A Holiday Inspired Home and Garden
Sometimes a garden begins with a memory rather than a plan.
For this project in West Harbour, the inspiration came from the owners’ travels — the relaxed atmosphere of Fiji, the lush planting of tropical landscapes, and the feeling of stepping into a place where the outside world seems to slow down a little.
The brief was simple enough: create a garden that felt like a retreat. Somewhere to swim, entertain friends, and spend time outdoors without feeling overlooked by neighbours or hemmed in by suburbia. A good garden should feel as though it belongs exactly where it sits, so rather than impose a rigid style, we began by working with what was already there.
Keeping What the Garden Already Knew
One of the most important decisions was to retain several mature palms that already existed on the site. Established plants are incredibly valuable in a garden — they immediately give a sense of scale and permanence that younger planting simply can’t replicate.
Around these palms we introduced layers of subtropical planting to reinforce the relaxed, resort-like feeling the owners loved from their travels.
Cycads, bromeliads and bold foliage plants help build the structure of the garden. Some cycads from the original landscape were carefully lifted during construction and then replanted once the heavy work was complete. It is always satisfying to see older plants continue their life in a renewed setting.
Planting, after all, is the part of the garden that truly brings it to life.
Creating Spaces to Live In
I often think of gardens as a series of rooms — places with different purposes but connected in a natural flow.
Here, the pool became the centre of the landscape. Around it we created spaces for dining, lounging and gathering with friends. Decking, lawn areas and planting beds help define these zones without making them feel overly structured.
The intention was for the garden to feel relaxed rather than designed.
Soft planting around the pool edges helps blend the built elements into the surrounding landscape, while carefully placed trees and shrubs provide privacy from neighbouring houses.
What I enjoy most about projects like this is knowing that the real magic happens over time.
The framework of the garden may be complete, but the planting will continue to mature, soften and fill out. In a few years the foliage will be denser, the cycads larger and the subtropical layers more established.
Gardens are never really finished — they evolve with the seasons and with the lives of the people who use them.
And when it works well, a garden becomes exactly what this one was intended to be: a place where you can step outside and feel, even for a moment, as though you’re somewhere else entirely.
Robin
