As you plan an outdoor space, keep in mind how you want its inhabitants to feel in it. For instance, to evoke tranquillity add features such as a pond or waterfall into the design.
Make an unused tennis court into an eye-catching vegetable garden to impress neighbors and add curb appeal.
Plants
Garden plants are essential components of its aesthetic and functionality. When creating a tennis-inspired space, planting the appropriate kind of grass is key to creating an engaging court that serves both its functional purpose and aesthetic aesthetics. Which type of grass you select may depend on where you reside – but hardy bermudagrass tends to be hardier and drought tolerant than its counterparts.
Jaclyn and Andrew’s property on the Mornington Peninsula came with an expanse of unmanicured turf covering much of its rear garden. With two pre-teen daughters living with them, it was important for them to create an environment conducive to active lifestyles while supporting an abundant vegetable garden.
Matt Leacy from Landart Landscapes was hired to design a garden that would integrate history, happiness, and health and function. First he cleared away weeds and existing lawn while turning over soil layers to loosen it and provide better seedbed conditions.
Once their ground was ready for turf installation, they planted new bermudagrass across the entire area in stages, starting with the front and then moving backward. Additionally, they framed their new terrace with living green walls on either side that provided decorative and eye-catching features while screening existing fencing and adding depth. As these living walls utilize faux greenery maintenance costs were minimal. They had great admiration for Dutch designer Piet Oudolf who is well known for combining plants in his signature “naturalistic” style that embraces spontaneity.
Furniture
Your backyard furniture selection can set the scene for your entire garden experience. From teak sofas tucked into coastal home corners to black wrought iron dining chairs on high rise terraces, style and placement of furniture will dictate its overall effect in shaping the overall feel of a space.
Nico began by clearing away established pittosporum and agapanthus plants – considered environmental weeds in Victoria – that had overgrown this former tennis court site. Once this had been accomplished, circles and rectangles were cut into long rows for beds with bamboo ‘wigwam’ trellises as beds; compost and soil was dug into cubic meters of space and irrigation pipe laid all across it all to start this remarkable transformation journey. This marked only the start of an exciting journey of transformation!
Lighting
An outdoor tennis court can make a fantastic addition to any outdoor space, adding both value and creating an enjoyable environment for family and friends to enjoy. However, before installing one it is important to understand which factors must be taken into consideration before making your decision.
Lighting should be one of the primary concerns when planning tennis court resurfacing projects, with various types available and each offering their own set of advantages and disadvantages. A professional should help you choose what type of lighting would work best in your home; they will be able to provide models, renderings and simulations prior to beginning any work as well as being familiar with relevant laws and regulations surrounding tennis courts.
This garden features a diverse collection of plants. To soften and camouflage the retaining wall by the tennis court, evergreen climber Trachelospermum jasminoides is planted to soften and camouflage it; palms and pleached trees form a green screen at the rear of the property; Ilex crenata “Dark Green” Japanese box hedges create structure and intrigue around the garden while Pinus sylvestris and Osmanthus fragrans provide shade behind lawns.
As one of the world’s premier grass tennis courts, Wimbledon draws large crowds each year to watch top players compete on its iconic courts. Witnessing such spectacle can make one feel as though they are at the tournament itself!
Even when not attending tournaments, a well-designed, fenced-in vegetable garden can still help you enjoy the sport in your own backyard. Jaclyn and Andrew Stewardson transformed their Victorian property from an unused tennis court into an impressive vegetable garden. To do this, they removed pittosporum, agapanthus, and cotoneaster — considered environmental weeds by Victoria — with native species; added a pond in the centre to attract birds, and then installed lighting to emphasize all its unique features.