Recreational Landscape
Managed not controlled
Building on the Edge of the Course
Royal Melbourne Golf Club, March 2021
At the end of March 2021, we were engaged by Robert Luxmoore for the Royal Melbourne Golf Club’s 3PS project. Royal Melbourne Golf Club is situated in the suburb of Blackrock, in the ‘sandbelt region’, a premier golfing and geographic region located in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. The project’s goal was to provide additional car parking, practice putting greens and proshop facilities integrated with the existing driving range. All these facilities would sit on top of a new basement car park.
The new buildings, basement, and pro shop renovation were designed by Demaine Partnership, which had designed the original clubhouse in 2003. The architectural form is timeless, formal and restrained. The large slate roofs anchor the buildings on the course and create a sense of arrival and prestige.
Memla’s role was to design all the external landscape works on top of the basement ‘Lid’ and integrate the edges of the proposed works with existing communal areas, gardens and pathways. Given the location of the project, close to the existing clubhouse and entry, the new development needed not to diminish the presentation of existing facilities and preserve views of the course.
Control vs Management
Two Ideas of Prestige
We were told early on that there has always been a tension at the club between two competing ideas of what a prestigious golf course should be.
One vision is shaped by tradition — formal architecture, clipped gardens, manicured greens and Monterey Cypress hedges. The ageing hedges provide privacy, shelter from the wind and a strong visual structure around the clubhouse. These cypress hedges were often used as a strong and permanent wind break by early golf course designers, market gardeners and hobby farmers in the sandbelt region. Together they create the image of a prestigious yet conservative golf club; ordered, refined and carefully maintained.
The other vision belongs to the original landscape of the Sandbelt itself. Open heathland, shaped by wind, drought and fire. A landscape mosaic of shrubs, grasses and wildflowers growing in shifting sandy soils. It is often sparse, irregular and seasonal in appearance, lacking the neatness of formal gardens, a landscape continually managed but not controlled
The Heathland
Two Ideas of Prestige
Early accounts of the construction of the original Sandringham course in 1901 describe fairways being carved through dense heathland and ti-tree. However, the appreciation and active management of this landscape did not begin in earnest until the 1990s, when a program of planned ecological burning was introduced during spring and autumn.
Today, under the stewardship of the club’s Horticulturist, Stuart Moodie, and Director of Courses, Richard Forsyth, Royal Melbourne has worked to restore and manage one of the most significant remnants of Sandbelt vegetation in metropolitan Melbourne. In doing so, the course has become a refuge for plant communities and landscape mosaics that have largely disappeared from the surrounding Bayside suburbs.
The restoration of Royal Melbourne’s Heathland Course reflects Alister MacKenzie’s original approach to golf course design — working with the existing Sandbelt landscape rather than replacing it with a conventional parkland character. The result is a course where golf, ecology and landscape are intrinsically linked.
Our recent work at Sandy Golf Links, directly opposite the site and also managed by Royal Melbourne, gave us a strong appreciation for just how distinctive this landscape character is. Combined with our relationship with the Bayside Community Nursery, which contract grows indigenous plant stock for many of the region’s golf courses and reserves, we saw an opportunity to extend that character into the 3PS development.
Rather than relying on a formal ornamental planting palette, the landscape response draws directly from the vegetation communities of the Sandbelt. Indigenous shrubs, grasses and groundcovers have been used to reinforce the open heathland character of the area and place this unique local landscape at the forefront of the development.
The 3PS Project
Working with constraints
Rather than trying to compete with the formal architecture, manicured putting surfaces and clipped cypress hedges, we asked whether the landscape could do the opposite. Could the wildness and informality of the Sandbelt heathland make the formal elements stronger through contrast?
This approach became increasingly relevant as the project developed. Much of the landscape sits above a basement car park, with soil depths limited in some locations to approximately 300-400mm of nutrient-poor and free-draining sandy fill over a 150mm ballast rock drainage layer.
