• To create interest and movement within a minimalist framework, using a very limited palette of plants.
• Balancing simplicity with depth: the garden had to feel rich and layered without relying on floral displays or a broad range of species.
• Incorporating the client’s love for ceramics in a way that felt organic to the garden’s restrained aesthetic.

We focused on shapes, shadows, and subtle textures to create a garden where every element feels deliberate and meaningful.

• Plant Palette: The entire planting scheme is pared down to fewer than ten species, using grasses such as aristidia and carex grass for their refined movement and soft texture.
• Trees as Sculptural Elements: Three almond trees were strategically positioned to anchor the garden’s spatial narrative - One in the courtyard serving as a living sculpture behind the water feature, and another planted beside a stark architectural wall where its shadows dance with the wind, The last greeting visitors near the driveway, a subtle signal of welcome and seasonal change through buds, bare branches, and summer leaves.
• Textured Surfaces: Horizontal planes become a key design language—whether it’s the mass planting of grasses, the clean sweep of lawn, or the sleek geometry of stylish tiles, each surface holds significance.
• Architectural Integration: Bare, simple walls frame the garden, while wooden louvres add a layer of mystery and privacy, offering filtered views into the entrance courtyard. This architectural feature creates a gentle transition: you enter the courtyard first—a quiet moment before stepping into the home.

The restrained plant palette ensures low water demand and minimal maintenance, aligning with a sustainable gardening ethos. By focusing on native and drought-tolerant species with natural textures, the garden feels both modern and timeless.

The garden was installed in a single phase, carefully timed to coordinate with the home’s final completion, allowing the plants and hardscape to settle in harmony.

• Architect: Wesley Shankland MOKO Architects
• Landscape Design & Build: Cara Smith Landscape Design
• Horticultural Suppliers: Selected Indigenous Nurseries