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Ajuga reptans

While no garden is truly maintenance-free, some plants require very little.
Here are our top six low-maintenance picks.

house with green plants

Kassia House is truly where old world meets modern contemporary. This Queen Anne Federation bungalow in Malvern East has been transformed, though you wouldn’t know it from the front. The owners enlisted architects Robson Rak to design an addition at the back that is unapologetically modern. The renovation included a complete redesign of the outdoor spaces by Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA).

Bergenia cordifolia

Renowned for its robust strength and vigor, Bergenia cordifolia is a hardy herbaceous perennial with rounded, glossy leaves reminiscent of elephant ears, hence its common name.

materiality in landscape design

Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA) believe that outdoor spaces should be just as refined, inviting, and functional as their indoor counterparts. The right outdoor furniture can transform a garden, pool-scape, or courtyard into a unified extension of your home — where style, comfort, and durability converge.

greg norman lowres modern house

Rested alongside the Sanctuary Lakes golf course, The Clubhouse is a resort-style residence that embodies refined luxury and timeless design. Born from a deep collaboration between NTF Architecture and NBLA, the project places materiality at its core. A considered palette of sand-toned brick, charred timber, and travertine flows effortlessly between exterior and interior, creating a unified language of craftsmanship, warmth, and permanence.

forest fancy plant

Among deciduous trees, few are as charming as Cercis canadensis, with its distinctive heart-shaped leaves. Commonly known as the ‘Forest Pansy’, this small to medium-sized ornamental tree is ever-changing with the seasons.

Purple Verbena bonariensis flowers.

Tall and slender, Verbena bonariensis is an airy yet vibrant flowering perennial commonly known as Purpletop Vervain. It flourishes with clusters of blooms from late spring through the warmer months attracting pollinators.

elevated outdoor design

Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA) believe that outdoor spaces should be just as refined, inviting, and functional as their indoor counterparts. The right outdoor furniture can transform a garden, pool-scape, or courtyard into a unified extension of your home — where style, comfort, and durability converge.

Alfresco Entertaining and a Poolside Oasis

Nestled in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula, lies a country abode providing the perfect retreat from city life. Designed as a modern Australian country escape, this ranch-style home is surrounded by a breathtaking garden designed by Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture to integrate harmoniously with the natural beauty of the Australian bush.

Buxus Balls

One of the most exciting contemporary trends in garden design is the use of clipped Buxus spheres of varying sizes. These organic, rounded forms are not only visually striking, but also offer versatility in how they’re applied across different landscapes.

Modern mirrored wall design

The Norfolk Residence, nestled on the majestic Mornington Peninsula, is a testament to the harmonious collaboration between Agushi Group builders, Travis Walton Architecture, stylist Simone Haag, and Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture.

AGUSHI ROCKLEY

Understanding the landscape design process is the first step in transforming your outdoor space into a personal retreat. Here, we’ll take you through the key stages of our meticulous design process, ensuring a collaborative and enjoyable journey from concept to completion.

Brighton garden design

Nestled on a tranquil corner in Brighton, a serene oasis unfolds. NBLA crafted this garden to cater to the life and leisure of a young family. With a fervent love for their garden, the client now relishes its beauty from certain vantage points inside their recently renovated home.

Fatsia Japonica

Fatsia Japonica, also known as Japanese aralia, is a medium evergreen shrub with large, glossy palm-shaped leaves. It is a species of the Araliaceae family and is native to Japan, Korea and Taiwan but grows exceptionally well in Australia.

Strobilanthes gossypinus

Commonly known as Persian Shield, Strobilanthes gossypinus is a silver-grey evergreen native to India and Sri Lanka. Its species name gossypinus meaning cotton-like, refers to the prolific shiny hair on the surface of its leaves, causing it to shimmer in the sunlight.

Turf Selection By a Landscape Designer

Turf selection is a realm where aesthetics meet resilience, and every choice involves a weighted consideration of nature’s elements, client preferences and lifestyle, and of course aesthetics. Here, NBLA delves into the intricacies of turf selection, exploring the myriad factors at play when choosing the right lawn for its clients.

Toorak Garden

NBLA designed this Toorak garden for the founding owners of WHITEFOX Realestate, Charlotte and Marty Fox and their family in 2022. Well-versed in the art of real estate, Marty and Charlotte appreciate the difference a beautiful garden makes to the value of a property.

Pool Design Melbourne

Designing pools is commonplace at Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA). However, beneath the surface of each design, is hours of meticulous consideration and thoughtful planning to create something that seamlessly balances form and function. Here are some of our key considerations:

Helleborus Plant

At a time when many plants enter a period of dormancy, Hellebores can give your winter garden a welcomed lift. One species that we are particularly partial to is the Helleborus x ballardiae, commonly known as Cinnamon Snow.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

If you are looking for an autumnal highlight for your garden, Parthenocissus quinquefolia or Virginia Creeper will deliver. Its leaves are compound palmate leaves made up of five ovate leaflets hence Its name ‘quinque’ meaning five, and ‘folia’ meaning foliage.

Australian Open

In 2012, NBLA first met with Tennis Australia and Chard International to embark on something entirely new and diverse. Unknown to all was that this would become a decade-long collaboration for Tennis Australia’s premium offerings at its annual Grand Slam event.

Echium Candicans Flowers

Hailing from the islands of Madiera, the Echium candicans is a large herbaceous accent plant. It commands a presence whether flowering or just In leaf. When not in flower, Echium candicans presents as a mounded architectural shrub with rosettes of blue-green leaves.

NBLA

Recently, we underwent a rebranding exercise which included a very significant change for our studio – the change of our name from Nathan Burkett Design to Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA).

Zane Holland - NBLA

If you’ve ever been through the construction of a garden with NBLA, you’re likely to be familiar with Zane. Having been with us for a decade, he’s been involved with pretty much every type of landscaping project possible.

Benefits of Garden Maintenance

For many years now, NBLA have had a close affiliation with the team at Botanic Horticulture to offer our clients a quality garden aftercare program once their design has been installed.

garden design melbourne

Every year, NBLA are engaged by Tennis Australia to provide landscape design and construction services for the Australian Open. In 2020, we created ten designs for spaces within some of The Australian Open’s most premium hospitality offerings, including Rockpool and Nobu restaurants, and The Founders Club to name a few.