Instead, the site conditions reaffirmed our sandy heathland-inspired approach.
Garden beds were mounded against walls and structural elements to maximise available soil volume and support larger planting. Species selection focused on coastal and heathland plants indigenous to the Bayside area that naturally perform in shallow, free-draining sandy soils and low nutrient conditions.
The landscape was also used to reinforce views across the new practice putting green and westward through the driving range. Rather than obscuring these outlooks, the lower heathland planting helps frame and focus them.
Materials
Grounded in the existing club
The surface treatment palette draws heavily from materials already established throughout Royal Melbourne. Winding granitic sand paths, Castlemaine slate crazy paving and exposed aggregate concrete were selected to create continuity between the new development and the existing clubhouse precinct.
The granitic sand paths provide an informal connection through the landscape, while the slate paving introduces texture and definition to key gathering spaces. Exposed aggregate concrete provides a durable and practical surface for higher traffic areas.
Together, these materials reinforce the club’s existing character and help ground the development within its sandbelt setting, creating a natural transition between the formal clubhouse environment and the surrounding heathland landscape.
Planting The Sandbelt
Grounded in the existing club
The planting approach was not about recreating a piece of untouched heathland. Instead, the objective was to capture the character of the Sandbelt and express it in a way that felt appropriate to the setting.
Many of the species were drawn from coastal and heathland plant communities found throughout Bayside. Coastal Banksia, Silver Banksia, Correa, Prickly Tea Tree, Native Fuchsia and Slender Velvet Bush were combined with grasses such as Coastal Spear Grass, Lomandra and Dianella. These plants are well adapted to dry, sandy conditions and naturally occur in landscapes shaped by wind, low fertility soils and periodic fire.
The planting composition was guided by a few simple principles. Silver-grey foliage was deliberately mixed with darker green shrubs to create visual contrast and seasonal variation. Lower grasses and groundcovers were concentrated around the edges of the putting greens, creating a gradual transition between the highly maintained turf and the more naturalistic planting beyond. Larger shrubs were grouped to form pockets of density and texture, while small numbers of Banksias were used to provide height and structure without blocking views across the course.
From a distance, the landscape appears informal and almost spontaneous. Up close, however, it is carefully arranged to frame views, direct movement, and reinforce the contrast between the precision of the golf course and the rugged character of the Sandbelt.
Plant Species List
TreesAllocasuarina littoralis - Black she-oak
Banksia integrifolia - Coastal Banksia
Banksia marginata - Silver Banksia
ShrubsAcacia paradoxa - Kangaroo Thorn
Allocasuarina paradoxa - Green she-oak
Correa alba - White Correa
Correa reflexa - Native Fuchsia
Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia
Lasiopetalum baueri - Slender Velvet Bush
Leptospermum continentale - Prickly Tea Tree
Leucophyta browni - Cushion Bush
Olearia axillaris - Coast Daisy-bush
Olearia glutinosa - Sticky Daisy-bush
Olearia ramulosa - Twiggy daisy-bush
Pomaderris paniculosa subsp. paralia - Shining Dogwood
Grasses and LiliesAustrostipa mollis - Supple Spear-grass
Dianella brevicaulis - Coast flax lily
Dianella longifolia - Blueberry lily
Lomandra longifolia - Spiny-headed Mat-Rush
Poa poiformis - Coast tussock grass
Themeda triandra - Kangaroo grass
GroundcoversAcaena novae - zelandiae - Bidgee widgee
Chrysocephalum apiculatum - Common everlasting
In Conclusion
The 3PS project is not measured by how many plants were installed, how many square metres were landscaped, or how closely the gardens resemble remnant heathland. It lies in something less tangible. The project demonstrates that landscape architecture is often at its most effective when it stops trying to dominate a site and instead reveals and attempts to educate people on what is already there.
