Better and Better–Sprawling Native Landscaping in Byron Bay
As the hardy native plants mature, they will look better with time, and the cantilevered house will become more immersed in its site.
Grant selected native trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers that can endure the prevailing northerly wind.
Poa grass and Casuarina ‘Cousin It’ maintain the openness of the courtyard garden, which provides protected outdoor space.
The architecture, like the landscaping, is robust and resilient, with a raw palette of concrete, blackbutt and folded brass.
Flowering native plants, including grevilleas and strawflowers, add bright colour throughout the landscaping.
Flowering native plants, including grevilleas and strawflowers, add bright colour throughout the landscaping.
The sprawling landscaping surrounding a house on an escarpment behind Byron Bay is a celebration of the aesthetic and practical qualities of Australian native plants.
There are a great many benefits of landscaping with native plants. Having adapted to and evolved with local conditions, they are typically hardy and resilient and consequently low-maintenance. They also provide a natural habitat for native animals and improve biodiversity. And they support a much healthier environment, without the need for chemicals.
These are a handful of the benefits the homeowners of Coolamon House enjoy in their garden, having engaged Fig Landscapes to create a garden that celebrates Australian native plants, and that would be easy to look after and maintain. Using a broad palette of plants, Fig Landscapes selected native trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers that would endure the windy hillside conditions and complement the no-fuss, resilient, yet stunning architecture. Coolamon House, designed by DFJ Architects and built by Cedar Creek Construction, is a modern, single-storey home that cantilevers over the escarpment behind Byron Bay, taking in breathtaking views across the hinterland and coast. “The owners wanted a big, sprawling native garden to attract local [wildlife]and provide cut flowers for the home. Steps and pathways to meander through the site informally. And rocks to sit and stand on,” says Grant Boyle, director of Fig Landscapes. His team landscaped two acres of the 16-acre block, with another acre in progress, and they provide ongoing weekly maintenance.
Grant trialled hundreds of different native plants on the site from all over the country, including Xanthorrhoea, grevillea, banksia, Brachychiton, acacia,Melaleuca, eucalypts, Leptospermum, plus many more. “We are in the process of documenting everything now,” he says.With a long-term vision for the garden, Grant selected hard-wearing plants that will grow slowly and look better with time.
“There are big architectural plants that are going to take a longtime to grow, with shrubs and ground cover filling in around them,” he explains. As the plants mature, the house will become more immersed in its site. The cantilevered section will appear to float, and the raw materials will accrue patina. Like the house, the landscaping is no-fuss, resilient and low-lying, so that trees don’t shade the house or block the view, and plants can endure the strong northerly wind. “I chose plants that are hardy and able to take the wind, and grasses where it would be an advantage to have the wind create movement in them,” says Grant.
The courtyard garden and swimming pool behind the house provide outdoor space protected from the prevailing wind. Poa grass andCasuarina‘Cousin It’ maintain the openness, simplicity and views of the space and provide texture and softness on the hard edges of the concrete path, walls and pool decking. The grasses also complement the Bismarck palms, which a neighbour gave to the homeowners, and inspired Grant to think about a “California style of garden.
Everything else in the garden is also robust and resilient.Sandstone from a local quarry is used for the stepped pathways that snake through the landscape, and the boulders that provide a large flat surface to sit on. Basalt rocks that were already on-site are used for drainage, and the fire pit and planter beds are corten steel. Three vegetable gardens in the planter beds supply the owners with salad greens and herbs, and fruit trees and beehives are dotted around the property.
While the landscaping covers a large area, it requires little maintenance due to the choice of native plants. Mainly weed suppression, shaping up the shrubs, tidying the grasses, plus mulching and some extra planting. “Everything keeps looking better and better because the clients are passionate about their garden. When our team goes back for maintenance or to work on other sections of the property, it’s super rewarding for them to see the difference a year makes to a garden. You get a huge appreciation for life in general,” saysGrant.
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