Neutral Bay

Sometimes the simple things are often the best.

Using natural products such as sandstone, gives gardens a great feel. 

Here, we've used selected secondhand curbstone blocks to create bench seating for a simple outdoor setting.

White diamond sawn sandstone paving helps define the entertaining area with Ophiopogon japonicus nana or dwarf variety mondo grass softening up the "block" effect.

Using galvanised steel, we've been able to create a curved garden edging. Galvanised steel is a relatively modern product increasingly utilised by landscape designers because of its versatility.

Using plants such as Ginger, Dwarf Magnolia, and Hawthorne, add colours which give this garden depth. Native grasses add to the palette.  A hedge of Syzygium paniculata Var. Leuhmanii helps to hide the large adjacent houses and creates a sense of secrecy.  All these plants are irrigated with a controlled drip system.  

The brief for this garden needed to accommodate a boisterous youngster, so a turf area to play on was essential.  This warm season Sir Walter Buffalo grass is doing well in the full sun.

By painting the fences with a matt black paint, all the foliage is highlighted, and when plants are flowering the dark colour of the fence helps the flowers to really stand out.

Hidden amongst the lower foliage are six high quality 20watt low-volt lights that illuminate this garden spectacularly at night. 


Lights are an essential item in all gardens.  


There's nothing more enjoyable than relaxing in the garden in the evenings in Sydney, especially in Spring and Summer.

A variety of different leaf arrangements add some intrigue, with all the plants jostling for position, but each coming into their own.

Typically Sydney. No garden is complete without a spray of Chinese star jasmine.

This Ginger plant, Alpinia caerulea, pops with vibrant colour.

We sourced low profile Lotus pots for the client to grow, strawberries, lettuce and a variety of herbs.   

At the entrance is a taller Lotus pot and Philodendron Var. Rojo Congo is thriving in the low-light conditions.

For a consultation with The Butchart Gardens 

contact James Butchart

Phone: 0408 264 964

email: james@butchartgardens.com.au

Bellevue Hill

In conjunction with Luigi Roselli Architects and Landscape Architect, Susan Miles, this garden in Bellevue Hill incorporates many different elements. Cascading plants soften the appearance of the walling, Frangipani create a canopy over the front stairway and a selection of low balled shrubs and native species border the sunny lawned area. The end result is a garden with which the owner's are thrilled.

Agave attenuata and Dracena drago form a crown above a trailing Acacia baileyana (a prostrate form of Cootamundra wattle). The coastal rosemary Westringia fruticosa has been clipped to a ball to create defined structure next to a feathery Grevillea.

Native grasses such as Pennisetum alopecuroides and trailing Grevillea and Acacia soften the Western Australian limestone retaining walls, creating a delightful hanging garden. 

Metrosideros Thomasii , New Zealand Christmas Bush, displays a showy red flower and silvery new growth. This dwarf variety bursts with colour.

At the top of the stairs is a bell pot with small succulents and Strelitzia juncea.

Crucible pot on the verandah with Strelitzia juncea underplanted with Dichondra var."silver bells"

For a consultation with The Butchart Gardens contact

James Butchart 0408 264 964

james@butchartgardens.com.au

Point Piper

The first day of July was overcast, with a soft intermittent rain falling. Perfect light for photographing one of our established gardens in Point Piper.

These water gum, Tristaniopsis laurina are loving the view. At their base are sturdy native grasses, Lomandra var. 'Tanika', framing a stretch of Sir Walter Buffalo.  The fireplace, a mild steel design, could also be used as a shallow planter. Not a bad spot for an outdoor get-together.

Dracena marginata provides a sculptural screen. The planter is a hardwood trough with galvanised steel insert.

Banksia serrata, adds another sculptural element to the garden. These trees are great for attracting native birds. They are fast-growing and withstand the harsh Australian environment.

Raphis exelsa are thriving in their hardwood trough. These palms are slow-growing, great for indoor and low light situations.

Raphis prefer a shady position and grow in a variety of soils.

Raphiolepsis indica is a salt-tolerant shrub. A hardy all-rounder, great for underplanting or as a border shrub. This variety has a small white flower.

In summer, Frangipani add a burst of colour while Tristaniopsis laurina create a formal entranceway.  It's encouraging to see native varieties being used for formal hedging in place of more traditional hedging plants.

For a consultation with the Butchart Gardens contact

James Butchart   0408 264 964 

email   james@butchartgardens.com.au