DESIGN 

WILDLIFE GARDEN 

We were engaged to create a Planting Plan for a new Wildlife Garden for a client who wanted to contribute to protecting local native plants and animals by "Habitat Gardening". They wanted to garden in an ecologically diverse space, safe for local wildlife to live in and breed. The hard landscape construction elements were to be built by a licensed landscape contractor so the necessary documentation to allow that was provided. The client wanted to carry out the planting themselves so we created a planting plan to guide and support them.

The planting plan we have completed here illustrates the location and extent of where individual species are to be planted. A plant schedule is included detailing the number, species and container size. Photos of plants represent the species specified in this design.

Other documentation created as part of the complete drawing package illustrated detailed levels, drainage design, erosion control, soil preparation and maintenance. The planting plan will attract and become a new home for a variety of native wildlife, dealing with existing erosion issues by regrading and binding the soil, improving drainage infiltration and overland flow movement, slow water for plant uptake, polish water runoff to local waterways, providing a soul stimulating place of poetic beauty, abundance and quiet repose for the clients, providing close encounters with nature.

 

VERGE GARDEN

We have completed designing a beautiful garden in Brisbane where wildlife and people can connect and flourish together. We are borrowing land right in the heart of the city: The Verge ! Verges are small strips of land, between the roads and boundaries normally covered in lawns but they can potentially be much more. They are like the veins of our cities, moving us from place to place, potentially shaded by trees and surrounding us with native plants providing food ,water, shelter and sites to breed for our wildlife.

Verge Garden Concept Sketch   

Note# This garden has recently been completed  and we will post photos soon. The birds are loving there new bird bath  !!                                                                                                                                                                                            

Rear Courtyard   

A new design for a rear courtyard space in Scarborough, Queensland. The design includes a new path leading to a pergola covered in passionfruit. The space will feature seating ,barbeque for summer cook ups and the tranquil sounds of a water feature. The space will be lit at night to allow for night time enjoyment and socialising. Aromatic plants will fringe the space  and support local wildlife visitations.     

                                                                                                                                                                           

URBAN FOREST                                                                                                                                                                                                              The urban forest design includes creating new areas of vegetation and augmenting existing areas with locally occurring

species of native groundcover, grasses, shrubs, vines and trees including Eucalyptus in Brisbane and South East

Queensland. The threatened Eucalyptus curtisii, known as the Brisbane Plunket Mallee, that naturally occur in Brisbane

will feature. These areas of natural beauty will provide important places and opportunities for people to connect with

and conserve nature, habitat for our native animals and insects and improve the livability of Brisbane through improving

air quality and reducing the heat island effect occurring now as a result of densification. The projects can be of any scale

from a container on a balcony or in a courtyard, a private garden of any size, bushland reserves or a forest in need of

recovery, creek corridors riparian, an existing commercial or industrial garden, within a public park or green space and

even a street verge or footpath !

       Urban Forest Concept Sketch                                                                                                                                                              

NEW PARK

Birdwood Road Community Group engaged Ashley to support their alternative vision to a development

proposal for a section of Norman Creek in Greenslopes, Brisbane. The project proposed restoring and

celebrating the ecology of Norman Creek at this location. Green spaces are the lungs our cities.

Birdwood Road Park Concept Plan

 

 

Norman Creek Section Birdwood Road

 

 

WILDFLOWER BOMB

This concept illustration celebrates a life well lived by a gentle soul ...a native wildflower planting in

Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, a quiet place of rest and reflection.

Wildflower Garden Concept Sketch

 

CREEK RESTORATION MASTERPLAN

In 2013 Ashley was engaged by the Norman Creek Catchment Group to create a landscape concept plan for Hanlon Park. The plan was made to communicate a new vision for a section of Norman Creek at Stones Corner in Brisbane. This section of the creek was once an important wildlife corridor, a place of abundance, where fresh water met saltwater, where riparian vegetation with stands of ancient Eucalyptus, shrubs and vines would have supported First Nations Peoples connection to country and provided sustenance. Now erased and bound by concrete, efficient at moving water, yet void of biodiversity.

 

AIM: Remove the concrete channel and return a more natural creek system. "Daylight" the creek, free it from its concrete prison !

My design was used by the group to communicate their vision to the Brisbane City Council and other community stakeholders. The Council then engaged Bligh Tanner as the principal design consultant for the Hanlon Park Waterway Rejuvenation project, constructed by EPOCA Constructions in 2022. The concrete channel was removed and replaced with a more natural creek system.

 

Ashley's Planting Design Strategy For The Creek Restoration ...

"Supportive of a broad range of improved ecological outcomes and include zones for : Perennial water planting, ephemeral water, dry zones(Upper bank), aquatic, shrubs and trees, all with a specific purpose for ecology. It will mimic the aquatic, riparian and upslope riparian zone of a natural system and be designed to include zones for immersive educational experiences and close encounters with water systems, flood, drought, urban creek ecology and climate change adaptability".

 

Concrete channel during removal

With the channel removed . Image Bligh Tanner

Wildlife Habitat

Completed Project Hanlon Park Stones Corner, Norman Creek reimagined to allow close encounters with

water

 

Image Credit Bligh Tanner Lead Consultants

 

© 2025 gentle by nature