Guiding Principle 1:

Nature is the greatest teacher

At Devic Realms, our inspiration and everything we do in the field of landscape, garden design and conservation is influenced by our fascination and love of the natural world. We believe that the best looking gardens are those that "looked as if they had just 'happened'".  Nature truly is the greatest teacher, and by working with nature, and all the nature spirits and Deva’s, we can create a perfect piece of paradise.

• eliminate visual boundaries like fences, neighbours houses etc where possible
• soften hard lines of paving, driveways and walls with planting
• retain existing features such as an undulating landform, or natural rock outcrops, naturally boggy areas, etc
• use rock outcrops to give a touch of rugged beauty
• use natural materials such as rocks, timber, gravel and brush fencing, and native plants where possible
• site pools and water features appropriately
• use a limited palette of plants chosen for their shape and texture, their capacity to reveal or conceal, to provide a focal point or a background
• use shadows as a design element
• keep design elements in proportion to the size of the garden.
   

Guiding Principle 2:

Gardens are for people

At Devic Realms, we are very conscious of people's need for outdoor living in an urban setting - it is one of the great pleasures and privileges of the Australian way of life.   We seek to provide a special little place to relax and escape the world for a while. What good is a garden if it provides no actual use or attraction to you? You would never go out into a garden that you didn’t connect with. We believe that people should be able to enjoy their gardens all the time, and to achieve this, we:

• consider the owner's way of life including possible future changes
• create effects of greater distance when the space is small
• plant screening plants for privacy or windbreak
• create a feeling of enclosure in some areas, perhaps as secret garden rooms
• create views from inside the house and from terraces
• use courtyards for outdoor living areas
• put hidden features into the garden to make you want to explore the environment

Courtyards

We believe that small courtyards should be simple and uncluttered to evoke a feeling of tranquillity and space. They should be functional, yet interesting. Perhaps a Japanese theme with bamboo screening, bamboo table and chair settings, with a little water feature trickling away nearby. Or, perhaps a mini rainforest area with lush green palms and ferns, a small waterfall off to one side feeding a pond, and a seating area within this ‘rainforest’ to relax from the stress of work. What about a Mediterranean theme, with a wall spurter, and Tuscan style planter boxes that double as seats to entertain a small group of friends? There are several ideas that can be employed in areas that would otherwise be left empty and bleak, rarely to be used for anything other than bin storage.

Use of rock

At Devic Realms, we like to use rock in garden designs, as it is a very natural product. If there is the need for walls to be built within the garden to perhaps hold back sloping soil, we prefer to build them using rock rather than other fake looking products on the market, like keystone, concrete, etc. Rock walls look so much more effective once the garden has established, as the plants grow to disguise the wall, making it look much older, and much more mysterious… Is it a natural formation? Did earlier settlers to the area, who lived at this exact location, build it? Think of how you feel when you are bush walking and you come across a unique rock formation or outcrop that takes your breath away. Isn’t it awe-inspiring? Wouldn’t you love to have that same feeling each time you step into your own backyard? Creating this effect is very tricky, and we have learned many important principles for achieving a natural look:

• rocks should be partly buried to look as though they have been there for ever
• placing rocks to create the appearance of a natural stratum
• varying the size of the rocks
• using boulders to attract the eye from a plain brick wall
• using pebbles and boulders as a dry creek bed in a sometimes wet area or where there is to be storm water run off
• being bold
• placing rocks in odd numbered groupings (where possible)

One further point we would like to make about rocks is that at Devic Realms, we do not use rocks that have been raped from the bush, like moss rocks, and other types of garden rocks that are available through some landscape suppliers. We prefer to use quarried rocks, like bluestone, as we feel that at least these rocks weren’t providing a home for little creatures that call the bush their home. Moss rock is simply called so because when it is collected, it is covered with moss (actually, Lichen). However, when they are brought to landscape yards, or people's gardens, the incorrect placement of these rocks will kill the moss, and all you are left with is a rock. The very same affect can be created with bluestone. Simply place the rock in your desired spot, and if it is in shade for at least most of the day, paint the rock with milk, yogurt, or liquid fertiliser, and moss (or Lichen) will grow if all conditions are right. Hence, you will in fact create your own moss rocks, which are less expensive, and you have the good feeling of knowing you haven’t hurt our fragile bush environment in the process.

The greatest test to employing these principles is to look at examples in practice.  

We Walk the Talk.

Click Here to View a Sample of Our Work

Living Landscapes : Be the envy of your friends and neighbours with a complete garden system from Devic Realms.    Add interest and excitement for many years to come.    Add adventure for the kids to enjoy.    Create your own little piece of paradise today.

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Copyright © 2004 Devic Realms
Last modified: 14/03/08