How to design a garden that feels like a natural extension of the wild
In short: Landscape designer Fiona uses the rugged Mornington Peninsula to inform her work. By blending sculpted indigenous plants with the untamed wilderness of a nearby national park, she creates a seamless transition between human artistry and the ancient, overwhelming scale of nature.
For 35 years, Fiona has been crafting landscapes that bridge the gap between the manicured and the wild. At her 0.8-hectare garden, ‘Karkalla’, located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the design philosophy is driven by the adjacent Mornington Peninsula National Park. To achieve a sense of belonging within the wider landscape, Fiona utilizes materials sourced directly from the local environment, including walls built from local limestone, gravel from the Dromana quarry, and timber salvaged from local piers.
The garden’s structure relies on a deliberate manipulation of plant forms to create visual rhythm. Fiona is known for her experimental use of indigenous species, often pruning and shaping them to reveal their individual characters. For instance, the Sea box, which naturally possesses an open and wild habit, is clipped twice a year into sculpted forms that act as anchors for the garden. This technique creates a 'void' or space between plants, allowing their unique traits to shine.
As the garden progresses toward the rear boundary, the gardener's influence intentionally fades. In this transition zone, plants are pruned much less frequently—perhaps only once every one to two years—to mirror the unmanaged wilderness of the National Park. This gradient of care helps the property integrate with the surrounding tertiary dune system.
Beyond aesthetics, the garden serves a functional and emotional purpose. A productive garden area provides food for the family and a way to process waste, but it also serves as a vital personal connection to the earth. For Fiona, the act of getting hands into the dirt is medicinal, emphasizing that a successful garden should reflect both the site's unique character and the personal connections of the gardener.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: A landscape designer using nature as design inspiration | My Garden Path | Gardening Australia
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