Ecologically positive garden for people and wildlife

Pearl Beach garden

Private clients

About

Drawing on local identity this garden provides an oasis for a small family, backing onto creek in a small NSW coastal community about an hour north of Sydney. From a continuous grassed backyard, a series of novel spaces evolved in response to the site and user requirements. These included a small lawn, two ponds, drystone creek bed and novel circular space. The latter of these - the circle - anchors the garden and skilfully negotiates the change in level as it falls away to the creek.

The existing creek was previously obscured and its edges were excavated, delivering substantial-sized rocks and concrete (previously used to line creek) for re-use and reassembled to allow access to a semi-permanent waterhole.

The local sense of place is expressed through a careful select palette of local and mostly endemic vegetation, some hardy exotics and generous use of local sandstone in various forms (flag stones, walls and crushed).

Discrete raised planter boxes add utilitarian function for cultivation of organic herbs and vegetables, complete with bee hive.

The garden is chemical free and sustains a ever-changing population of local wildlife including lyre birds, brush turkeys, satin bowerbirds, sugar gliders, brushtail possum, swap wallaby, lace and water monitor lizards, four species of frogs, green tree snakes and an abundance of insects life.

Key skills