Designing a beach garden

Looking across the front garden – repeating the undulating landform of beach sand dunes. Beach house Toquay. Garden design by Phillip Withers, Melbourne

The beach house is set on the wonderful and relaxed shores of Torquay and what was previously a holiday home has now become my parents’ residence and a rather handy playground for me to try different things. So although the pictures you will see at this stage are the bones, I feel that this garden may just become even more special than it already is, and a story I may come back to from time and time.

Natural winding path. Beach garden Torquay. Garden design Phillip Withers, Melbourne

The garden started with a quest for something that emulated the region, the beautiful nearby beach. I wanted it to feel like you have just walked up the steps of the boardwalk and into a place called home, and where the colours , plants and flowers had a natural feel. I also wanted it to become one with the contemporary architecture and match it with its hints of funk in the garden.

Front garden beach house Torquay. Garden design Phillip Withers, Melbourne

In the front garden we looked to create a layout that was like a feeling of walking through sand dunes, with winding natural paths leading you through to the back gates on both sides. Rocks were used both to retain and to be markers – sculptural accents of the rustic land. There is mix of smaller rock and sandy mulch on the surface to echo the coastal sand, although we may look to introduce a mix of sand and mulch over time to get an even closer match to the area. There is also a sweeping curve through the centre to mirror the flow of water; this may be enhanced, with time, to reveal a boat….time will tell I guess…

Austrostipa grasses pick up the gold of the setting sun. Garden design Phillip Withers, Melbourne

The plants we used in the front is just a starting point, and something I can’t wait to build upon. The essentials have been introduced and we can see the tall grasses starting to make a statement in the wind (Austrostipa stipiodes), with some furry height and texture change to the rear with woolly bush, Adenanthos sericea. We have started to add some muted, natural colour through the golden buttons Chrysocephelum apiculatum and some standout architectural planting with scattered grass trees (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii). Oh, and if you are wondering where all the succulents are, don’t worry, as they’re next on the list…

Plant textures and subtle colour from golden buttons, Chrysocephalum apiculatum. Beach garden, Torquay. Garden design Phillip Withers, Melbourne

The front garden needed to stand up tall and match the architecture with its height, so the sand dunes help to link the landscape to the building, which was vital from the get go.

Castlemaine slate paving Beach garden, Torquay. Garden design Phillip Withers, Melbourne

The back garden follows the same trend as the front, with its sweeping paths through the sand dunes that link through to spaces for entertainment and general use, such as the large Castlemaine slate paving area, with its natural edges blending in and making it feel likes it’s part of the land.