A Sea-Change brought these clients to the southwest coast of Victoria, to the historic township of Port Fairy.

The existing beach cottage, used as a holiday home, was set to become a more comfortable full-time residence, following a contemporary addition to the rear of the three-room cottage. The new living areas look out through large glazing to the back garden, and so my clients wanted a garden which provided year-round interest and a sense of sanctuary.

The brief was to create a non-traditional garden layout and to include the use of locally native plant species, except for the edible garden.

A fluid composition of gravel paths with mounded garden bed ‘islands’ was designed to stretch out from the deck of the house. Shapes were organic with the only straight lines seen in the raised planter adjacent the deck, for easy-grab herbs, and the raised vegetable bed along the side fence.

Shade was provided by deciduous vines over the deck roof , and the existing native trees. Further trees were included as deciduous fruit trees.

An intimate courtyard between the old house and the new build was an opportunity to continue the informal planting around a stepping path snaking from the deck to connect to the back and front gardens.