Hidden within the inner-city suburb of North Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, landscape design studio Peachy Green composes a lush, textural courtyard garden as an immersive spatial experience.
Defined by vertical enclosure, resilient planting, and crafted materials, the design dissolves the boundary between architecture and landscape while fostering calm, seasonal connection, and everyday living.
Photography by Sarah Pannell.
Expressed as an inward-facing retreat, the courtyard establishes a distinct microclimate that prioritizes privacy and immersion, offering respite from the surrounding urban environment.
Challenging the conventions of a typical courtyard, a sequence of spatial transitions unfolds, with each zone carefully considered to enrich movement and experience.
Reinforcing the sense of enclosure, curvilinear built-in benches trace the perimeter while introducing a fluid geometry that guides circulation.
Groundcover planting weaves between stone paving, encouraging exploration and softening the hardscape within the compact footprint.
Shaping the dialogue between built form and landscape, materiality plays a central role.
Terracotta-toned tiled masonry introduces warmth and contrast, standing out against the depth of green foliage while contributing to the garden’s layered character.
Planting is dense and immersive, selected for both texture and adaptability.
A mix of small trees and broadleaf tropical and subtropical species creates a rich canopy, transforming the courtyard into a verdant, enclosed retreat.
Creating continuity between inside and out, timber slats extend the material language of the interior.
Brick boundary walls provide a strong architectural framework while supporting vertical planting that enhances depth and visual richness.
Clad in dense vegetation, these surfaces shift the perception of enclosure, allowing the garden to feel expansive and alive rather than confined.
Large-format concrete pavers, softened by green joints, further emphasize the integration of structure and planting.
This connection is heightened through expansive sliding glass doors, which open the interior living spaces directly to the courtyard.
The garden operates as both a functional outdoor room and a visual extension of the home, embedding landscape into the rhythm of daily life.
Peachy Green is a Melbourne-based landscape design studio dedicated to crafting lush, immersive gardens that offer calm, sanctuary, and connection to nature within everyday life. Their work is grounded in a deep respect for architecture, site history, and the individuality of each client, resulting in highly personalized outdoor spaces that feel both contextual and enduring.
Guided by a collaborative and consultative process, the studio prioritizes sustainability through responsibly sourced materials, low-impact construction methods, and thoughtful water management strategies. Planting is approached as a living system, layered, diverse, and resilient, designed to evolve with the seasons while enriching the character and performance of each landscape.
Landscape Architecture by: Peachy Green
Architecture by: Matt Gibson Architects
Photography by: Sarah Pannell
