• Shade Variability: While some areas received full sun, other pockets fell into dappled or deep shade, requiring a planting palette that could adapt and remain cohesive throughout.
• Exposed Sand Embankment: A large slope of coastal sand presented both an erosion risk and an aesthetic opportunity, needing a stabilizing yet beautiful intervention.

We embraced a simple and restrained philosophy: let the planting do the talking. Every plant was chosen for its texture, habitat value, and its relationship to the larger Scarborough ecosystem.

• No Flowers by Design: In a departure from more ornamental gardens, we deliberately avoided traditional flowering species, instead using form, foliage, and subtle seasonal change to build visual interest. This allowed the garden to feel grounded and continuous with the wild slopes beyond.
• Mountain & Sea Dialogue: Along the pool patio, where mountain views meet ocean sounds, we pruned the existing large wild camphor trees (Tarchonanthus camphoratus) to offer soft shade and frame the horizon to create natural umbrellas for the hot afternoon sun.
• Textural Layers in Shade: In the cooler, shaded corners of the site, we created coastal thickets beneath the Camphor canopy. These were underplanted with only two shade-tolerant plants, Chlorophytum and albuca’s, chosen for their subtlety.
• The Sand Embankment: Rather than fight the slope, we worked with it. A stabilising planting strategy turned the embankment into a living canvas, a dense, wind-resistant thicket that protects the soil, offers shelter for birds, and holds visual weight at the base of the property.

• An entirely indigenous, fynbos-based plant palette was used, requiring low supplementary watering beyond establishment.
• By avoiding imported soils or formal lawn, the site was left largely undisturbed, promoting habitat health and long-term resilience.
• Planting for birdlife and ecological layering was a key part of the design ethos, ensuring the garden gives back to its environment.

The garden was installed in a single phase, timed with the winter rains to allow for natural establishment. Maintenance focuses on seasonal cutting back and light management of species, in keeping with the garden’s wilder expression.

• Landscape Design & Build: Cara Smith Landscape Design
• Horticultural Suppliers: Various Local Indigenous Nurseries