For decades, the Sandbelt was viewed as something to be cleared, improved or formalised. Today, it is increasingly recognised as one of Melbourne’s most distinctive landscapes. The 3PS development provided an opportunity to continue that shift in thinking. Rather than clutching ideas drawn from the classical golf landscapes of Europe or North America, we looked to the site, the soils, the ecology and the history of Royal Melbourne itself.
The result is not a recreation of the Heathland Course, nor is it a traditional clubhouse garden. It sits somewhere between the two. Formal where it needs to be. Wild where it can be. Managed, but not over-controlled.
What we learnt by engaging with the course management team, club and stakeholders is that the most valuable design move is recognising what makes a place unique and making room for it to be seen.
Skene’s Creek
‘Living Lightly with Landscape’
View across revegetated scrub to Bass Strait
December 1999, Skene’s Creek Victoria
Many moons ago, whilst I was sharing an office with the now-departed Carol Frank-Mas, she offered me a project. It was a gift from heaven. Its location was in Skene’s Creek (down the west coast of Victoria) at the foothills of the Great Otway National Park, and was to be a carefully sited housing development on a vacant ex-primary school site. This was one of the few projects where the land is just as important as the housing; siting was critical.
Immediately, I thought of the renowned project in California The Sea Ranch by Lawrence Halprin. One of the principles of that project was ‘Living lightly on Landscape’
“The original Sea Ranch concept directed that people would join the natural environment with minimal impact…… natural processes were allowed to take their course, with indigenous planting where needed. The Ranch would become a wildlife and game refuge. Improvements would involve a minimum of grading. Utilities would be located underground, and population density kept low. Residential design would allow homes to blend into and become part of the natural landscape.”
Edge of site looking south-west March, 2001
This vision, obviously on a much smaller scale, guided me on my way to developing the concept for Skene’s Creek. The residents interact with and be exposed to the natural environment of Victoria’s southwest coast. The natural geological processes of tectonics and erosion and can be clearly seen, as can the power and changing moods of Bass Strait. The predominant onshore south-westerly winds are in your face and the high rainfall are constant reminders you are on a wild coastline with a mountain range behind it.
I contacted an architect mate, Steven Last, in Hobart who had similar interests as myself and invited him along for the ride. And what a ride it turned out to be. Project meetings whilst surfing, further meetings in the pub over numerous beers to get the feel for the place, sleeping close to the site in a tiny bungalow with streams of yellow trace for ideas (no laptops in those days). Yep, got to know it alright.
When we finally dragged ourselves away from the region, we thrashed out an initial concept for the site. For the essential site analysis I dusted off my edition of Ian McHarg’s Design with Nature, flipped through its pages, and borrowed what I needed. The site is a rough rectangle of almost equal proportions and slopes relatively steeply to the north. Along the eastern side is a what we called ‘Africa’. This was a herb rich woodland of mostly Eucalyptus obliqua (messmate) that appeared roughly the graphical the shape of ‘Africa’ in plan.
Our site analysis revealed the steepest slopes which were more difficult to build on and the less steep which were less difficult, meaning cheaper to build upon. We tried to avoid building in ‘Africa’, although this wasn’t entirely possible as the project still needed to make a profit. Zones of possible construction were located and the access to them went along the contours to mitigate erosion. Stormwater was to run along open rock swales to give residents an appreciation of a key natural process of the Otways i.e. the high rainfall. All roads were gravel. A row of Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress) grew on the property boundary facing the ocean, likely planted as an agricultural windbreak by early farmers , were removed, and the timber was used in the batten fences for the private open space of the units. This clearance had disastrous effects on the Eucalypts behind (more on this later) and ironically Monterey Cypress trees were important species in Halprin’s Sea Ranch Project in California, however the are considered an environmental weed in Victoria.
This was no standard subdivision where you sell the block and have no idea what the buildings will look like. It was a clustered one that specified the building type, creating a consistency in design and saving most of the site in common land.
