Melbourne artist’s enchanting cottage garden revealed

Five years ago, Fleur Harris and her family moved into a 1908 home in Melbourne’s inner northwest. The garden was overgrown and unremarkable until a single photograph changed everything.

The previous owner had shared an image of the same space decades earlier, when his mother tended it as a lush cottage garden. That image became Fleur’s quiet guide as she began clearing weeds and coaxing dormant plants back to life.

“It felt like uncovering a past version of the place,” she says.

A garden built on friendship and shared vision

In 2023, after renovating the house, Fleur invited garden designer Ashley James to help reimagine the front garden and sideway. Their partnership began on Instagram, where both recognized a similar approach to design—one that merged creativity with outdoor spaces.

“I was instantly drawn to Fleur’s work,” Ashley says. “Her paintings and my gardens seemed to share the same vision.”

Instead of formal plans, the design took shape over cups of tea at Fleur’s kitchen table. The goal was clear: a garden that felt enchanting, immersive, and full of life—a place to wander, gather flowers, and spark creativity. Since Fleur’s design studio overlooks the space, it also needed to fuel her artwork.

The 580-square-meter block is small, but the design makes the most of it. A solid bluestone path leads to the front door, anchoring the space in the home’s history. From there, organic bluestone steppers create winding paths that loop through intimate garden areas. Dichondra repens, a low-growing ground cover, softens the edges, blending hardscape with greenery.

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A cracked bitumen sideway became a secret garden passage, narrow but lush with plants. “We didn’t let its size hold us back,” Fleur says. “It feels like a hidden path you might discover by chance.”

Balancing whimsy with practicality

The planting scheme favors cottage-style perennials, selected for their lushness and seasonal shifts. Ashley ensured the design had enough height and softness to feel abundant without becoming cluttered.

Fleur adds her own touch of spontaneity. She scatters flower seeds and lets plants find their own place. Each year, she grows heirloom poppies originally planted by her late father, a tradition she cherishes.

Small details, like a tiny fairy apothecary nestled among the foliage, reflect the imaginative world of her illustrations. Her Garden of Dreams wallpaper features flowers drawn from the front garden.

Practical needs weren’t ignored. Melbourne’s hot summers made watering a concern, so an underground irrigation system using tank water was installed to keep the garden healthy.

The garden, planted in February 2025, is already finding its rhythm. For Ashley, the real success is in how it came together. “When an artist and a garden designer share a vision, something special happens,” he says. “It’s like walking into one of Fleur’s paintings—soft, layered, nostalgic, and alive. This space grew from a story and a friendship.”

Gardens like this one don’t just develop—they transform. The photograph that inspired it all is now part of a living space where memory and creativity meet. For those looking to create a similar atmosphere in shadier areas, certain plants thrive in containers, offering flexibility in design.