2016 continued in the momentum gathering pace of 2015 with our relationships with LMH Consulting solidifying as a great source of inspiration and support.
We saw 2016 building on our portfolio and expanding our client base. We welcomed Monash City Council on board with 5 playground upgrades and a half court / tennis hit up wall design being completed. Four of these facilities are now being enjoyed by the community with two more due for construction by the end of financial year.
Mount Alexander bought us in to review the edge treatment of Lake Joanna at the gorgeous Botanic Gardens in Castlemaine. The lake edge was engineered for flood mitigation and our challenge was to work within the existing finish of geo-fabric and ballast but soften it with plantings that will handle the weather extremes than Castlemaine can throw at it (hot and dry summers and blistering frosts in the winter). We were honoured to team with the esteemed Suzanne J Price on this project to ensure the stars of the botanic gardens continue to be the plants.
Maroondah Dog Park design was completed, with construction currently underway. The park is due to open in April 2017.
We love our regional clients and were pleased to deliver the Masterplan for Moama Recreation Reserve. Over the next 10 years the reserve will  see an upgrade of the regional playspace, new walking paths installed, improvements to sporting infrastructure and public amenity for the benefit of the Echuca / Moama communities.
Our aim is to deliver inspired spaces that have a positive impact on the individuals and communities that use them. 2017 is shaping up to be as exciting as 2016 and I can't wait to fill you all in on our journey. Have a great year!

St Peters Primary School, East Keilor

Stage 1 of the Gds 3-6 playground upgrade is now complete!

With the school being adequately resourced in terms of active play zones, our brief was to enrich an area of the existing school ground as a quiet play space with a focus on socialising and creative play. This space included an extensive section of concrete which was required to stay as part of the brief.

The end result is a quiet play area complete with informal seating in the form of rocks and tractor tyres, a synthetic turf checkers/chess board which doubles as more informal seating when a checkers game is not in session and a decked stage area. The stage is designed to 4kPa and will hold an entire classroom if need be, becoming an outdoor classroom or a performance stage depending on the need.
It is all abilities compliant and built out of Modwood to save the school time and money on maintenance down the track. Six picnic tables are on order for the refurbished gazebos providing additional seating and meeting places for the children.

Upright cypress pine sleeper walls help enclose the area from the adjacent carpark and will hold plaques which may be relocated in future.

A planting plan has been prepared with soft landscaping to be completed by the school community in Autumn 2016. This will bring much needed colour and softness to the space.

It's a big thumbs up from the kids!

Planning will now commence on the Stage 2 which will hopefully incorporate a formal play equipment piece for upper body strength and coordination for Gds 3-6.

2015 in a wrap

It was a great year for KLG Landscapes. We expanded our play space portfolio with the design of the Terang Children's Centre in western Victoria. This predominantly farming community were keen for the green field site to follow nature based play design principles. It was a joy to design a site that integrated a large rock edged sandpit, bamboo grove, digging patch, tunnel/climbing mound, performance stage, Melaleuca grove and ample open space which teachers and children will be able to transform at will. This exciting space will be open in Jan 2016.

Apex Park in Camperdown had its official launch in November 2015 following 3 years of community work and fundraising to realise the vision mapped out in 2012. Congratulations to community of Camperdown for your dedication and hard work to achieve a space which caters for the entire community and is a show case for the township.

Teaming up with LMH Consulting has been very rewarding with achievements in 2015 being awarded the Lake Colac Masterplan, Noosaville dog park concept, Maroondah dog park concept, and Inglewood Playground concept.

We saw the transformation of the Holy Cross playground in New Gisborne and will see the playground at St Peters in East Keilor undergo construction in Jan 2016 with a custom stage designed to hold an entire class, chess set and informal seating.

It has been a great year and I look forward to 2016 being filled with the sound of adults and children playing, and another year of finding solace in the beauty of a leaf, the shadows cast by trees, the bees on the flowers and the graceful flittering of the honey eaters in my own garden.

Happy New Year to you all!

It has been a hectic 6 months for KLG Landscape Consultants. Following a 3 year stint working directly with 2MH Consulting in Kyneton, KLG has been busy sub consulting  out to 2MH, epic Consulting, and LMH Consulting. The projects have been wide ranging from strategic recreation projects with Vanessa to dog park design with Lesley and detailed design with 2MH.