It was so much fun working the building forms with the landscape design. Steve was into fish so some of the buildings all reflected a fish species in plan and elevation. We had the Stingray’s on first line on the coast with bream further up, and tree houses amongst the periphery of ‘Africa’. The entire site was to be revegetated using indigenous species in a successional order. Roads were kept to a minimum size and car parking is screened. The support infrastructure is hidden underground. The clustered siting ensures that each unit had either uninterrupted or tree framed views back toward the township of Apollo Bay. It was to be known as C-Air.
We saw the most important environmental asset of the site to be the indigenous woodland. Although it is a regenerated one (the site appears from early photos of the white settlement of the area to have been cleared), it was by natural processes. Both the tree layer of Manna Gum and Messmate and the understorey are indigenous species. The ecological vegetation classes that existed on the site were: a mix of Shrubby Foothill Forest (EVC 45) to the rear of the site, through the middle flat area existed Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland (EVC 3), and at the ocean-fronting side, there was some remnant Coastal Headland Scrub (EVC 161). Much of this type of coastal woodland in and around Apollo Bay was cleared and has remained so. It was proposed to revegetate the site using indigenous plants in a successional order. This included coastal grasses and shrub species close to the foreshore to form a low-level ‘scrub’ then slowly raking up the site back into the Messmate woodland.
Full of optimism, we documented the first stage, which consisted of the 3 Sting Ray Type houses, gardens and infrastructure. It was great to see them out of the ground with their beaks jutting out into Bass Strait.
Closer to the end of construction, the client became disillusioned when he went to sell them. They weren’t large buildings and were built with several quirky details, which I felt added to their uniqueness. They were designed as getaway, upmarket, cosy cabins, not sprawling ‘Doncaster dinosaurs’. I thought they were great; the local punter had misgivings about wanting sprawl in coastal towns, getting compact design and paying the same for it.
January 2001, Construction
The client also undertook the site preparation and planting to reduce costs, but the landscape results were initially uneven. The stormwater system required civil engineering to function properly, which was never done, and the project then began to deteriorate through a series of small failures. Once the Cypress trees were removed, the messmates were exposed to the full force of salt-laden winds, which defoliated those closest to the coast, something I should have foreseen.
After a breakdown in communication between Steve and the client, it was all downhill. The first stage eventually matured into a real showcase of landscape and architecture for this rugged coastal setting. Ensuing other stages didn’t follow the designs, and another architect was engaged to build more standard building types, and the southeastern corner was subdivided off. The dream didn’t exactly become a nightmare, more a depressing case of what could have been. With better communication and more belief in the project by the client, it could have been a real example of what can be done on a unique location other than a bog-standard subdivision.
November 2004, Completion and Reflection
Over time, the landscape matured, and the buildings settled into the site. The original windbreak of Cypress trees that were removed, defoliating the Messmates, was replaced with the specified Allocasuarina verticillata (drooping sheoak). The Sheoak’s have formed new windbreaks that wrap around the original Stingray houses and the plants in the revegetated slope along the Great Ocean Road have filled out into a dense coastal scrub. Finally, now operating as commercially successful Airbnb’s the houses, site and vegetation appear to be living lightly in the landscape.
Aerial image of the site 2008
Aerial image of the site 2026
Plant Species List
TreesAcacia melanoxylon - Blackwood
Allocasuarina verticillata - Drooping sheoak
ShrubsAlyxia buxifolia - Seabox
Atriplex cinerea - Coast Saltbush
Correa alba - White Correa
Leucophyta brownii - Cushion Bush
Leucopogon parvifolius - Coast Beard-heath
Olearia lirata - Snow Daisy bush
Grasses and LiliesDianella tasmanica - Tasman Flax-lily
Gahnia sieberiana - Red-fruit Saw-sedge
Lomandra longifolia - Mat-rush
Poa labillardieri var. labillardieri - Common Tussock Grass
Roof Gardens
Roof Garden Terrace for Seniors Living
July 1984, Victoria
A long, long time ago, I can still remember when (to pilfer a Don McLean line) roof gardens were relatively rare and primarily on top of underground car parking servicing office blocks (almost exclusively fronting St Kilda Road) or on podiums. They were proper gardens. My interest was so piqued by these that it led to my thesis in Landscape Architecture (this was back in 1984 - yes, I am that old), becoming my research project on this topic.
