Landscape design by ORCA Living.
This Californian garden was carefully designed for a historic Coronado home, originally conceived by renowned building designer Cliff May.
Set behind a modest façade on a busy street, the garden is anything but ordinary. Designed by ORCA, it reimagines a family home as a private space that still maintains a dialogue with its community and surroundings.
Inspired by May’s architectural legacy, the landscape strikes a balance between structure and softness — where native plantings and natural materials intersect with sculptural forms and pathways.
Created to meet the needs of play, privacy and place, the garden tells a story of thoughtful transformation, where every element is grounded in both purpose and beauty.
The Brief
The homeowners, a family of five, wanted a garden that balanced entertaining, play and privacy. An environment where the children could enjoy the pool, while incorporating areas for social gatherings and displaying a diverse collection of specimen plants. Given the home’s position on a busy street, creating a sense of seclusion was essential, but it was equally important for them to maintain a connection with the neighbourhood.
A key part of the design was linking the house to the front street, as the family often enjoys an evening wine and gatherings out the front. To achieve this, a lightly screened garden was created, among wild California natives and framed with sturdy timber.
ORCA drew inspiration from the home’s original building designer, Cliff May, whose designs emphasised a strong relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces. Maintaining this connection was a priority, ensuring that nearly every room in the house had a framed view of the garden.
With the addition of a new pool house and garage, the design naturally evolved into a courtyard layout, establishing three main outdoor areas — pool, lounge and dining.
The Transformation
With the addition of a new pool and pool house, the landscaping underwent a complete transformation. The redesign created distinct outdoor areas, defined by planting, elevation changes and varied pathways, ensuring a natural flow throughout the space.
To strengthen the link between house and garden, plant beds filled with Feltleaf Kalanchoes and Blue Star Ferns (Phlebodium aureum) were introduced along floor-length windows. The silvery tones of the planting influenced the choice of hardscape materials, creating a cohesive feel. The home’s navy trim was replaced with sandy grey, allowing the garden and pool’s blue tones to stand out.
A key priority was establishing a pathway that allowed the children to move freely between the house and garden zones. The pool size was adjusted to create more room for gatherings, while planting beds were placed against windows to bring greenery into view from inside the home.
The entry garden, screened by a trellis fence and an Acacia iteaphylla (wattle) hedge, provides privacy while maintaining a connection to the street. A dedicated potting area was also included, giving the homeowner space to care for a collection of specimen plants.
In terms of hardscaping, a mix of materials was used throughout the garden to define spaces. Natural cedar was chosen for a new porch off the kitchen, stepping down into the outdoor dining area. Rammed earth tiles formed structured pathways, while large boulder stepping stones created a more playful walkway. Red Gum Eucalyptus beams were repurposed to edge planting beds and double as seating, while additional beams along the pool softened the hardscape, resembling a fallen tree and providing extra sitting space.
The Result
The final result is a garden that enhances the home’s character and is a private yet welcoming outdoor area. A thoughtfully curated mix of wild native plants and specimen flora reflects the Californian setting, with a planting scheme influenced by both the original architecture and the homeowners’ lifestyle.
Elements that have been thoughtfully planned and implemented throughout the design have brought a grounded and organic feel to the space, creating a beautiful garden that feels both inviting and deeply connected to its surroundings.
Key Plant List:
The plant selection reflects both the Californian setting and the architectural influence of Cliff May.
Four specimen olive trees anchor the dining area, providing shade and structure, while a mix of coastal natives and Australian species reinforce the home’s connection to its surroundings. Personal touches were also included, with specific plants chosen to honour the homeowner’s passion for unique specimens.
Californian natives:
- Salvias
- Eriogonum fasciculatum (California Buckwheat)
- Muhlenbergia rigens (California Deer Grass)
- Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Brush)
Australian coastal species:
- Grevillea ‘Moonlight’
- Acacia iteaphylla (Willow Wattle)
- Acacia cultriformis (Knife-leaf Acacia)
Specimen & personal plant selections:
- Aloe tree
- Barahensis Kalanchoe
- Euphorbia — cultivated by the homeowner
- Crassula arborescens undulatifolia (Ripple Jade)
- Brachychiton rupestris (Queensland Bottle Tree) — a long-time favourite of the homeowner, with three included in the design
- Proteas (Proteaceae)
- Coastal sage scrub
- Malvaceae (Mallow)
- Asteraceae (Daisies)
- Juncaceae (Rushes)
- Oleaceae (Olive trees)
- Asphodelaceae
