Unity Garden

Australian bushland retreat meets traditional Japanese garden is one way to describe this design. A collaboration between Ross Uebergang Landscape Design combined the hardy trees and plants of the Australian bush with Japanese ideas of hospitality and place. strove to connect nature and culture; moreover, it was a place in which to unwind and play — and it even included a space set aside for the Japanese tea ceremony. The dining area, with its long table and timber block seating, was a nod to our love of outdoor entertaining. A straight waterway (rill) running beneath the table to the tea house, which sat at the head of the garden in an elevated position, symbolised the connection between Australia and Japan. The less-manicured Australian bush setting (sheoaks, eucalypts) provided a contrasting backdrop to the structure and order of the traditional tea ceremony. The blackened walls referenced Japanese cultural memory of ancestors, the white granite the realm of the mind and spirit. The juxtaposition of charcoal and white reminded us that fire brings both death and life. Above all, was designed to be what all gardens should be — a place to relax.