Landscape design by Paul Pritchard Landscape Design.
In Brighton, Victoria, this front garden has been re-worked for a professional couple and their grown children. Once tired and uneven, it’s now a place that feels connected to the family, the home and its history.
Keeping continuity
The garden had lost its shape over time and needed a full rethink. The owners wanted to revive it without erasing its past – particularly the magnificent old oak tree, planted when the house was built in the 1890s. Keeping the sense of continuity was key, while introducing more seasonal texture and colour, and a warmer welcome for those arriving at the front gates.
Building resilience
The original flagstone paving, also dating back to the 1890s, was carefully lifted and relaid in its exact original pattern – a nod to the home’s story. A 40,000-litre water tank, that will sustain the garden through dry spells, now lies beneath the paved driveway.
Because the oak tree draws so much moisture, planting had to be resilient. A layered mix of perennials and groundcovers brings softness, while seasonal variation adds life throughout the year. The new pathway winds through the garden, designed to guide visitors to the door at a slower pace, offering time to take in the planting.
A liveable space
The space now feels balanced and liveable – a garden to be used rather than simply admired. With its north-facing aspect, sunlight sweeps across the lawn and the pockets of planting through the day. It’s become a favourite spot for drinks before dinner or for entertaining, and also for the family’s old Labrador to watch the world go by.
The redesign honours what came before, while creating a place that reflects the family’s lifestyle and connection to the home.
Key plant list
- Agapanthus africanus ‘Snow Ball’
- Allium giganteum
- Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Truffles’
- Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga)
- Bartlettina sordida
- Bergenia cordifolia
- Buxus sempervirens
- Clivia miniata
- Parthenocissus henryana
- Euphorbia wulfenii
- Hedychium gardnerianum
- Helleborus orientalis
- Iris germanica
- Lagerstroemia indica ‘Natchez’
- Penstemon ‘Alba White’
- Pittosporum ‘Miss Muffet’
- Liriope muscari ‘Monroe White’
- Rhaphiolepis indica ‘Oriental Pearl’
- Salvia ‘Amistad (PBR)’
- Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
- Stachys byzantina
- Viola hederacea
- Viburnum odoratissmum
