Roman Bumblebee
The clients were young, playful, and enthusiastic; they wanted a garden that fit their Mediterranean lifestyle. Cevan christened it “The Roman Bumblebee” because the pool was surrounded by black and yellow slate tiles. He developed the theme throughout the landscape design by casting in place a series of concrete columns and pedestals colored with earthen tones of yellow ochre and charcoal pigment.
The property had a challenging layout, a very deep lot, with a long driveway running to a large garage in the back corner. Cevan’s first move was to wall off the driveway and property borders creating an interior courtyard that opens onto the pool. The arbor and ochre stuccoed walls were planted with bougainvillea and fruiting kiwi. He bordered the pool with Italian cypress and kangaroo paw and created a verdant green space around the guesthouse with handcast concrete planers filled with bamboo, papyrus, and powlwinnia.
The garden vibrates with color, motion, and sound. Cevan softened the sound of the falling water of the fountain by creating chains of bells that play a subtle soundtrack as the water runs through them.
The project features raised bed planters and a concrete sun lounge that doubles as a doubles as a dining area. A fire pit surrounded by walls inlaid with mosaic mirror tiles creates the feel of a private Mediterranean oasis.