Landscape design by Peta Noakes of Inside Out Garden Design.
Set on a rural property on the outskirts of Camden, New South Wales, this modern farmhouse sits within the landscape of a working family farm. Designed to appear as a single residence, the home and adjoining granny-flat blend effortlessly into their surroundings.
Landscape designer Peta Noakes of Inside Out Garden Design was involved from the early stages of the project, allowing the outdoor spaces to be carefully considered alongside the home’s architecture. This early collaboration provided the opportunity to replace planned retaining walls with gentle battering, creating a more natural transition between ground levels and ensuring the garden sits comfortably within the land’s existing contours.
The Brief
With a busy lifestyle and a household of eight, the homeowners needed a low-maintenance garden that would also cater to their love of entertaining. Beyond practicality, the design also held sentimental value. Having left behind a cherished connection to their grandmother’s garden, they were eager to bring a part of it with them. To honour this, Lagerstroemia indica (crepe myrtle) trees were carefully included in the planting plan and relocated to their new home.
The property’s position on an acreage block, extending into areas of the family farm, also meant that the landscape needed to balance openness with privacy. Key views were preserved, while strategic planting was introduced to provide necessary screening where required.
The Transformation
A mix of structural elements and carefully selected planting shaped this landscape, ensuring a strong connection between the home and its surroundings.
Recycled bricks were used throughout the driveway, staircase and front entry, influencing a key design shift — the home’s fireplace chimneys were also updated to match. Post and rail fencing, along with decorative rural gates, complemented the modern farmhouse aesthetic.
At the front, a refined planting palette maintained a clean yet engaging look. The driveway design preserved the impression of a single residence, featuring a circular garden with a mature Acer palmatum and Grevillea lanigera ‘Mt Tamboritha’ ground covers. Betula pendula (Silver birch) trees were introduced within the lawn to tie the home to the wider landscape.
On one side of the house, bluestone steppers set into crushed granite lead through an area visible from the children’s bedrooms. The treasured Lagerstroemia indica trees were relocated here, alongside plantings chosen for year-round interest. Near the master bedroom, sculptural foliage, including Agave ‘Blue Glow’ and Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’, frames a pathway leading to an Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’, positioned for views from the ensuite and glass walkway.
A natural one-and-a-half-metre fall at the rear allowed for layered planting, with Westringia varieties softening the embankment. A recycled brick staircase now connects the levels, reinforcing the landscape’s considered and timeless design.
The Result
The success of this garden can be traced back to early planning, which allowed the landscape to evolve alongside the home’s design. Careful excavation to manage ground levels not only shaped the space but also highlighted some of its most striking features. Swathes of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Nafray’ and Westringia now thrive along the gently battered slopes, adding movement and texture to the landscape.
By preserving key views while introducing strategic screening, the design enhances the connection between the home and the surrounding farmland. Whether gathering cut flowers to bring indoors or entertaining outdoors, the homeowners feel truly immersed in their garden — a space that reflects both their lifestyle and the beauty of the land.
Key Plant List:
- Lagerstroemia indica (Crepe mytle)
- Liriope muscari ‘Just Right’
- Arthropodium cirrhatum ‘Matapouri Bay’
- Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’
- Philotheca myoporoides ‘Winter Rouge’
- Hebe ‘Mary Antoinette’
- Leucospermum cordifolium ‘Carnival Yellow’
- Rhodanthemum ‘African Eyes’
- Viola hederacea
- Ligularia reniformis
- Blechnum gibbum ‘Silver Lady’
- Grevillea lanigera ‘Mt Tamboritha’
- Betula pendula (Silver birch)
- Agave ‘Blue Glow’
- Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’
- Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Nafray’
- Westringia
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Nafray’
