Arcadia Sustainable Design

Specialties

Arcadia Sustainable Design provides a garden design service specialising in residential and educational landscapes across the Melbourne metropolitan area.

This includes landscape concepts and planting plans and access to trusted landscape contractors who will complete your projects.

We create beautiful outdoor spaces that you are also fuctional and sustainable while increasing the value of your home.

Projects may include small gardens, large estates, intimate courtyards, child friendly backyards, native gardens, formal gardens, natural materials, locally obtained stone and timber, school gardens.

History

Established in 2008.

Prior to setting up Arcadia, Gary has had rich experience as an educator in science and horticulture, including aseveral years at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Gary’s designs have been inspired by what makes wonderful, iconic gardens so special for people and incorporates those design features into home gardens.

A special knowledge of the great diversity of plants and their requirements is also a feature of Gary’s garden designs. The emphasis is generally on a garden of plants with natural hard materials in stone and timber to provide the overall framework.

Harmony in the landscape is sought where there is a pleasing balance in formal and casual, structural and wild, open and enclosed or bright and subdued.

Gary works with trusted landscape contractors who will join in with the discussion with client and seamlessly take on the task of completing the new gardens, liaising back continually so that the designs are faithfully rendered. Clients may also complete the work themselves.

Meet the Business Owner

Gary S.

Business Owner

Gary has a science degree with a diploma of Horticulture at Burnley College (University of Melbourne) and Cert IV in Applied Design (Landscape) at NMIT.

His career with plants and gardens has involved teaching Environmental Science, mathematics and Horticulture in secondary schools. This was followed by a stint of several years at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and Healesville Sanctuary.

Drawing on this experience, Gary has a working knowledge of how people relate to gardens and plants and what garden designs are most effective.

He has have a passion and commitment to sustainable practices and incorporating them in creating gardens. This includes the use of local, natural landscape materials, the choice and placement of plants, and the importance of growing fresh food. Minimising the use of water while keeping the garden healthy and attractive is also a a priority.