Sprawled across a large, downhill sloping block, this beguiling garden evokes a genuine sense of place. Conceived by landscape designer Tim McBurney of Liminal Landscape Design, the design reflects the rural-coastal essence of Terranora, a peaceful town on the NSW North Coast, and was carefully composed to preserve the expansive views of nearby Kingscliff Beach.

When the owners of the property, dubbed Carramar, met with Tim, they had quite the wish list. They wanted to incorporate a level lawn area, new planting areas, a fire pit zone with seating as well as a plant-shaded meditation space. Some wish-list items were substantial, such as a sensitively designed, perfectly placed swimming pool; others of much smaller scale, such as a new letterbox.

“Fundamentally, the brief was to create more useable spaces with a natural, informal aesthetic.” says Tim. “During my first visit to Carramar it was clear that the undulating site, with views onto farmland and out to the ocean, would offer great possibilities.”

“It was also important to the owners that we incorporate rustic elements and natural materials, creating the impression the garden had always been there. In particular, they wanted the prominent use of rock and boulders - luckily, much of the stone was able to be salvaged from the site and re-used. They also requested natural stone steps to link the different levels. The natural movement and flow of the landscape seemed to mark the logical placement of meandering gravel paths and stone steps. The topography and natural grade of the land also gestured to the possibility of outdoor rooms to linger in or move through. Swathes of native grasses and groundcovers evoke the sense of being immersed in natural while large, established trees anchor the site and provide much needed scale against the architecture of the home that sits high on the site.”

The first section of the property to be addressed was the western side where stormwater runoff had carved a valley as it found its natural course downhill. To stabilise the spillway, a dry riverbed was fashioned using large boulders and river pebbles, as well as grasses and sedges to hold the soil. A timber bridge was installed to allow access to the other side of the drain for ease of maintenance.

On the eastern side, where the existing shed was located, the mission was to make the structure and surrounding areas more useable and aesthetically appealing. This involved the extension of the driveway to the shed, the construction of a new basalt stone retaining wall, re-orientation of the shed door and the crafting of a fire pit area that nestles happily into the hillside. This transformed area, which looks out to the coastline, features a curved bench that has been built into the new stone retaining wall. This is supplemented by log seats which add to the rustic ambience.

To access this space, sawn basalt steps lead down through flourishing garden beds edged with corten steel. Behind the shed, a veggie garden was embedded into the slope using raised corten steel planters.

Fine-foliaged plants such as foxtail grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Nafray’) soften the heavy stone construction while the silver-toned leaves of the specimen olive tree (Olea europaea) and the groundcover everlasting daisy (Chrysocephalum apiculatum “Silver Sunburst’), set off the grey and red shades in the basalt, not to mentioned the rust hues of the corten steel. This earthy palette of plants and materials is complemented by the timber of the built-in seating and bridge over the dry riverbed.

As for the meditation zone, the owners desired a stand of tall lilly pillies (Syzygium sp.) in the center of the property as a peaceful spot for contemplation, turning it into a destination point in the landscape.

A major component of the new design was the pool. “The slope presented the opportunity to find the perfect place for the pool, which was down from the house. After careful consideration the pool was snuggled into the hillside to capture the coastal views and cooling summer breezes,” says Tim.

“The pool fence needed to blend in with the surrounding environment. The solution was to use vertical timber batten fencing, placed within the gardens, so that the native plantings would grow through the gaps, making the fence almost disappear. The finished landscape is a mixture of colour and contrast, leisure and reflection in which native grasses move gently in the wind and plant-wrapped spaces offer sanctuary from the busy world beyond.”

Garden Notes:

Many of the plants mentioned here are a favourite of ours to use in coastal situations around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. Check out our guide to selecting some tough coastal plantings that provide the perfect balance of form and texture as well as habitat for native fauna.