Native Garden Design Corlette | Sanctuary on the Slope

Native Garden Design Corlette: A Private Sanctuary on a Sloping, Exposed Block

This native garden design Corlette project began with a clear goal from our clients. They wanted a garden good enough to enter into a design award, but more than that, they wanted a genuine sense of place, a native sanctuary they could step into every day and feel properly immersed in the landscape.

The brief was simple to say and much harder to deliver. They wanted to feel surrounded by native planting, with birds and wildlife drawn into the space. A living garden, not a static backdrop sitting behind the house.

The block itself made this a real challenge. It was steeply sloped with genuinely beautiful views, but it was also highly exposed to the neighbouring properties. Our clients wanted privacy without losing that view, and they wanted usable, level space across the slope without a garden broken up by structural retaining walls.

This is exactly the kind of project our in-house design and construction team is built for. As both designer and builder, our team carried this brief from the first concept sketch through to the final plant going into the ground.

Client Goals for a Native Garden Design in Corlette

At its heart, this project asked for a garden that could do several things at once. It needed privacy without losing the view, along with structure that still felt soft rather than rigid. At the same time, it needed to feel contemporary at the front of the house and completely native out the back.

The brief called for:

• A rear deck extension off the alfresco area, designed to feel like a genuine connection into the garden, not a separate structure tacked onto the side of the house
• Sweeping natural curves around the deck, softening its lines and tying it into the surrounding garden
• A pergola positioned as a focal point in the rear yard, while staying light and unobtrusive
• A garden seating area nestled into the planting itself, so our clients could sit inside their garden, not just look at it from the deck
• A contemporary native garden at the front of the home, echoing the clean lines of the house while still softening its edges

Challenges

The Challenge: A Sloping, Exposed Block for This Corlette Native Garden

Every landscaping project has its own hurdles, and this one had a big one built into the block itself.

The site was steeply sloped, with lovely views but very little privacy from the surrounding properties. Our clients wanted both. They wanted to feel screened from their neighbours without losing what made the block special in the first place. On top of that, they were firm on one point: no garden broken up by structural retaining walls.

The brief called for level, usable space across the slope, but it needed to feel soft and natural, not engineered.

This meant rethinking the usual approach. Instead of retaining walls, our team shaped and benched the site itself, cutting the land into a series of natural tiers that flowed with the slope instead of fighting it. Over 50 tonnes of excess fill was removed to make this possible, all managed entirely in-house.

Our Native Garden Design and Construction Solutions in Corlette

Our native garden design for this Corlette project focused on privacy, immersion and natural materials. Then our own construction crew brought it to life exactly as planned, because it was the same team standing in both places.

The completed works included:

• Bulk excavation and benching to create level, usable tiers without retaining walls
• A new Ekodeck composite deck extending the alfresco into the garden, with steps to manage the change in level
• An open aluminium pergola anchoring the rear yard as a focal point
• A curved corten steel seat with Ekodeck cladding, built directly into the garden
• Shapescaper redcor steel edging throughout, defining garden beds and managing the slope without visible structure
• Organic shaped concrete stepping stones set on a mortar base, creating natural, informal pathways
• White decorative gravel and sculptural boulders placed through the sloped garden areas
• A full native planting program across the 221 square metre garden footprint
• 66 square metres of new Sir Walter Buffalo turf
• A new side gate to improve access and flow around the property

As both designer and builder on this project, our team carried every requirement in the brief from the drawing board through to the build site. Nothing was lost in translation, because there was no handover between two separate businesses to lose it in.

Native Garden Design Corlette: Project Impact

A Garden Our Clients Can Truly Live In

This native garden design in Corlette turned a bare, sloping stretch of turf into a private sanctuary our clients can actually live inside.

For our team, this project is a good example of what happens when design and construction sit inside the same business. Every requirement in the brief, from the privacy screening to the no retaining walls rule, stayed front of mind right through construction, because there was never a handover between two separate teams to lose it in.

“We absolutely recommend Jason Reading Landscapes after having them complete a major landscaping project at our home. From our first design interview, it was clear we were in good hands. The designer listened carefully to what we wanted and offered excellent suggestions that genuinely improved on our original ideas. Once the job got underway, the crew’s teamwork was next level. They constantly referred back to the plans, communicated with each other to solve problems on the spot, and kept everything moving forward seamlessly. There was never a sense of confusion or wasted time on site. We were kept in the loop and asked for feedback at every stage. The whole job was overseen by landscapers with decades of hands-on experience, and it showed in the quality of the finished result.”

— Sue & Ron, Corlette

Ready to Create Your Own Native Sanctuary?

Every native garden design we build starts with a brief like this one: a real block, real constraints, and a client who wants something more than just a nice looking yard. Because our team designs and builds every project in-house, from that first conversation through to the final plant going into the ground, you’re never stuck managing the gap between two separate businesses.

If you’re picturing something similar for your own outdoor space, we’d love to hear about it.