My thesis was to research nine established roof gardens in Melbourne. Each of these had its own particular issues; they were all relatively successful, and they used the essential ingredients in all roof gardens to establish vegetation on top of concrete, which is still the case today: effective waterproofing, free-draining soil, enough soil to support the long-term health of the plants, and, critically, a structure that is capable of supporting this load. All follow this same construction process.
There was plenty of optimism for the future of roof gardens back in the olden days. All large buildings could have vegetation on their roofs, which would green the city's appearance and mitigate the effects of the dreaded heat island. No surprise this hasn't happened, primarily due to the cost. To establish a well-vegetated environment on top of a suspended concrete structure requires a lot of structure, which becomes prohibitively expensive. This is all very logical; everybody loves the idea of roof gardens until the cost is mentioned, then they run for cover.
Courtyard terrace breakout space, but not a garden
One answer to building a full-fledged roof garden is to scatter plants in lightweight structures across a building. This gives the appearance of green without the investment, but, and it is a big but, it is prone to failure and is not for the long term. It looks good at first, but fades fast. This approach has become a go-to for cheaper builds - the roof garden you have when you aren't having a roof garden. Everything is in lightweight planters that can be moved around or replaced; there are no difficult-to-find leaks, and they are undersized, which leads plants to become root-bound and soil to dry out. The developer is happy, garden looks good on real estate photos - yet it is all temporary, akin to decorating with cushions in interior design. To my mind, these cannot be called roof gardens and have zero environmental benefit.
Native Australian wet sclerophyll forest garden was established in 2020 garden theme was changed by the developer in 2024 to a ‘Singaporean’ style garden.
MEMLA has undertaken both the ‘Elcheapo’ roof gardens and those that are the real deal. Their success depends on design, construction quality, and ongoing maintenance. A good roof garden should function like a garden on the ground. With regular maintenance, it should be trouble-free and long-lived, provide shade, protect from wind, offer seasonal interest, and be a place people enjoy. Trees and shrubs should grow to maturity, and planter boxes should be properly sized to support mature root development. The garden should have time to develop, with a regular maintenance regime as part of the body corporate service. It should be designed for the long haul, not simply dressed up to sell. Care also needs to be taken with soil type, as some lightweight mixes usually promote rapid plant growth but are not as good over the longer term (they dry out, and organic components decompose, leaving few nutrients). They primarily consist of composted material, sand, and scoria, with little true loam. This means they initially drain very well and support quick plant establishment, but they break down quickly. Soils with less composted material and more true loam are a little heavier, drain a little worse (which means you need good waterproofing), and growth isn’t quite as rapid; however, they hold up over the long haul, just like a garden on the ground.
Townhouse's and Tree Canopy Cover
AUTUMN 2025, VICTORIA
Due to Victoria’s population bursting at the seams, the Victorian state government introduced a new Townhouse and Low-Rise Code for Victoria.
In an attempt to streamline and ‘fast-track’ smaller developments, the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code for Victoria Clause 55, laid out in the 2023 Victorian Housing Statement, affects Townhouses, second dwellings on a lot and developments under four storeys in height.
Relating to Landscape Architecture Clause 55.02-7, encourages townhouse developers to meet the tree canopy cover objectives for their site early in the project. This approach aims to enhance shade coverage, improve the streetscape character, and reduce the heat island effect.
Local councils are increasingly treating canopy cover as a “pass or fail" metric, often scrutinising percentages down to the decimal point (transforming landscape architects into soft-core accountants). To avoid compliance issues, it’s crucial to incorporate canopy coverage and deep soil requirements into the design during the early spatial planning phase.
