Read an excerpt from Harbourside Gardens

A garden is more than just an outdoor space – it is a place of connection, a reflection of its location and of the people who live within its boundaries, a sanctuary that evolves with time. Whether perched high above Sydney Harbour or sitting on a beachfront, a well-designed garden is not just a decorative addition but a deeply personal and functional extension of the home.

Over the years I have had the privilege of designing landscapes for some of Sydney’s most beautiful homes, but no garden comes to life through design alone. It is the result of a creative collaboration between architects, interior designers, builders, skilled craftspeople and the client, each bringing their own vision and expertise to the project. For me, each garden presents a new challenge, a fresh canvas shaped by the architecture, the environment and, most importantly, the people who will inhabit it. This book brings together twenty gardens, each unique yet bound by a common philosophy: one that balances structure and softness, architecture and nature, beauty and practicality.

A LIFE LIVED OUTDOORS

My connection to landscape design began with a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Throughout my childhood the beach was my playground and my days were spent surfing, riding a bike until sunset and generally just being outside. Mum was an avid gardener and an excellent delegator of chores, so weeding, sweeping and digging holes for her newest plant finds were just part of life growing up. As an adult, I am at my most content outside, whether I’m surfing, hiking, watching the sunrise or just taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the landscape around me. That connection to nature informs everything I do. I believe a well-considered outdoor space can shape the way we live, improve how we feel and elevate how we interact. For me, a life lived outdoors is a good life, and this belief has guided my approach to gardens from the very beginning.

I didn’t start my career as a designer. I started with my hands in the dirt, working in structural landscaping. Those early years taught me more than just technical skills – they instilled in me an appreciation for craftsmanship, patience and the level of detail and hard work required to create a garden that stands the test of time. It was during this period, while working for my now good friend Will Dangar, that I saw what was possible in the world of gardens. Inspired by the potential to shape entire outdoor environments, I transitioned into design. Over the last twenty-five years I have committed myself to building a practice that remains grounded in the same principles I learned early on: working with the land, understanding materials and using plants to build stories and create spaces that feel as natural and effortless as the landscapes that first inspired me.

THE SYDNEY GARDEN

Sydney is a city that embraces the outdoors. With a climate that allows for year-round outdoor living, gardens here are not just ornamental; they are an integral part of daily life. That’s why creating a landscape that encourages flow and connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces of a home is inherent to our designs. Here homes often feature large sliding or double doors that blur the boundary between house and garden, and my role is to ensure the garden’s layout, material selection and planting scheme enhance this connection, making the garden feel like a true extension of the home.

Gardens in Australia, and indeed all coastal-adjacent gardens, require careful consideration of the environment and climate: the sun is intense, the salt air unforgiving, and the winds unpredictable. The gardens I create must endure these conditions while still feeling inviting, lush and timeless. Rather than being limitations, these challenges are what make the process exciting, finding the balance between resilience and beauty, practicality and creativity. To connect a property to the wider landscape, the garden must respond to its unique site, and the opportunities and challenges its location presents. A harbourside garden might incorporate terraced levels that gently step down to the water, creating distinct zones while managing steep topography. In contrast, a beachfront garden may require a more fluid design, allowing the boundaries of the garden to flow naturally into the surrounding landscape.

Sydney is defined by its breathtaking harbour, expansive coastline and abundant natural spaces. My intent is to create gardens where nature and design work in harmony and reflect the places they are located, enhancing the surrounding beauty and connecting people with the outdoors.

STRUCTURE AND SPATIAL PLANNING

My design process considers two things simultaneously: aesthetics and practicality. Spatially, what does the site require to function effectively? Where should space be filled, and where should negative space be left? And, alongside that, what finishes and plant species best suit the environment? What colours, textures and forms will enrich the site’s beauty and complement the architecture? The answers to these questions shape gardens that respond to their surroundings, sitting harmoniously within the landscape and alongside the home’s architecture – enhancing rather than competing with it.

