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The 20 best residential gardens have been revealed in the first-ever Landscape Australia awards shortlist
A ha-ha wall with a low sunken ditch was created at the garden’s edge on this working cattle farm, maintaining a place to relax and enjoy the property’s unobstructed coastal views while creating a separate space for cattle to graze.
Mature trees were also relocated to help differentiate the two areas. A network of laneways and communal parks opens up a former inward-facing retail box, creating a walkable neighbourhood centre. Rooftop gardens and native flora such as tulipwood were planted throughout to reduce urban heat. A carpet of thyme surrounds a central gathering nook for this bushland retreat.
The herb is hardy and when stood on it releases a calming aroma. It has also dramatically reduced the garden’s water usage. Originally an award-winning exhibition garden, this project was relocated to a home in east Geelong. Recycled crushed brick was used to create pathways that fit the practical requirements of a family garden, and the plantings changed to reflect the ecological community of the Bellarine peninsula.
A conventional suburban lawn draws from the coastal wetland that borders this property. Native species found in the local ecosystem, such as banksia integrifolia, informed the planting strategy, cooling the site and restoring habitat at the same time. Sandy soil and salty winds are challenges for gardens on the coast. To address this, the designers built internal courtyards and a rooftop garden to shield against extreme weather.
Eighteen moss white birches and more than 1,100 plants across over 40 species are used in this compact inner-city garden. Once a tennis court, this 40-year-old concrete slab had a carbon debt of about 30 tonnes of CO2, and the designers wanted the final product to be carbon positive.
As a result, they tried to leave as much concrete as they could untouched, reusing it in paving and terraces. The garden is watered entirely by hand, with a drainage design that makes the most of areas where water naturally pools. Planting draws inspiration from impressionist paintings, where ornamental grasses, flowering perennials and layered ground covers not only provide distinct textures, but also food and habitat for pollinators.
Gumbaynggirr Elders worked with ecologists and specialists to reconnect this 65-hectare degraded farm back to Country. Across five years, this involved: reinstalling forest tracks, repairing creek lines, producing food, regenerating pasture and building infrastructure for ongoing care. After a catastrophic storm, designers decided to embrace the damage and use it as the basis for a new garden. The disturbed soil revealed emerging plant species that the designers utilised, while unearthed rocks were used as terraces around the garden.
Only 74% of the landscape is planted in this garden, with the rest comprising gravel pathways to help maximise rainfall infiltration and improve soil health. Here there is no line where the garden ends and the bush begins. Working within a bushfire zone, on top of complex site conditions, meant that plant species were carefully chosen for their fire-resilient qualities and adaptability to the site’s varying soil types. Rewilded gardens have transformed this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home.
The biodiversity found by a creek adjacent to the house inspired the front yard, which contains cacti, perennials and jacarandas. This family garden is inspired by the surrounding landscape, which is home to the endangered eastern suburbs banksia scrub in Sydney – think woody shrubs and hard sandy soil. There was one goal in mind when carrying out this 200-acre project: to retain the character of the existing landscape.
To do this, the designers kept all soil disturbed during the construction of the house and redistributed it post-build. Afterwards they employed plant translocation and naturally assistive regeneration techniques to help the landscape return to its natural state. Discovered sandstone flagging, ballast and recycled brick were repurposed into the paving, steps and wall rejuvenation for this garden on a ‘tight budget’. Inspired by lush Brazilian gardens, an innovative approach was taken to create a tropical feel.
Faced with extreme site constraints, such as soil as shallow as 110mm, the designers utilised a vertical five-layer planting strategy to build the garden’s thickness. Drought-tolerant planting disrupts what is found in a typical Adelaide Hills garden. Towering eucalypts and hardy shrubs like the casuarina ‘green wave’ replaced soft European exotics such as hydrangeas. With the home located on a historic watercourse, the garden was designed with water absorption in mind.
Permeable materials were used throughout and the home’s single sloping roof harvests rainwater that is stored and reused throughout the garden. Ferns act as ‘garden lungs’ encouraging cool air to flow into the house. The moment I knew: As a reality TV contestant, I was allowed one 15-minute call a week. Even at 3am, Chris would always pick upWhy millennial motherhood can feel like rearranging chairs on the Titanic
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