This process starts with a clear understanding of the specific percentage targets for your site. Once you’ve identified the percentage, the focus shifts to selecting the right tree species (Boroondara has a reasonable list) and locating them strategically. The final, and perhaps most critical, step is ensuring each tree has enough dedicated deep soil to reach maturity. By locking these requirements in early, the rest of the landscape and garden can be designed around these requirements, and your planning application won’t get Pollice Verso’d by your local bureaucrat.
Now that you’ve located the Canopy Cover and Deep Soil areas, the next step is to try not to compromise them.
This can be done by providing as many permeable surfaces around the site (granitic sand, permeable paving, decking, garden steppers, etc.) and locating all site services outside of Deep Soil areas. These site services include water tanks, AC units, stormwater infrastructure, bins, and storage sheds. However, if you’re going for more of a Mallee scrubland garden theme, perhaps the right plants may enjoy the fully ducted experience of being blasted by hot air humming out of a Mitsubishi INVERTER M Series.
What to do with Existing Trees?
Although existing trees within the site boundary can be included as part of the canopy cover percentage, we’ve had a few issues, especially with poor specimens. Removing existing trees with poor arboricultural or ecological value allows you to propose suitable replacement trees that align with the site’s long-term development, providing flexibility to the design of the external garden areas and improving the garden's ecological function (on a micro scale).
Removing an existing fruit tree of poor health with be better positioned new tree has allowed for a larger lawn and deck space.
After all this work, are we improving the streetscape character, shade coverage and reducing the heat island effect?
Hard to say. It certainly gives clarity to developers, town planners, and architects to allow for tree placement and landscape input early in projects. It also provides rigour for landscape architects to justify the location, size, and type of trees in a development.
This clause’s main outcome, for what we can ascertain, increases the likelihood that canopy trees in low-rise developments are well positioned, the choice of species is well considered and encourages more coordination between consultants. Gone are the days when we saw 50 Ficus hillii in a 500mm wide by 5m long planter boxes and 20m high Eucalyptus trees planted 1m away from a mains water meter.
Considered implementation of Clause 55 Standard B2-7 tree canopy standards will ideally lead to long-term viability and mature life for urban trees in private developments, less hassle and maintenance for the eventual lot owners, and improved streetscape design outcomes for suburban Melbourne.
Emmanuel College, St Paul's Campus
Stage 1-entry- 2001
When we first walked the grounds of St Paul’s campus, the landscape told a story of neglect and indifference. The site was defined by expanses of broken asphalt, compacted gravel, and paddock grass: humanity was missing. There was no sense of arrival; no shade, no plants, no paths, no landscape.
The recently appointed school principal, Chris Stock, was a breath of fresh air, bringing with him a clear and compelling vision for the future. Grounded in the values of Catholic Marianist education, the vision extended beyond buildings to the formation of the whole person, whole school and whole Landscape. It was a match made in heaven; we were a young firm full of ideas and enthusiasm, and he was the man in place to make it happen.
The first project to address was the woeful entry and parking situation. The corraling of parking allowed the school to separate vehicles from pedestrians and move them away from the front of the school pedestrian entry, improving safety while creating the opportunity to create a purposeful entry sequence. The new main pedestrian approach established clarity and order, guiding students and visitors through a structured landscape that signalled a journey to the school front door.
Hard surfaces were rationalised and refined. Edges were clearly defined. Circulation routes were legible. The previous ambiguous frontage became a formalised entry.
Planting played a critical role in this first stage. An avenue was introduced to define the entry corridor and provide long-term shade. Structured planting beds softened the built form and began to establish a campus identity grounded in permanence and care. The former neglected industrial landscape was now one of interest and beauty.
