas in the one spot for you.⁠⁠
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This path for our Burwood is clean, simple and low maintenance. Paths don't need to be complicated.  They need to look welcome and inviting. 💚
Who ... who ... who ... 🦉⁠⁠
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💚⁠⁠
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Did you know that owls represent wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation, intuitive development, and trusting the mystery?⁠⁠
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They are tied to the spiritual symbolism of “death” which brings about new beginnings with a higher understanding and an evolved perspective. Owls can show up when you are being asked to listen to your intuition. ⁠⁠
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They have been around for a long time and feature in many cultures. ⁠⁠
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Archaeologists have found owl fossils as old as 58 million years!  Images of owls have been found on cave walls in France, among Egyptian hieroglyphs, and also in Mayan paintings.⁠⁠
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If you're into Feng Shui as I am, you can use a figurine in the form of an owl to improve the energy flow of your home.⁠⁠
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For example, if the flow of traffic is perpendicular to your home, it creates a poison arrow that could lead to a loss of health or prosperity. Positioning the owl figurine facing the traffic outside your home will deflect the poison arrow energy, clearing the way for only good energy - positive chi - to reach the entry of your home! 💚
The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ A star The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠
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A star plant in my view!  Stunning Colour - Climber - Feature Plant - Good screening⁠!⁠⁠
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I grew up with this plant as it was pretty much in every garden I've experienced, in Malaysian suburbia. ⁠⁠
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Its an easygoing plant being drought-tolerant and well suited to most soil types (with good drainage). It's easily propagated too, something I learned from my mum who admittedly went a little berserk trying to get all colours of this plant into her garden and those with unusual leaf characteristics (spotted, variegated etc). She became quite the collector!! ⁠⁠
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What I love most about this plant is how intense they flower and how spectacular they look smothered in them.  Good specimens are breathtaking with their colours so vivid that you can see it in the distance!⁠⁠
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To be honest and to my dismay, planting schemes in KL have become quite boring with a heavy handed emphasis on foliage over flowers.  In my humble view, I miss the gardens of the past where even the not so greened thumbed person would have their bougainvillea's at the front of their house, proudly on display.  On my recent trip to KL. there were only few houses in my own area left that had these plants and they definitely stood out!⁠⁠
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If you'd like to try these, here's some tips to try:⁠⁠
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🌼They prefer all day sun but will also thrive even with half a day of sun. ⁠⁠
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🌼Fertilisers - use those with a low nitrogen count (encourages leafy growth) and a higher potassium count (to encourage flowering). ⁠⁠
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🌼Bougainvilleas may produce more thorns if they are growing strongly. Over fertilisation can cause this as can hard pruning. ⁠⁠
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🌼They love a long deep watering but don't overwater as their roots with rot out. ⁠⁠
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Let me know what your favourite Bougainvillea plant or colour is!!!💚
Construction about to start on this design done fo Construction about to start on this design done for my lovely Murrumbeena clients! ⁠⁠
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Relatively low maintenance, this garden focuses on a number of architectural plants that will differentiate itself from its surrounds!  It will have a Cloud pruned feature tree which I've been dying to include in my designs and the clients have been willing to take up the challenge! ⁠⁠
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The garden beds have an unusual layout to it to enable my lovely clients to walk through and maintain the garden themselves with ease.  I can't wait to see it all eventuate in person, soon!⁠⁠
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I went for a softer look this time rather than my usual pops of bright colours so the rest of the planting focuses on soft whites and pinks with complimentary materials that would bring it all together.  Pssttt... the rocks will have pinks in it too💚!! ⁠⁠
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Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Ga Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠
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Garage art murals are a great idea to freshen up or add interest to a dull looking garage door. ⁠⁠
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You can either paint it your self if you have a steady hand or there are many websites that sell stick on ones. Change for each season. ⁠⁠
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This one was for our lovely client in Hawthorn.  Designed and painted by us to reflect the view of her garden past the doors! 💚
When the world wearies and society ceases to satis When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumonier⁠⁠
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This weekend, plan your escape to your garden.  Grab a book and your sun bed and enjoy. ⁠⁠I know I did all that today and loved every minute of it! 💚🥂
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Have a wonderful Easter and long weekend everyone!💚
Stepping stones can make a great design statement Stepping stones can make a great design statement in your garden and they are a way to minimise wear and tear on your lawn.⁠⁠
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You can use them to help create a fun pattern and if you have a lot of space and gardens on your property, you can use them to create a multitude of pathways. ⁠⁠
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Stepping stones can also be a great way to lead people to a hidden area, such as a secret garden, courtyard, or a water feature. ⁠⁠
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Be sure to add visual interest around the stones by framing the pathway with colorful blooms and lush greenery.⁠⁠
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Where will your stepping stones lead to? 💚
Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 fo Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 for Service!⁠⁠
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It's a warm feeling when your clients know that you really care about them and want to get the right results for them. ⁣⁠⁠
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Feeling grateful for the beautiful words received from our clients in their reviews and very appreciative of their time and effort in doing that for us!⁠⁠
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Thank you, @houzzau! ⁣⁠⁠
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@houzzpro_anz ⁠⁠
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#BestofHouzz2021
Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠ Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠
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This distinctive plant is one of the best known of all the tropical flowers and is also a cousin to the banana! 🍌. ⁠⁠
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Surprisingly, the Bird of Paradise is easier to grow than many tropical plants and makes for a vigorous, rapidly growing indoor plant. It can be moved outside in the summer, and in warmer climes, it thrives for half the year outside. ⁠⁠
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The Bird of Paradise typically flowers in the late winter or early spring, but under optimal conditions, it flowers at other times and they can grow to 5 to 6 feet tall. So pick a spot with this in mind. ⁠⁠
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Plant type: evergreen, forms a trunkless clump⁠⁠
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Height: to around 1.2m tall by 2–3m wide with age⁠⁠
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Foliage: similar to a small banana leaf but on a stem, very rigid, green to grey-blue.⁠⁠
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Climate: tropics, sub-tropics, warm temperate and sheltered areas of cold temperate.⁠⁠
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Soil: light, free-draining with additional compost at planting time.⁠⁠
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Position: warm and sunny with protection from harsh or cold winds, will tolerate some shade.⁠⁠
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Feeding: annual application of controlled-release fertiliser.⁠⁠
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Watering: must have reliable moisture during hot, dry weather. 💚
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Productive garden design - an example | Inspiring Landscape Solutions