The Malvern Gardens, one in Clifton Street and the other in Wattle Street, are back-to-back properties owned by two generations of a garden-loving family.

Enter at 48 Clifton Street and the exit through the Wattle Street garden. This means a short 2-minute walk back to Clifton Street via Cambridge Terrace which connects both streets.

Clifton Street

The classic sandstone villa, circa 1910, is owned by landscape designers Cathy and Nick Apps. Over the last 22 years, they have created a stylish garden in perfect harmony with the elegant house and the leafy streetscape.

The formality of the front garden with its tightly clipped hedges is balanced and beautifully softened by the planting in the garden and on the verge. A row of bright, buttery yellow Graham Thomas roses spills through the front fence's ironwork, and perennials and shrubs add touches of colour to various foliage textures and tones.

A bubbling water bowl is a focal point on one side; on the other, a solitary tree adds a contemporary twist to the formal layout.  Clipped Japanese yew trees are cleverly positioned to conceal the driveway. With a tall trellis supporting an espaliered lemon tree on the other side, the garden has a lovely sense of intimacy and enclosure.

The back garden is all about function and family lifestyle – steps bordered with a double row of hedging lead from the modern extension at the back of the house down to a large area of lawn, an infinity-edged pool and a pergola-covered sitting area around a fireplace. Deciduous trees, some in neighbouring properties, edge the boundaries. Cathy has added a small grove of upright ornamental prunus trees on one side and a dense citrus wall on the other.  Pierre de Ronsard roses cover the garden shed, and the small, well-stocked, productive garden includes fruit trees, raised veggie beds and a propagating area. A rusted steel sculpture is placed in front of the sandstone wall separating the two properties.

A well-planned garden that is a balanced blend of flair and function

Wattle Street

Behind the sandstone walls that separate the two properties are the beautifully restored 115-year-old Wattle Street house and its garden; the architecture and the garden are a skilful mix of modern and traditional styles.

The innovative light-filled extension to the graceful old home includes walls of windows that connect with charming courtyard gardens on each side of the new living areas.  On the eastern side, the courtyard is a sheltered outdoor eating space. The other side is unexpectedly dramatic and minimalist – four crepe myrtle trees are symmetrically positioned within a gravel garden with a centrally placed low water bowl as the only ornamentation. The boundary fence built with timber battens was resourcefully reused when the old roof was upgraded, and a low row of Raphiolepsis ‘Oriental Pearl’ adds to the contemporary look of this simple yet sophisticated space.

The mood changes in front of the house, and the garden is brimming with perennial plants with a cottagey feel. A wide paved path links the house with the smart new gate and front fence. The original slate pieces that once covered the veranda have been recycled and interplanted with low, hardy, but lush ground-carpeting plants to make a feature of the little path to the driveway.

The owner, Jill, is a keen gardener, and this pretty front area is her ‘memory garden’. Plants from friends, cuttings from past gardens, ‘must-have’ perennials, annuals and deciduous trees make the garden a delight throughout the seasons. A bird bath and a spun copper dish provide water for the many birds and bees attracted by the colourful salvias, purple statice, roses, iris, ageratum, cosmos, poppies and other old-fashioned favourites that fill this lovely space.