Landscape designer Port Macquarie – a rainforest in a suburban garden

Designing Diva – Eva Cassegrain – was faced with a challenge recently when a client in Port Macquarie wanted the garden of their new suburban home planted with Australian rainforest species.

A site visit identified the soil type and the summer/winter areas of sunshine and shade. A concept design was prepared together with the plant and colour palette and a a note indicating the maximum tree canopy had to be around 5 metres.

Then came the problem of sourcing the plants locally, to be ready for the owners when the garden was ready for planting. Finding plants from local nurseries and growers is ideal as it means they are more likely to survive and flourish. Many plants sourced from outside the area or region tend to struggle or die. But endemic rainforset plants are not usually stocked by commercial ‘supermarket’ style outlets as these nurseries only tend to stock national favourites.

But that’s where the experience, contacts and tenacity of a Designing Diva comes in. On the next blog we will post some of the photos of the flourishing rain forest in the suburban Port macquarie garden.

For any landscape or garden advice, or to arrange a site visit anywhere in the greater Port Macquarie region, contact Designing Divas.