Table of contents for Landscape Design No.1 in Landscape Design

GARDENS BY DESIGN The most engaging gardens possess a sense of place, looking as if they were “meant to be” rather than a hasty after-thought. They will forge connections. To the land they occupy, the house they embrace, and the people who use them. A well-designed garden — one that draws you in and makes you want to linger — will have “good bones”, meaning the trees, pool, paths, deck, and the like, will have been correctly placed. It will make the most of its assets and minimise its faults. While style is a personal thing, there are fundamental principles that can be applied to any garden design, such as the principle of simplicity. This suggests that a garden should never be over-designed or too busy. The eye should be…

“To ensure the new pool wouldn't overwhelm the space, it was raised and cantilevered on two sides Wherever your eye lands in this garden, it comes to rest on an expanse of green, which is a remarkable feat when you consider that a swimming pool claims the lion’s share of the space. Integrating a pool into a smaller backyard can be tricky, the danger being total domination, but here, that particular peril was avoided. “One of the owners is a keen swimmer, so the pool had to be long enough for her to do laps. And it had to be wide and deep enough for the kids — all three of them, and their friends — to jump into it. An integrated spa was also a must,” says Oliver Sizeland,…

“This garden was all about the plants and allowing them to take centre stage While the heritage home had been renovated, the outdoor spaces were outdated and tired. The fundamentals were solid — a lawn area, swimming pool, and pavilion — but everything needed refreshing so the owners turned to Ian Barker, director of Ian Barker Gardens. The property is in Melbourne’s Glen Iris, a suburb known for its period dwellings. Over the years, Ian has garnered an enviable reputation for breathing new life into the languishing landscapes of heritage homes so was the perfect choice for this project. Inspired by the elegance of the home’s architecture, Ian and his team set out to create a look of pared back opulence, mainly through the planting. “We took the hardscaping to…

“An all-seasons garden that gives the family the resort-style outdoor living experience they imagined The Surf Coast’s siren call has been answered by many. Surfers from around Australia, Victorians in need of a relaxing holiday by the beach, and families from urban hubs like Melbourne or Geelong seeking a seachange. When Jason King, director of King’s Gardens & Pools, was called in, the home was looking great but the land around it was little more than scrub. From the outset, he knew the site — a sloping three-acre block in Jan Juc overlooking Bells Beach — would bring challenges and opportunities. “The family of four, including two primary school-aged children, wanted a private and tranquil outdoor resort to match their newly renovated home. The site was enormous, so called for…

It’s something that comes to every parent. That time when the last child is on the verge of taking flight into independent adulthood. Bitter-sweet for some, it can be liberating, allowing you to do something just for yourself — perhaps build a new home. One with a sanctuary-like garden in which to savour periods of precious solitude. A garden that can just as effortlessly embrace visiting family and friends, with whom you can share good food and, just maybe, a bottle or two of locally-grown wine. If that is the dream, then McLaren Vale, one of South Australia’s most celebrated wine-producing regions, is the dream location. Set in an area of great natural beauty, and with its wealth of wineries and pleasant Mediterranean climate, McLaren Vale is the ideal lifestyle…

Shade-giving return verandas; ornate timber fretwork; generous interior rooms with high ceilings. Offering more space, light and design detail, Edwardian-era homes were a breath of fresh air after the heaviness of the Victorian period. Some of these gems still exist today and Melbourne’s Surrey Hills is where you will find this beauty. When they purchased the home, the new owners, a couple with two children, embarked on a comprenhesive renovation and extension program. The goal? Turn it into a home that could accommodate the lifestyle needs of a young 21st-century family while respecting its period character and detailing. Renovation done, creating a front garden sympathetic to the architecture was next. Designed by Erin Green, founder of Nature’s Best Landscapes, this garden is now the talk of the street — in…

With incredible views, and an infinity edge that creates the feeling of floating up in the trees, this pool could be in a luxury resort in some far-flung location, but it’s not. It’s in Queensland in the “backyard” of one very fortunate Sunshine Coast family. The property sits on a steep hill in a quiet rural town, with the house overlooking the valley beyond. The new pool and pavilion were to be located on the sloping rear lawn and the positioning had to be precise. Close enough to the house for convenience but in just the right spot to capitalise on the unsullied views. Establishing a sense of connection from the top garden down to the new outdoor spaces was paramount. To create the perfect design the family — mum,…

