Is your garden project seriously overwhelming?
- You have problem areas that stump you…
- You have no idea where to start…
- Everything you’ve tried so far, from quick fixes to planting, doesn’t work.
Perhaps you’ve done the sums and getting the professionals in to build the garden just isn’t in the budget. You might be tempted to pull up your sleeves and get stuck in…
Stop.
Don’t start building the first thing that comes to mind.
Poor planning results in…
…pulling out your hard work down the track when you realise it’s in the wrong place, uses an inappropriate material or wasn’t built the right way.
…wasting time and money on plants that either die, or take over and become a high-maintenance pests.
…missed opportunities. A designer can see the true potential of your site, so you can not only make your property more liveable, but add value as you go.
Welcome, I’m La.
I’m an award-winning landscape designer and self-confessed plant nerd. I love helping property owners in Melbourne’s Eastern & North-Eastern suburbs get crystal clear on what they are building before they make costly, and frustrating mistakes…
The DIY design process focusses on:
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Providing clear direction for the whole property including the layout, aesthetic and material selection.
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Selecting the right materials, based on your skills, aesthetic and site.
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Defining the process to follow, tackling the project one zone at a time.
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Creating a low-maintenance plant palette that will thrive in your sites unique conditions and provide year-round interest.
“For years I’ve been helping nature -lovers DIY their gardens to create beautiful & practical outdoor spaces. I’d love to help you too.”
Our Packages
Realise the full potential of your property
Budget Package
WHOLE BLOCK TO 1200M2 - SUITS DIY-
In-person consultations
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2D Concept plans for under 1200m2
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Plant Selections
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Plant Management
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Trusted trade introductions
Standard Package
WHOLE BLOCK TO 1200M2 - SUITS DIY & PRO BUILD-
In person consultations
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2D Concept plans for under 1200m2
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Plant Selections & Plan
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Plant Management
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Trusted trade introductions
Premium Package
WHOLE BLOCK TO 1200M2 - SUITS PREMIUM HOMES-
In person consultations La
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2D Concept plans for for more complex sites under 1200m2
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Pools and spas | Complex terrain
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Plant Selections & Plan
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Plant Management
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Trusted trade introductions
* Get in touch for details on our packages for properties larger than 1200m2
We help our clients get crystal clear on how their garden will look, feel and function.
1. Get personalised advice and your burning questions answered
In-depth site consultations with La where we work through your questions, future plans and design options.
Have clear direction forward on how your garden will look and function
Bespoke 2D Concept Designs showing the layout of the whole site from paths, paving, garden beds, materials etc Our premium package allows for more complex terrain and new pools and spas.
A low-maintenance dreamy planting scheme
Whilst our budget plan provides a planting selection only, our standard and premium packages include full planting plans detailing exact position, pot sizes, eventual spread, botanical and common names.
See your garden before you spend a cent on the landscape
Upgrade to see detailed 3D renders of your new garden allowing you to easily envisage the spaces and convey your expectations to the building team.
Get preferential access to our trusted trades and landscapers
Don’t waste time tracking down reliable trades. We’ll introduce you to our little black book of landscaping gems.
Plant orders
Once construction has comensed, we’ll take the headache out of sourcing plants, arranging the order and any redesigns to accomodate out-of-stock substitutions.
Our packages will suit you if:
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You are based in our supported suburbs zone (see FAQs below).
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You need a design for the layout, materials & planting of your property.
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You’re looking to work with professional landscapers OR to DIY your dream garden.
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You want a low-maintenance natural garden that attracts in life.
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You want to realise the full potential of your property and add value.
Just 3 easy steps to start…
STEP 1
During your 15 minute chat with La we'll discuss your gardengoals and map out the process to get there.
STEP 2
During your consult we'll discuss your properties unique opportunities as well as your brief. We’ll provide ideas that you can take away from the meeting as well as a clear path forward to creating your dream garden. We charge $325 + travel for our onsite consultations.
STEP 3
Once you accept our fee proposal, we'll dive deep into your project to create beautiful, achievable garden plans that will give you a clear path forward to construction.
Frequently asked questions
We build gardens around Melbournes North-Eastern Suburbs covering:
Alphington, Armadale, Arthurs Creek, Ashwood, Balwyn, Baronia, Bayswater, Blackburn, Box hill, Bulleen, Burwood, Chirnside Park, Croydon Hills, Croydon North, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Donvale, Eaglemont, Eltham, Fairfield, Ferntree Gully, Glen Waverley, Greensborough, Hawthorn, Heidelberg, Hurstbridge, Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe East, Kangaroo Ground, Kilsyth, Kooyong, Kew, Lilydale, Lower Plenty, Lower Templestowe, Lysterfield, Macleod, Malvern, Malvern East, Mont Albert, Montmorency, Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Mount Waverley, Notting Hill, Northcote, North Warrandyte, Nutfield, Oakleigh, Panton Hill, Park Orchards, Plenty, Research, Ringwood, Rosanna, St Andrews, Templestowe, Thornbury, Torak, Viewbank, Vermont, Warranwood, Warrandyte, Wantirna, Wattle Glen, Watsonia, Watsons Creek, Wheelers Hill, Whittelsea, Wonga Park, Yallambie, Yarrambat, Yarra Valley.
Please get in touch if your suburb is not listed here to discuss consultation options.
We see the project through the whole process of design, tendering, construction and then growth/maintenance.
We work with several trusted very experienced contractors and facilitate the whole construction phase.
We do not manage construction for gardens we haven’t designed.
No, we only offer construction to our design clients.
Concepts are usually delivered within 6-12 weeks depending on how busy the studio is.
Provided your garden doesn’t require council permits to achieve, the design, tendering and construction phases can take as little as 8-12 months to complete. Some gardens take many years to complete when they are built in stages.
Just imagine what your garden could look like, this time next year!
As soon as possible. For the best indoor outdoor flow, you need to consider the property as a whole or you will always be making compromises down the track.
Each block and brief is unique so speaking broadly, a landscaping budget of around 10-15% of the current property value (not including swimming pools or spas) is recommended. Some of our clients spend more than this when they are creating their forever-garden or creating a landscape of significance for future generations.
A number of factors effect how much the landscaping with cost – the more hardscaping required (decks, patios, pergolas, retaining walls, paving, raised beds, paths, outdoor kitchens etc) the higher the landscaping budget will need to be, and naturally, the larger and more sloping the block, the more landscaping is generally required.
We work through your budget early on in the briefing process to ensure your gardengoals and budget are aligned.
Prices start at $4,500 for a front or back garden.
Once we know your full brief and we’ve seen your property, we will match you to a package and create a fee proposal for your project.
As a ballpark allow 5-10% of your landscaping budget for design:
- For build budgets under 100K we recommend allowing 10% for design. Ie. If you’re planning on spending $80K on your landscaping allow for around $8K for design.
- For build budgets over 100K we recommend allowing 5-10% for design. Ie. if you’re planning on spending 200K on the landscaping, allow $10K + for the design process.
Yes! If you want to build the garden over time to save costs, having a solid plan can be invaluable in ensuring you don’t waste time and money along the way.
We design differently for a DIY construction, selecting different materials and layouts, to make it easier to achieve the intended result.
Take a look at our DREAM DIY Garden Design Package for more info >>
Generally no, this approach isn’t cost effective so we tackle whole blocks, or large zones like a back or a front gardens.
We’ve been hard at work building beautiful gardens across Melbourne. Here are some of our clients stories…
“Realising the full potential of your property all starts with getting a clear plan forward.
Reach out for a chat about your project today“
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