If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

I feel the soul of a garden is rooted within the plants and the change they bring with every season.

There has been a movement in the last 10 years or so towards what I call the soulless garden. These residential gardens have vast expanses of impermeable hard surfaces with only one or two plant species incorporated into the design (usually one of them being box hedge or Flax). This garden model is far from environmentally conscious and from a design point of view, is rather static. I’m not sure if this trend is inspired by commercial landscape architecture or if it is client driven, but I believe it is my job as garden designer to inspire and encourage clients to think outside the box and help them create something that is usable, beautiful and sustainable.

My design philosophy is to create inviting, livable gardens that are tailored to the individual needs of each client, with a long term environmentally sustainable vision.

The underlying theme running through all aspects of the business is a focus on sustainability.  From a design point of view, this is achieved by:

• Intelligent plant selection – drought resistant species or species that can adapt to the Greater Melbourne climate and selecting plants that are generally disease resistant and sourced from reputable growers.

• Incorporating ‘usable’ plants that also have an aesthetic value where possible. Such as edible, pest repelling or bird-attracting species.

• Not selecting plants that require the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides unless in extreme circumstances.

• Keeping hard landscaping to the minimum area required for the garden to function both physically and aesthetically. This keeps the garden cooler in summer and allows for more water absorption into the ground and less run off into the stormwater drain.

• Where possible, sourcing recycled and reclaimed materials and new materials that are produced with a lower environmental footprint/cost than traditional landscape products.

• Where possible, using environmentally sustainable products.