Importantly, Stage 1 was about setting direction. The relocation of parking and redefinition of the entry created the spatial foundation for future stages of development. It marked the beginning of a broader master plan vision for St Paul’s, one that would unfold over subsequent years. This first project signified more than new paving and planting. It represented a cultural shift. The landscape began to reflect the leadership and the values of the school community. The campus was no longer a collection of leftover spaces; it was becoming a coherent educational environment.
Shoreham Site Cut
Spring 2021, Shoreham
Arriving on site to meet clients during a wet spring in November 2021, we were greeted by a steep site cut akin to the trenches on the Western front in WWI.
We were engaged by the clients on the builder's recommendation, with building works already underway. Early in the project, the builder and clients discovered an obvious gap in scope. After undertaking the site cut, it became apparent that a 1.8m high solid clay wall—just 2m outside their rear terrace area—was not the ideal outcome everyone had envisaged.
The clients were understandably shocked and upset. They had expected a flat rear yard with views to the existing eucalyptus trees. We walked around the site, checking the extent of the cut, the proximity of existing trees, and access pinch points around the house.
Given the list of consultants they had already engaged for the lengthy town planning and building permit process, the clients were frustrated this issue hadn't been identified or communicated. We reassured them that a landscape solution existed (though we were admittedly a little shocked ourselves), through a design process that included 3D modeling, we could develop a landscape design that would suit their needs.
Design Process
The Design process was tangled but effective.
The Brief was to provide a flat lawn area outside the terrace, create bushland vistas from all main windows, and ensure safe access around the property so the clients could move confidently as they aged.
The landscape design took around 12 months to develop a solution that satisfied all parties. This process involved considering planning constraints and overlays (such as Bushfire, Significant Landscape, and Vegetation Protection), reviewing and integrating civil engineering plans, and re-engaging the project arborist to determine how close we could work to the existing eucalyptus trees while retaining them.
Initially, the clients wanted to remove all the clay and install concrete sleeper retaining walls to maximize the flat lawn area. We disagreed, advising that this would look too harsh and clash with the bushland setting they'd requested. However, the clients were persistent. To maintain the relationship and keep the peace we undertook this design exercise and engaged a structural engineer to design the wall.
After further meetings, site visits and walking the surrounding streets with the clients, we proposed the the softer approach of using locally sourced rocks with terracing to assist in retaining the land. These elements along with native planting would we insisted would harmonise with the existing Grassy Woodland (EVC 175) and significant remnant Eucalyptus pryoriana (Coast Manna Gums).
November 2022
After almost 12 months it was time to engage and Landscaper and start works on site.
From our earliest consultations with the builder, and client given the access challenges on site and the previous Geotechnical Engineers advice there was not going to be a ‘cheap fix’. The boreholes undertaken as part of the building permit, indicated the topsoil and subsoil was highly reactive silty clay soil which is a challenging medium that is notoriously difficult to excavate and costly to export off site.
The client prioritized a swift post-handover transition. After reviewing two comparable quotes, Centred Landscapes were selected as they were able to mobilise quickly breaking ground in early December 2022.
April 2023
The first priority was a privacy buffer along the northern boundary. We specified Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood) for its rapid growth and deep green foliage. Highly adaptable to Shoreham’s fluctuating wet and dry conditions, these trees provided an instant, soft-textured screen against northern neighbours.
During the removal of 300m³ of soil, the delivery of oversized local boulders prompted a design change. By utilising these large rocks, we steepened the garden batters and eliminated a terrace level, resulting in a significantly larger, more fluid lawn area. Minimal root interference during the NW excavation allowed us to extend lawn even further, maximising the site’s usable footprint.
To manage stagnant surface water, we integrated sub-surface Ag drains into the existing civil infrastructure, ensuring the site remains traversable year-round. We also faced off against the local rabbit population. After an initial overnight grazing of the plant stock, we installed core-flute tree guards to ensure the plants species could reach maturity.
The result is a landscape that anchors the building to the site and blends structural boulders with the natural beauty of the surrounding bushland.
Thanks client’s Susy and Dan, Landscaper Paul and Builder Cam.