Now that the children were older and no longer in need of an active play area, it was time for the grown-ups to make their move. At long last they could claim the waterfront garden as their own and turn it into a luxurious haven, dedicated to relaxation and entertaining, worthy of the incredible location. The property is in Woolwich on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. It sits right on the water and has its own mooring. “This peninsula suburb is all about luxury living at its best with a great mix of heritage and contemporary homes sitting side by side,” says Adam Robinson, the landscape designer, horticulturist and stylist the owners entrusted with the transformation. “The owners wanted a grown-up garden where they could entertain friends, enjoy cooking, dining and…

“A stunning resort-style poolscape was an essential component of this Palm Springs-inspired redesign Styles come and go but the Palm Springs mid-century modernist aesthetic continues to hold us in its thrall. It’s a bit retro, a bit glam and conjures images of exotic cocktails and poolside parties. This homage to Palm Springs style was originally created for TV presenter, Shelley Craft, and her family. The family had purchased the modernist Byron Bay home, renovated it, and then built a garden studio designed in Palm Springs style. Rejuvenating the pool and surrounding outdoor spaces was next on the home improvement agenda. When planning this part of the property’s reinvention, ensuring the garden studio and house would seamlessly integrate with the large lawn, garden beds, entertaining area and outdoor shower was a…

“The most engaging gardens are like a symphony in which every note is in harmony with the next The most engaging gardens are like a symphony in which every note is in harmony with the next. This garden is a sonata in two parts. The first is a paved terrace that flows from the rear of the house. The second takes things up a level to a stretch of lawn that leads you to the crescendo — a curvy formed-concrete bench-daybed surrounded by layers of plants The composer is Perth landscape designer Denise Staffa, founder of Outside In by Denise, who brought her considerable experience to bear when tasked with taking a rather bleak, bare multi-level backyard and turning it into something quite magical. The backyard belongs to a house…

“Overall, the planting is relaxed and understated so it sits well within its broader bush context Blessed with a generous coastal-bush block, the family didn’t hold back when writing out a wish list for their beach house garden. They planned to make the most of the beautiful location — Shoreham on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula — and the wonderful climate. Having previously designed the garden for their inner-Melbourne terrace home, Steve Taylor, director of COS Design, was the family’s first and only choice for this considerably grander landscaping venture. A large sloping lawn area with a small deck is what the old garden offered, falling far short of the family’s lifestyle vision. “Their dream was a relaxed, timeless, sophisticated, peninsula-coastal lifestyle,” says Steve. "Paying homage to the coastal environment was important,…

“This architect-designed home commands to-die-for ocean views, so preserving the precious outlook was a design imperative Sitting right across the road from Freshwater Beach, the elevated garden of this architect-designed home commands to-die-for ocean views, so preserving the precious outlook was a design imperative, as was paying homage to the seaside locale. The space Matt Leacy, creative director of Landart Landscapes, was tasked with transforming was a grassed expanse atop the garage roof of the modern, multi-level Chenchow Little-designed home; a space that could be directly accessed from the internal living areas. Home to a family of four — five if you include the dog — the property is in one of the most popular locations in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, so having a garden that maximised the views, and evoked…

“The finished garden came together so well and each area has something to give In no time at all, toddlers turn into teenagers who morph into young adults. It’s the order of things, but it means changing lifestyle needs many gardens aren’t equipped to handle. Priorities can shift, too. Families once content to get all their veg at the supermarket 10 or 20 years ago, may now want to grow their own. Nestled in Northcote, a popular inner-Melbourne locale, the house and garden had served the family well when the kids were little, but times had changed — a lot. When garden designer Ros McCully was invited over for an initial assessment, two of the “kids” were now in high school; the other two were at university. And while the…

“The new amenities built into this garden breathe life into what would otherwise be a static composition This steeply sloping garden that curves, dips and ripples its way down to the waterfront is exceptional, and not just because it captures glorious views of Sydney’s Middle Harbour. What’s most remarkable is that this lush landscape has been stitched together from two existing gardens, the best from each retained and the rest reinvented to form something new yet so flawlessly integrated it looks as if it was ever thus. The gifted tailor is Michael Bates, founder of Bates Landscape; the owners, active garden-loving grandparents who had purchased the neighbouring property with a view to creating the ultimate multigenerational garden. The process began with demolishing the house next door. This not only enabled…

