01
Landscape Design
Considered plans that read the site first. Front gardens, backyards, pool surrounds and commercial grounds.
30+ Years · Locally Trusted
Gardens built to hold. For the way you live now, and later.
Design, construction and care. One team, from first sketch to the tenth-year prune.
01Landscape Design
02Landscape Construction
03Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs
04South Gippsland
05Free Site Consultation
06Premium Workmanship
★★★★★“They listened before they sketched. That's rare. Ten years on the garden still reads exactly as planned.”
★★★★★“Second garden Stuart has built for us. We wouldn't hand a block to anyone else in the east.”
★★★★★“Fair rate, tidy site, and a build that has actually held. That is why we came back for the pool surround.”
“Transforming outdoor spaces, creating lasting impressions.”
01Philosophy
We treat a garden the way an architect treats a building. Considered. Honest. Built for the long run.
One team, from start to finish. The people who design your landscape are the ones who build it, plant it and come back to maintain it. Nothing gets lost between crews.
A closer look
The right plant, in the right place, for the next twenty years.
Every planting plan starts with soil, aspect and how you actually live outside. It is why the gardens still read as designed a decade on.
02Services
Design. Build. Plant. Maintain.
02
Hardscaping & Construction
Retaining walls, paving, decking, pergolas and screens. Engineered for flat blocks and steep sites.
03
Pools & Pool Surrounds
Concrete pool construction and pool landscaping. Coping, decking, planting, lighting and privacy.
04
Driveways & Concreting
Exposed aggregate, honed concrete, pathways and courtyards. Crossovers coordinated with council.
05
Planting & Irrigation
Feature trees, hedging, garden beds and lawn. Automatic irrigation tuned to your soil and aspect.
06
Garden Maintenance
Ongoing garden care, pruning, mulching, lawn programs and irrigation servicing. Residential and commercial.
03How It Works
01
Consultation
A practical first conversation about the property, priorities, timing and budget.
02
Site Visit
We read the levels, access, soil, drainage, existing landscape and how you use the space.
03
Design
Layout, materials and planting are developed as one clear landscape direction.
04
Proposal
The agreed scope, approach and next steps are set out before work is booked.
05
Construction
Site preparation, structure, surfaces and services are completed in the right sequence.
06
Completion
Planting, irrigation and finishing details bring the garden together.
07
Aftercare
We explain establishment and can continue caring for the landscape as it grows.
09Planning Questions
Useful answers before you begin.
Good projects start with the right questions. These are the ones homeowners ask us most often.
Explore All FAQs →How much does a landscaping project cost?
The cost is shaped by access, levels, demolition, drainage, materials, planting and the overall scope. We discuss priorities and budget early, then recommend a practical way forward.
How long does landscaping take?
A focused garden improvement may take days or weeks. A complete landscape design and construction project can run for several months. We explain likely timing once we understand the site.
Do you handle landscape design and construction?
Yes. One team can take the landscape from site assessment and design through construction, planting, irrigation and aftercare.
Which areas do you service?
We work across Melbourne's eastern suburbs and take on suitable projects in South Gippsland. Send us the location and scope and we will confirm fit.
Can you landscape a sloping block?
Yes. We plan levels, retaining, drainage, access and planting together so the block becomes useful without losing its natural character.
Can you work with an established garden?
Yes. Mature trees, useful structures and existing planting are assessed before anything is removed. Some of the strongest gardens begin with what is already there.
10Resources
Landscape knowledge, without the sales pitch.
View All Resources →04Meet Stuart
Stuart Yates. Horticulturally led. On every site.
Stuart has been designing and building gardens across Melbourne's east since 1994. He is horticulturally trained, and his favourite part of any project is plant selection. What will actually thrive in your soil, aspect and microclimate, and how the planting supports the way you use the space.
The team at Lochaven have been chosen for the same ethos. A quiet love of gardens, respect for materials, and a genuine care for the families we build for. It is why the work holds together on site, and why finished gardens still look the way they were drawn a decade later.
We love bringing spaces to life. For new homes, established homes, second homes, and gardens being readied for sale or for the next chapter of family life.
05Why Lochaven
Why locals keep calling us back.
01
One team, start to finish
The same crew designs, builds, plants and cares for the garden.
02
Honest hourly rate
Agreed before we start. You pay for the hours worked, not padded margins.
03
30+ years, still local
Ringwood based since 1994. Deep local knowledge of soils and councils.
04
Horticulturally led
Plants chosen for aspect, soil and lifestyle. Built to thrive.
06Our Work
Concept Inspiration · Contemporary Formal Garden
Concept Inspiration · Hardscaping
Concept Inspiration · Pools & Surrounds
★What Locals Say
Trusted through first homes, and second homes.
★★★★★“We interviewed four landscapers. Stuart was the only one who spent an hour asking how we actually live outside before he opened a sketchbook. The build reflected it.”
★★★★★“Lochaven built the front garden, then two years later the pool surround. The finish and the attitude were identical both times. That kind of consistency is why they get called back.”
★★★★★“A steep, difficult block. Retaining walls, drainage, planting on top. Fair hourly rate, no surprises, and the walls have not moved in seven winters.”
★★★★★“We use Lochaven across several commercial sites. Reliable, thorough, and their crews leave every site cleaner than they found it. Easy to recommend.”
07Areas We Work
Landscapers & gardeners for Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Based in Ringwood. Working across the inner and outer east, from Kew and Camberwell out to Lilydale and Mount Evelyn.
RingwoodRingwood EastRingwood NorthCroydonWarrandytePark OrchardsDonvaleDoncasterDoncaster EastTemplestoweBlackburnMitchamVermontNunawadingBox HillBalwynKewCamberwellHawthornSurrey HillsWantirnaRowvilleLilydaleMount Evelyn
Don't see your suburb?
We most likely still cover it. Give us a call and we'll tell you straight away.
Ready to Start?
Book a free on-site assessment.
No cost, no obligation. Honest hourly rate agreed before anything is booked.