DesignSolutionsWhat to do with a small city garden? A tiny lawn can look ridiculous. For one way to do things differently, look to Laura Bermingham, model, beauty writer and presenter on TV3's Ireland A.M. morning show.

She lives in north Dublin with her husband Gary Scully and their young daughter Rosie in a house that is part of a new development.

As with most new homes in the city or on its outskirts, the garden is fairly small.

"We're lucky that the house backs onto a bank of trees, but there aren't exactly rolling hills," says Laura, "and the ground wasn't the best anyway, so we decided to cover the whole space entirely."

The garden is divided into three areas, with not a blade of regular lawn grass in sight: deck, pebble and paving are used instead.

Gary has an interest in garden design - it's a sideline to his business - and with his father, created the garden.

"Laura and I are both busy and wanted a maintenance-free garden," says Gary. "Most of the plants here don't need much care."

Apart, that is, from the 65-year-old fern which needs constant watering that has been planted into a circular cut-out hole in the deck.

The doors in the kitchen at the back of the house open onto a deck with table and chairs.

To the right, the deck steps down to a pebble-covered area where there are smaller ferns and other plants that don't need much moisture.

"Laura hates insects so there are no flowering plants apart from a bit of lavender," says Gary.

At the end of the deck, two planters have been built from cement and painted cream. They lead to the end of the garden, where natural looking paving has a mosaic seat built out from the wall.

"The sun shines down here in the evening," says Laura. "The garden is now like another room in an outdoor area, one we use all the time. We spend a lot more time entertaining outside, and it's still a garden Rosie can play in."

The beauty of the space is that there's a feeling of being totally enclosed.

It's not just the tall trees behind the garden - Gary built up both side walls with willow cane fencing from B&Q.

One side is planted with bamboos in a bed made from railway sleepers.

To add to the entertaining aspect, clever lighting is all around, including strip lights below the back wall and spotlights in the planters.

From the trees at the end hang small mirrored disks - actually Christmas decorations from Brown Thomas. They reflect light flitting around the pavement.

The garden will stand to the couple if they come to sell it in years to come - but for now, it's a peaceful place in the city.

To contact Gary Scully call 087 6268374

elyons@irish-times.ie