I am glad to be back blogging and look forward to posting images of some of my designs soon.
In the meantime, I can be contacted directly on 0422 484 544.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, March 2011

It's a bronze! I am so pleased to get a bronze alongside some nice competition with much larger budgets. People have been flooding into the show since Wednesday and I have received some great feedback. Once I get some better pictures I'll load them on for everybody to enjoy.
The garden is performing its function, of inspiring contemplation and serenity. It is lovely to stand and watch a resident magpie-lark flit from reflection to reflection. He, as it turn out is the star of the stage.
I hope you enjoy the garden as much as I do.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

“Reflections”

by Kristine Galea (A69)

Design Philosophy

In keeping with the student design competition theme “Urban Forest”, my show garden explores the quality of light within a forested environment. The display is a staged space where people can reflect on the natural elements of light and shade created by trees in our urban setting.

The strong vertical nature of forests has been maintained as a spatial element in the design. This is achieved through the copse style planting of Betula pendula “Moss White”. The pale trunks contrast with the darker tone of the 1.8 m high wall, which is painted in Ferrodor 810.  A series of black Perspex panels along the side wall give an illusion of breadth to the space, capturing light and movement.

Stainless steel decorative balls placed through the space attract the light and emphasize the shimmering qualities of the design. The light is further reflected by a simple reflection pond which captures the spirit of the passing clouds.

Cut crystal balls hang suspended over the pond by a mirror finish stainless steel feature. The crystals play with the light, spinning softly in the breeze, reflecting the light through the design.

The manufactured elements of the stainless steel, cut crystals and Perspex, whilst reflecting light are also designed to highlight the urban nature of the installation.

The planting design is simple, maintaining the focus on the light as it dances around the space. The birch trunks and the understory planting contrast with the metallic shimmer of the surrounding walls. The blue foliage of the grass,  Lomandra Wingarra dominates the upper section, standing out against the wall. The mid-section understory comes alive with the Acacia cognata ‘Minicog’. The lower section planting consists of the groundcover Casuarina glauca “Cousin It”, softly enclosing the pond and bleeding out into basalt mulch. The soft texture and colour of the under-storey planting emphasizes the light movement.

The effect is an “urban stage’ for the forested autumn light to dance, perform and sooth our souls. 

Tuesday 29th March 2011 - It's tools down for the team, with us easily completing the garden within the time frame. Judging was this afternoon with the winners announced tomorrow morning over breakfast.

I couldn't have completed the garden without the guys from  Instyle Gardens. With their  hard work and sense of humour they made what is often a stressful experience a relaxed one! Thanks Joel and Dave.

The highlight of my day was being interviewed by Better Homes and Gardens. It's not every day that one gets "miked up"! I am enough of a realist to comprehend that although yes I was interviewed, the entire segment may just be edited out. Who knows, I may have mumbled (terrible habit of mine), or just had booger up my nose. We will all have to wait until this Friday at 7:30pm to watch the show go to air and see if I am edited from existence!!

Well, it's time to kick up my heels at breaky and continue on at the cocktail party tomorrow night. It has been a blast and an experience I will treasure for a lifetime.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, March 2011

It's count down to the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show, with 6 weeks to go until the start of the build. I feel like a bowerbird at the moment, ordering and collecting all things pretty for my design.

In keeping with the design competition theme of “Urban Forest”, my design explores the quality of light within a forested environment. The display was conceived as a meditation space, a space to relax and observe in stillness, a place to rejuvenate the soul after a hard days work.

The planting theme is very simple, with the emphasis being on the light as it dances around the space. The colour theme is elegant in its restraint. Sunlight filters through the stand of trees planted in copse style. A selection of native plants forms the understorey which is designed to compliment and contrast with the dark grey metallic shimmer of the surrounding walls. Gloss black Perspex panels capture movement through the design, while the mirror finish stainless steel water feature and decorative balls scattered through the design, help reflect the light.  The movement of light is further emphasized by the circular reflection pond, which will capture the spirit of passing clouds and reflect the cut crystal glass balls which are suspended above the pond.

The effect is a “stage’ for the forested autumn light to dance, perform and sooth our souls. Hope to see you there!