A recent award-winning landscape interprets the formal garden style with a contemporary edge. Designed by the Ian Barker team, this Melbourne bayside garden honours the hallmarks of a formal design: symmetry, repetition, structure and perfect proportions. However, using current materials and colours, this landscape clearly showcases a modern twist.

A Melbourne Bayside Garden Project by Ian Barker Design

A formal garden particularly when it surrounds an architectural home is a dignified and beautiful space. One unmistakable characteristic of the formal garden style is the classic urn. This project uses three large Pietro Stoneware Bronze Urns from our Architectural pots collection. While staying true to the classic form, this beautiful dark bronze, almost black urn has a modern twist, with a unique twisted striation pattern. Made from lightweight, durable glass fibre reinforced composite (GFRC), it perfectly complements the gardens bluestone paving and manicured plantings.

Traditionally, the formal landscape style is characterised by bilateral symmetry, dominant hardscaping, geometric shapes, straight paths, man-made topography, clipped hedges and classical garden ornaments such as statuary, urns and topiary. But its not necessary to include all of these elements for a modern take on the formal garden. If your client is looking for a formal garden makeover, choose at least one of these elements that make sense within the space and stay true to the pure shapes.