When you pull up outside the home of Mike and Jani Wain, you are greeted by flowering bougainvilleas and a barrage of greenery. There is a large tree with a birdseed feeder that serves as a welcoming gesture for visiting birds, while clay pots add to that homely, welcoming feel.
If there is one thing that you immediately notice about this garden in the Green Community, which was designed by Ben Haberfield from Grow Gardens, it is how exceptionally welcoming it is. This, I suspect, is perhaps thanks to the ubiquitous greenery that somehow reminds me of an English country garden. "I told Ben that I liked the idea of an overgrown garden," says Jani. "I wanted a busy, full garden. Ben was very clever in how he divided up the space."
"Ben did three concepts, but the first one he showed us was the one we chose," explains Mike. "He did the visuals and they are pretty much how the garden has come out. It is bang on the brief - Jani wanted thick bushes and red flowers and that's what we got."
The garden is certainly action packed with its myriad plants and flowers which include Spider lily, pink hibiscus and ixora. However, alongside these traditional flowers are rather more modern inventions including a mist cooling system that can actually reduce the temperature in parts of the garden by10 degrees. From Dubai-based company,Green Sense, this practical outdoor ‘air conditioning' makes sitting in the garden onhot summer days much more bearable, and thus allows the family to make use of the garden all year round.
While this innovative system means more enjoyment in the garden, audio rock speakers from the US, and an audio system that allows the Wains to play different music in various zones, adds to this garden's ambience. In addition, with the mood lighting that has been installed, the atmosphere makes it just right for every occasion, whether that be a garden party or simply reading a book outdoors.
For Mike and Jani one of their favourite areas is the pool and its lighting, which can change from one colour to various different shades. Although with any pool getting it perfect is not without its challenges, and to ensure that the fountain for the pool flowed efficiently, equipment had to be imported. "The water blade had to be specially made and imported from the UK. It is a two-metre long blade which wasn't readily available here," explains Mike.
"The lighting is a dyna-light constructed system," he continues, "It integrates with the fountain and around the whole exterior. You can programme it to different moods."
Practicalities and the approval process for a professionally designed garden can also be a challenge. "There was a bit of red tape with the approval process," remarks Mike. "Also the water level in the Green Community is quite high when you dig down for a swimming pool, so we could only dig down so far."
But now that the garden is complete it all looks stunning and one feature that didn't need any approval is the pebble-lined fountain, which is a striking addition to the garden, and a place where the couple's two children love to play.
"The garden is a combination of everything," concludes Jani. "It is an extension of the living area and is a friendly family environment.You can sit and watch the kids play and itreally is an extension of the house, both inthe day and at night."
The 4,900 square foot garden certainly has benefits for every single member of the Wain family. While the back of the garden, with its swimming pool, offers a haven of tranquillity, to one side of the house is a fenced section where the children can play basketball or simply have fun in a secure area. And, while the children can safely play in one area, with plenty of seating areas courtesy of Ambar furniture, both Mike and Jani can easily keep an eye on them while relaxing at the same time.
With its perfect blend that offers a place to play, relax or entertain, this Green Community garden provides an exceptionally friendly haven in an exceptionally frenetic city.
