The front garden, the larger of the two spaces, was given over almost entirely to wildlife and native planting. The only human intervention is a simple stone path leading to the home’s entrance, and a cedar hot tub tucked quietly within the vegetation, positioned to take in the awe-inspiring views. Towering pine trees cast a shifting, dappled shade that allows tree ferns to thrive beneath their canopy. Two ponds, linked by a dry creek bed and a network of swales hidden within wildflower and grass meadows, slow and hold water in the landscape, allowing it to sink deep into the hillside soils. Gabion walls, filled with local quartz and ironstone, shape the terrain while quietly creating sheltered crevices for wildlife to inhabit, helping the garden become a living, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Connection to the garden from the perched home was essential, but never at the expense of the picturesque views towards the distant mountains. Carefully framed sightlines allow the landscape to unfold below while keeping the horizon open and uninterrupted. plantings on the decking focus around lage planters filled with native grasses and succulents.

The back garden follows permaculture principles, forming a productive landscape filled with fruiting trees, herbs and cutting flowers that draw pollinators through the space and into an enclosed vegetable garden abundant with seasonal produce. At the highest point of the garden sits a small chicken coop, allowing nutrients to move naturally downhill through the system and feed the productive gardens below.