“The tropical-style plants soften the hard edges of the architecture and act as a leafy green privacy screen The owners of this amazing architect-designed home in New Farm, a lively riverside suburb on Brisbane’s fringe, faced an urban dilemma. Living so close to the city was great, but the block they’d built on was compact and bordered by two busy streets, which meant outdoor space and privacy were both in short supply. The lower-storey of the house is replete with glass stacking doors and was designed to open out into the garden and bring the garden into the internal living areas — it just needed green spaces worthy of being invited inside. Spaces screened from the curious glances of passers-by. Landscape architect Jeremy Ferrier conceived a contemporary design with a…

“Looking out to a beautiful garden gives you a sense of calm, much like gazing at the waves of the ocean With our love of all things coastal and indoor-outdoor living, it’s not surprising Hamptons homes, although American in origin, have Australians spellbound. Emanating from the East Coast of Long Island, where affluent New Yorkers maintain lavish beach houses, Hamptons style has taken root here, but we’ve given it our own spin. Hamptons style can be extended into our gardens. Luxuriant lawns, well-tended hedges, a smattering of classic flowering plants are just some elements you might expect to see in a more traditional Hamptons garden. In Australia, we tend to take a softer approach, perhaps drawing on English influences, too. This Hamptons-inspired garden could not be a better example of…

The mission was to connect a highly contemporary, architect-designed home to its natural environs — Blairgowrie’s back beach on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Brett Robinson, creative director of Acre, conceived of a garden that would wrap around the home, settling it into its coastal context and creating the ultimate modern beach house experience. The owners sought tranquillity and a sense of sanctuary. They desired outdoor spaces they could relax in after a long day at work; spaces their children would enjoy and the family dog could explore. Being able to open up the house to embrace the elements, and the garden, while ensuring their home felt private was crucial. “We wanted to approach the coastal garden in a new light,” explains Brett. “The move to more architecturally designed homes on the…

“It’s the planting along the boundary wall that makes the transition from home to pool house so effortless Frank and Anna had just completed a renovation of their family home in Concord, considered to be the “parklands” of Sydney’s Inner West. The renovation extended to putting a swimming pool in the backyard, much to the delight of their three children and Louie the French bulldog. An addition to the garage made possible the creation of a pool house and with that, the major structural components of the family’s new outdoor entertaining space were in place. Building work done, the baton passed to Lyndall Keating. A landscape designer, horticulturist and founder of Garden Society, Lyndall worked closely with Anna to carry the vision she had for the backyard over the finishing…

This impressive property, now swaddled in green, can be found in Drummoyne, a suburb in Sydney’s Inner West. It is home to a boutique property developer and his wife who had grand plans and the vision to see them to fruition. The original part of the heritage-listed Victorian terrace house had been restored and a modern rear extension constructed as juxtaposition to the period architecture. The next step was to extend this contemporary expression into the back garden. Adam McDonald, creative director of Impressions Landscape-Design, was asked to design a garden for the couple and their children that would provide places for play and relaxation, and the capacity to entertain large groups. A swimming pool and spa of sufficient size to accommodate the whole family, a well-equipped outdoor kitchen, a…

“They wanted to use this space to entertain as well as just sit, relax and soak in the sunshine This small courtyard garden in one of eastern Sydney’s smallest suburbs, Queens Park, is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when you marry classic materials with innovative design. Tired of looking out at a disorderly, unappealing rear garden, the owners of this terrace house decided it was time for decisive action. At the end of the working day, the corporate couple wanted to come home and decompress in an outdoor space that was clean, contemporary and inviting. “What they desired was an uncluttered courtyard and a space that flowed. They wanted to use this space to entertain as well as just sit, relax and soak in the sunshine, but…

“There is nothing that beats a swathe of delicate grasses swaying in the breeze; it really brings a garden to life With its sweeping lawns and grand, professionally designed grounds, Macedon Grange is one of Victoria’s most charming country properties. In the midst of the 118-acre estate sits a bluestone residence which has, at the rear, a long view across a dam, fields and trees to Mount Macedon. What was missing, until relatively recently, was an outdoor space the owners could relax in while enjoying the vista. “They felt the view of Mount Macedon wasn’t being taken advantage of as much as it could have been. Also, they wanted a pool they could use and the grandkids could enjoy whenever they visited,” says Darin Bradbury, director and senior designer with…