This newly built property in the Yarra Valley was seeking a retaining wall around their horse paddocks. Fleming’s Landscapes delivered the best and turned this rock wall into an array of plantation alongside a fire pit, veggie garden, and infinity edge swimming pool which takes in all the glorious surrounding views.

The initial site visit to this unique equestrian property in the heart of the beautiful Dandenong Ranges found Fleming’s design team, Flow Design Studio, standing on a rear patio looking out onto jaw dropping views that simply had to be harnessed. And that is where it started. An overall masterplan was created for the property with Stage 1 including the Ha-Ha Wall, fire pit, pool area, planting and veggie garden.

Approximately 300 tonne of Yea rock boulders had been carefully placed as an organic fence around the paddock and retain the homestead. The round fire pit is nestled neatly into the landscape in a position that avoids winds while taking full advantage of the view across the valley. The large 11 x 3 infinity pool constructed by Enki Pools, offers swimmers a relaxing valley environment to look out onto.

Capping off the entire landscape is a plant pallet that is diverse, innovative and “oh so Fleming’s”. Fleming’s Nurseries supplied the plant pallet and planting which was installed by Fleming’s Landscape domestic construction team.

Plants included low level shrubs and small trees to keep planting low as not to impede views. Diversely mixed with a selection of perennial, grasses, ornamental, evergreen and deciduous varieties with many aiming to integrate and soften the rock walls over time. Trees included many beautiful varieties of weeping Japanese maples, Cercis varieties including the weeping Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ and the multi-stem favourite Cercis chinensis ‘Avondale’, while some of Fleming’s newly release upright ornamental cherries Prunus x incam ‘First Blush’ will bring swathes of pink flowers in spring. Alongside, the shrubbery includes Phormium tenax ‘All Black’, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Munchkin’, a new plant to Australia – Distylium myricoides x racemosum 'Vintage Jade' a stunning low growing evergreen shrub that will fill empty spaces.

The Flow Design team are in the process of the front landscape which will include a remodelling of the entry, drstones, a parkland of trees and more.

Click below to follow along the journey or start your own.