Sustainable landscapes and gardens

When it comes to sustainable landscape design in Australia, the key messages are to plant appropriately for the varying climates. We look for gardens that are beautiful but also do the job required by providing food, shade, habitat, shelter and respite. Green minded landscapes use less hard surfaces so that they are more permeable. They are planned alongside the house to engage the occupants and work with sight lines. They work best when they are easy to access and draw occupants outside.

Salvage And Share

Issue 55

Kat Lavers demonstrates the power of permaculture with the transformation of her compact Northcote garden, the Plummery.

Natural Textures

Issue 56

Tim Nicholas embraces harsh conditions and organic elements to create a cohesive garden of diversity and depth.

Bush Play

Issue 56

Bush Projects’ freewheeling collaborations with Austin Maynard Architects continue with Charles House in Kew – a playful, cleverly layered native and indigenous garden created for a multi-generational home.

Experimental Terrain

Issue 55

Amongst the garage-heavy suburban streets of south-west Brisbane lies a unique garden filled with visual and physical complexity.

Depth Of Field

Issue 54

Behind many inner-city properties are long, narrow rear gardens, and while “long” is an attribute worth having, denoting depth, “narrow” is a much less desirable dimension.

Showcasing Your Wares

Issue 54

The hardy garden of landscape designer Kathleen Murphy, under construction at her Gisborne home, is a place to trial plants, showcase product designs and work – in a tranquil design studio inspired by green that has increased her team’s productivity.

City Farmers

Issue 54

Ex-publishing duo Emma Bowen and Michael Zagoridis trade in their desk jobs to pursue urban farming, and it turns out they’re pretty good at it.

Open Slather

Issue 53

After decades of designing to clients’ tastes, Rick Eckersley and his business partner Myles Broad have embraced the glorious luxury of impromptu experimentation and
light-hearted fun at their 10-hectare work-in-progress on the Mornington Peninsula.

Open Court

Issue 41

An innovative design blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces – and living – in this Fairfield Hacienda.

Common Ground

Issue 52

A tree change has transformed a Gold Coast family into tenacious, community-focused farmers, and their historic barn into a hub for skill sharing workshops with local makers and artisan producers.