Drawing on research into the Bellarine’s local bioregions, the garden traces a path from coastal dune through heath and wetland to an inland setting, reflecting the natural sequence of the peninsula’s own terrain. At the front of the heritage home, the original verandah and lattice fence have been retained, with bluestone boulders carved into small bird baths marking the entrance. Along the front garden, yellow gum trees, grey saltbush and sea box sit among coastal grasses, setting the tone for what follows through to the rear of the property.

The backyard unfolds across four distinct zones. A landscape zone of organically shaped garden beds weaves from the entertaining area, framed by a curved brick retaining wall and punctuated by voids that draw the eye through native grasses toward feature trees, including the endangered Bellarine Yellow Gum, a subspecies found nowhere else but this stretch of coastline. Giving this tree a permanent home in the garden was a deliberate act of conservation, offering it a chance to mature and eventually seed within the very region it is native to.

Around an above-ground magnesium pool, hardy coastal planting supports local pollinators and wildlife, while a woodfire pizza oven anchors the outdoor entertaining space. A dedicated children’s zone, complete with cubby house and discovery garden, invites the next generation to grow and learn alongside the landscape, with rotating plantings of herbs, fruit and native cut flowers encouraging hands-on engagement with the garden over time.

Nearly every material carries a history: bluestone and reclaimed timber were rescued from the garden’s original show iteration, and the planting palette draws entirely on Indigenous species local to the Bellarine Peninsula, reducing water needs once established and reinforcing a lasting sense of place. What began as a temporary exhibition has become a living demonstration of low-waste design, proving that a show garden’s materials, and its ideals, can go on to take root long after the show ends.