Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Landscape Visit: Manicured—and Wild, on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
WestringiaIssue 39 — Trend Forecast

Landscape Visit: Manicured—and Wild, on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula

February 19, 2021

When Melbourne, Australia-based landscape designer Ben Scott first saw a newly built farmhouse on a 20-acre property about an hour’s drive south from the city, there was no garden to speak of. The only existing feature he had to work with was a stand of slender, native eucalyptus trees with a strong, architectural silhouette.

That was in 2012—and luckily the trees were all the inspiration he needed.

The result? A hazy, romantic landscape where texture and shape play as important a role as any color. Tightly pruned, round shrubs complement the matchstick trunks of the eucalyptus trees. Velvety green ground cover envelops the slopes surrounding the house and guesthouse. Formality gives way to wildness at the edges of the garden, where the surrounding bush frames a distant view to Western Port Bay on the Mornington Peninsula.

“I look to designers who use plants as the focus in their work,” says Scott. “I count Bernard Trainor in the US, Dan Pearson in the UK, Wolfgang Oehme in Germany, and Piet Oudolf in the Netherlands as strong influences.”

In 2016, new owners bought the property—and loved the design so much that they’ve asked Scott to expand its scope. Let’s take a look at the latest improvements:

Photography by Simon Griffiths, courtesy of Ben Scott Garden Design.

A native ground cover, Myoporum parvifolium (also known as creeping boobialla) grows between the pavers.
Above: A native ground cover, Myoporum parvifolium (also known as creeping boobialla) grows between the pavers.
The golden foliage of perennial sedge (Carex) adds texture and warmth to the landscape.
Above: The golden foliage of perennial sedge (Carex) adds texture and warmth to the landscape.
Native to Australia, Eucalyptus radiata trees gracefully drape over a zinc-sided guesthouse and a courtyard paved in granite gravel. Clipped boxwood balls breach the boundary between planting beds and gravel.
Above: Native to Australia, Eucalyptus radiata trees gracefully drape over a zinc-sided guesthouse and a courtyard paved in granite gravel. Clipped boxwood balls breach the boundary between planting beds and gravel.
Round shapes and flowing silhouettes echo the slopes of the land and soften the effect of the change in elevation (which varies by as much as \100 feet across the nearly \20-acre site).
Above: Round shapes and flowing silhouettes echo the slopes of the land and soften the effect of the change in elevation (which varies by as much as 100 feet across the nearly 20-acre site).
At the base of eucalyptus trees, white correa (Correa alba) is pruned into round (and not-so-round) doughnuts.
Above: At the base of eucalyptus trees, white correa (Correa alba) is pruned into round (and not-so-round) doughnuts.
Boston ivy cloaks a wall, bordered by more granite gravel held in check by Corten steel landscape edging.
Above: Boston ivy cloaks a wall, bordered by more granite gravel held in check by Corten steel landscape edging.
Shrubs including Westringia and silver-leafed germander (Teucrium fruticans) are clipped into round globe shapes.
Above: Shrubs including Westringia and silver-leafed germander (Teucrium fruticans) are clipped into round globe shapes.
A turf developed in drought-prone Australia, Kikuyu ‘Village Green’ is a low-water alternative to a traditional lawn.
Above: A turf developed in drought-prone Australia, Kikuyu ‘Village Green’ is a low-water alternative to a traditional lawn.
 Four ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) anchor the corners of a gravel seating area with a fire pit.
Above: Four ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) anchor the corners of a gravel seating area with a fire pit.

Trailing ground cover Convolvulus sabatius (blue rock bindweed) adds a contrasting color, which stands out dramatically against the many shades of green.

A hedge of Portuguese laurel (at right) encloses a patio area with a pizza oven. Boxwood, Cotyledon orbiculata, and Acanthus mollis grow in the foreground.
Above: A hedge of Portuguese laurel (at right) encloses a patio area with a pizza oven. Boxwood, Cotyledon orbiculata, and Acanthus mollis grow in the foreground.
Strong colors in the planting beds create a transition to a wilder landscape, complementing the rich golden slopes of the surrounding hills. Perennials include grasses, sedum, hebe, and burgundy-leafed smoke bush (Cotinus).
Above: Strong colors in the planting beds create a transition to a wilder landscape, complementing the rich golden slopes of the surrounding hills. Perennials include grasses, sedum, hebe, and burgundy-leafed smoke bush (Cotinus).

Are you designing a garden from scratch (or overhauling an existing landscape)? Start with inspiration from our curated guides to Garden Design 101, for help choosing Perennials, Shrubs, and just the right color of Gravel to complement the rest of the landscape.

(Visited 1,607 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Anthuriums: Rethinking a Hotel Lobby Flower

February 17, 2021
Next Post

Trending on Remodelista: Is It Spring Yet?

February 19, 2021

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation
Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack