When Andrew Panton Design was engaged to design this Melbourne garden, the site was essentially a large blank canvas. ‘The brief for the job was simply to “treat the garden as your own”, so I set out to create a garden which would look good all year around,’ says Andrew Panton, landscape designer and founder of Andrew Panton Design. 

‘We were given free rein to create a garden that looked beautiful from all aspects, and had practical areas that could be enjoyed by the owners all year-round.’ 

This dream brief instantly inspired Andrew, who saw potential to divide the site into various contrasting sections. Most of the feature garden beds are on the left side of the backyard, while the pool and low-maintenance garden beds are on the right. A decked outdoor entertaining area steps down from the house to a green lawn, before the pool and another outdoor entertaining area at the rear. 

Andrew’s vision for the planted elements was to create a layered garden with colour and year-round interest. ‘I achieved this through using lots of perennials that shoot up at different times of the year, and also by using a vast array of different textures throughout the garden beds,’ he says. 

‘With the beach side location, I also wanted it to have a tropical feel. I used a variety of large and small palms down the back of the property around the second outdoor entertaining area.’

Andrew describes creating this garden as a ‘dream come true’, attributing the client’s trust to the successful outcome.  

‘The garden has flourished and grown sensationally well. It has complex layers and bursts with colour throughout the year, just like I had envisaged.’