In the green room

Hardy plants that tolerate salt spray, wind and dry weather provide a leafy retreat at a coastal holiday house

- Text Stephanie Hope

Peace and privacy reign at this coastal New South Wales holiday home, thanks to the prolific gardens that wrap around it.

A wall of native Australian shrubbery along the shared driveway shields the house, while trees and grasses act in soft contrast to the charred-timber exterior. Upstairs, elevated decks and balconies look out to lush canopies with views to the beach beyond.

"The aim was to create a sense of entry as soon as you come up the drive, as well as to enhance the sense of greenery when you're inside looking out," says landscape designer James Headland about the engaging, all-purpose space that acts as a buffer between the four-bedroom home and its nearby neighbours. "The garden has grown a lot in the few years it's been there, with the trees forming into taller structures and the shrubs filling out and doing what they're meant to do."

Designed in response to the main building's linear form, the gardens assist in maintaining a sense of privacy within the subdivided block. Upon entering through the timber gates, YOUR HOME AND Permeable pavers act as a living carport, with a garden bed of coastal tea tree (