Are the shapes, colours and forms and each part of the partnership singing – do they compliment or contrast sufficiently. I can see what it looks like now but this is about stretching my knowledge and memory as to how it will look in one month, two or three and in each season. I aim for longevity in a garden and if it’s not growing in increasing beauty every year it’s not good enough. It’s complicated, yet I find it a delicious distraction and it’s this which I do almost every day of my life – I look at the garden I’m working on, get to understand what each garden owner is hoping to achieve, assess their microclimate, architecture, budget and a half a zillion other factors to achieve the best result and it’s one of the reasons why to me work isn’t a chore.

In the studio we are producing some seriously beautiful designs and – many have been influenced directly and indirectly to our recent holiday in France. Cathy and I spent the best part of summer based in the beautiful home of friends that live just outside the walls of this ancient village where Picasso once lived. To become familiar with a place to have to live like locals and we absorb ourselves in everyday life. When we create a garden it’s not just about plants it’s about creating atmosphere, and in France this is tangible.

For many years I’ve wanted to go to the Galerie Maeght sculpture park at St Paul de Vence but have never quite got there – and this time I succeeded and I’m so pleased I did. To walk in a garden where it feels as if Joan Miro is with you is an uplifting experience!

I’ll wait patiently for someone to give me a call with a request to create a garden that features sculpture and I’ll show them what Ive learnt.

We stopped by the home of an old friend that lives in Opio to have a glass of champagne and lend a hand with her garden.

and we took a few days at Chateau Nerf du Pape to gather wine supplies and had a great lunch outside a cafe in the shade of ancient pollarded plane trees and discovered some wonderful wines in the co-op next door, and it’s these memories of tastes, sights and smells that I’ll be bringing with me as we work through our designs this Australian summer.

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I’ve been lucky to establish relationships last year with two new  colleagues that enrich my life artistically. I’ve long been an advocate of sculpture – and even more so if it will enliven my gardens.

The lovely Denese Oates brought to life an idea that I’ve had ticking away in my head for a few years in a courtyard garden at Mosman. This narrow space is an important area as the living room and kitchen look directly onto the boundary wall and the strip is too desolate to plant successfully. The owner has a wonderful collection of paintings and Denese and Diane were an ideal match. In concept I imagined a vine growing about the wall – and rather than dictate how to, this original concept idea became the departure point from which Denese began and it has been a wonderful ride.

I took a short 10 second video to show you the scale of this work – click the link below to sneak a peek, and imagine how it looks at night when illuminated by the overhead LED lights!

Denese Oates Wall Sculpture from Michael Cooke on Vimeo.

our original design sketch

Late last year our friends Gemma and Armando introduced me to Peter Lundberg – an accomplished sculptor that has won Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi – twice. Peter creates monumental public works in concrete and bronze and whilst Peter is overseas for a while I have a collection of his smaller bronze pieces here in my own garden where they can gently weather outside and I can enjoy them whilst I dream of  the gardens to home them permanently. The sculptures come in a range of finishes, the one picture has a golden hue to it which looks great when shown against a backdrop of green foliage

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When I met Denese at her Northern Suburbs home I had to explore both the garden and the studio where she was busy on a number of new works. I was intrigued to see a pile of cast `bones’ awaiting fabrication. This past week these 100 bones, now copper coated were installed at the Coal Loader in Waverton as part of the North Sydney Art Prize 2017. If you have time to visit, the exhibition is open 10am – 5pm daily from 11th – 26th March 2017 at The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability, 2 Balls Head Drive, Waverton.

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I love the lightness and transparency of these sculptures – made from copper wire and finished with verdigris they look very much at home. Midway through last Sunday afternoon I realised that nobody knew they were actually for sale – they looked like part of the scenery. So now you know, for more information contact Stella Downer – who represents Denese or myself.

Outdoor sculpture takes a garden to a whole new level, many are used in formal settings, but I particularly enjoy sculpture when it contasts with a slightly overgrown, whimsical part of the garden. I have `Twine’ positioned by the copper door which leads to the wine cellar where I can enjoy it from our bedroom window.

`Twine’ by Denese Oates

Close detail

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Krinklewood Biodynamic Winery will be here for sales and tasting, there’s a mobile coffee van for a good brew and he will have things to eat as well. `The Springs’ the golf course three doors down from us has a great bistro if you want something more to eat – or of course find a spot, spread out a blanket and bring a picnic.

Sculptor Denese Oates will also be here and has two works here on display for sale made from copper and I love the way they look in my garden.

I am proud of` Disobedient Gardens’ my latest book – I will have books for sale, and my friend Brigid Arnott the photographer who has captured all the garden images so beautifully will be here too. We hope to see you soon.

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I’m very fortunate to have many amazing gardeners that help me in the months which precede this day, so despite the name of my book I sincerely hope that my garden will appear suitably primped and preened.

This is the first blog post for some time as my new website has been under construction – now up and running, so take a peek it looks fantastic, thanks Tim.

Punica granatum `Legrelliae’

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