A successful garden starts with a strong foundation. Every project begins as a puzzle, where layout is key to creating a seamless relationship between the home, the land and the way the space will be used. Orientation, wind exposure, sunlight and existing site conditions all play a role in determining the location of different elements of the design, as do the functional elements the clients require in a garden. But just as importantly, the garden must sit comfortably alongside the home’s architecture, enhancing it rather than competing with it.

Structure plays a crucial role in shaping a garden's character. Straight edges and mirrored geometries bring a sense of formality, while organic shapes introduce a more relaxed flow and sense of looseness. My approach tends towards the latter – looser and free flowing, but balanced by the definition of manicured lawns, carefully pruned hedges and sculpted plant forms. That said, there are times when a profusion of lush jungle-like greenery is just what the space needs.

Material selection also plays a role in creating a harmonious and immersive outdoor space. Timber, natural stones, concrete and metals must all be compatible with the home’s finishes and meet the functional requirements of the space, but they also shape the sensory experience of the garden. The warmth of weathered timber underfoot, the solid grounding of stone beneath a seating area or the way textured concrete interacts with glimmering sunlight – all of these choices influence not just how a garden looks, but also how it feels.

PLANTING STRATEGY: FROM CANOPY TO GROUND

While structure forms the foundation of a garden, it is the planting that brings it to life. Plants introduce movement, texture and scale, transforming a static space into something dynamic and ever-changing. A well-thought-out planting scheme should be layered, much like a natural landscape, with each level contributing to the overall effect. When developing a planting scheme, it is important to consider the different levels and layers of plant life that create a balanced garden.

CANOPY LEVEL

Mature trees and palms provide structure, scale and strength to a garden. They balance the built form and ensure the garden feels proportionate to the architecture. Their height provides a vertical framework to the garden layout and helps define spaces. They can also be positioned to direct sightlines, frame views and create shade or privacy.

MID-LEVEL

Small trees, hedging, shrubs, perennials and succulents shape a garden’s structure. With layered foliage they introduce form, texture, colour and contrast, enhancing the perceived depth of the space while adding richness and variety. Acting as a transition from the canopy to the ground, this layer is essential in creating an immersive planting scheme.

GROUND LEVEL

Ground covers and grasses add visual interest and textural variety, while also anchoring the planting scheme. Their ability to creep across hard surfaces and visually connect softscaping and hardscaping elements is invaluable.

CLIMBERS

Climbers create cohesion in a garden. They can unify different elements, mark passageways and entrances, soften hard structures and add vertical interest with very little footprint.

Every plant selection affects both the aesthetics and the function of a garden, which is why structuring a planting scheme from ground level to canopy level is fundamental to its success. A great deal of thought goes into sourcing mature trees, sometimes from all over Australia. Their characteristics and placement within the garden set the tone for the rest of the planting. The right trees can create a sense of enclosure and intimacy, while layers of foliage bring softness and depth. Colour, form and texture all play a role in defining the garden’s mood – whether it’s a structured and architectural planting scheme or a more organic, flowing composition.

Equally important is considering the specific climate conditions of the site. In coastal locations with full sun, salty winds and sandy soil, species like screw-pine, banksia, coastal rosemary and mat rush will flourish. In contrast, species such as kentia palm, sago palm, lady palm, tree ferns, cycads, bromeliads and philodendron varieties will better tolerate shade and damper soil. In the early stages of design development I often look to the surrounding natural environment to see which natives and exotics are prospering in similar conditions and take cues from that. This approach helps create a plant palette that blends harmoniously with its surroundings while also tolerating the site’s specific conditions.

At its core, garden design is about people. It is about understanding how they live, what they love and how they connect with their surroundings. No two clients are the same, and no two gardens should be either. While every project responds to the site and the architectural language of the home, it is also an interpretation of the people who will live within it.

There is something incredibly rewarding about designing for people’s homes. It is a privilege to gain insight into how a family moves through their space, what they value and how they want to live. Each of the twenty gardens featured here not only represents a landscape design project, but also a home – a deeply personal and ever-changing outdoor space for those who live there. I've lived my whole life in Sydney and these gardens have allowed me to explore and shape the city in a way I never thought possible.

This is an extract from Harbourside Gardens by Anthony Wyer, publishing November 4.