Under the Poinciana
A tropical-native plant plan for a character home in Southport, Gold Coast — Queensland-appropriate poolside palette with shade-tolerant species working in under an existing mature poinciana canopy. I design it; I don’t build it.
Book a free 20‑minute call See a sample plan
The brief
Bring the Soft Scaping Up to the Level of the Bones — A Character Home Done Justice
A Gold Coast character home with the hardscape already done — but the planting wasn’t doing the bones of the place justice. The brief was to come in, decide what stayed and what went, and bring the soft scaping up to the level of everything else.
The site already had mature native trees, including a large poinciana — both an asset and a planting constraint. We landed on a tropical-native combination — Queensland-appropriate around the pool, with shade-tolerant species working into the harder zones under the canopy. The result reads continuous with the materials and the trees that were already there, which is what the place needed.
What a Landscape Plan looks like
Example pages only — not this garden’s plan
These two pages come from our sample Landscape Plan, not this garden’s plan. One is the planting layout for one bed, with every plant drawn where it goes. The other is the plant schedule, with pot sizes, mature sizes, spacing and quantities. This garden’s own plan is not shown.
See a full sample Landscape Plan from another garden (PDF, 2 MB)
Site before
Mature trees, tired planting
Hardscape and mature canopy intact (including a feature poinciana). Brief: respect what worked, refresh what didn’t, tie planting back to the materials.
Try it on your own site
Spec Your Own Site for a Landscape Plan
Drop a pin, drag-trace your beds, and capture the details that shape plant choice — sun, slope, drainage. Ten minutes; you walk away with a brief ready for a Landscape Plan.
Your Landscape Design Packages
Where are you starting from?
- The structures are set (built, or on my builder’s or architect’s plans). I need the garden and planting worked out around them. → Landscape Plan
- The structures need designing, or I’m not sure the layout works. → Masterplan. It comes in three stages, bought one at a time. Stop whenever you have what you need.
- Only need a plan for approval of your own home or courtyard? For council conditions, a DA (development approval) or a building approval. For your estate’s rules or design review panel. → Landscape Approvals Plan for council, estate and body corporate. $1,800 inc GST.
- Acreage? The fixed price covers the garden around the house. More of the property is quoted on its own.
- Acting for a body corporate, a builder, a developer or a business? → Commercial & Approvals
The Masterplan is $6,850 in total, paid stage by stage: $1,850, $2,250, $2,750. Each stage is yours to approve before the next begins.
Two ways to start. Want to talk it through first? Book a free 20‑minute call and I’ll recommend the package your project needs, not the biggest one. Not sure which plan fits? Start with a consultation ($550), up to 90 minutes. Every home plan starts with it, and it counts in full.
Landscape Plan
Structures already set? This is the garden around them.
The garden worked out around what’s already there. Your house, builder’s or architect’s plans are the base. I work out where beds, lawn, steppers and mulch go, then every plant: what to buy, how many and where. Your landscaper can price the planting from it. It doesn’t design new structures or ground heights: walls, steps, decks, paved areas and drainage are the Masterplan.
Starts with a $550 consultation. It counts in full toward the plan.
- For
- Your own garden, structures in place or on your plans: plant it yourself or hand it to your landscaper.
- Not for
- New structures, walls, steps, decks, paving, ground heights, drainage or a steep site → Masterplan. Same if you’re not sure of the layout.
- Not for
- A plan just for an approval → Landscape Approvals Plan for council, estate and body corporate
Includes
- Layout plan with a key, one sheet. Your structures as the base, with beds, lawn, paths and steppers placed. Shown as intent (e.g. mulch, concrete steppers), not drawn to build from.
- A standard notes page
Planting
- The full planting plan and schedule, with bed-by-bed layouts and plant photos. I’m a qualified horticulturist: I choose every plant for your site and how you live.
Not included
- Designing new structures or ground heights: walls, steps, decks, paved areas, measured positions, drainage, a written materials list → Masterplan. A plan for an approval shows built elements as drawn on your builder’s or architect’s plans.
Getting it built
✓ Contractor handover included: I send your landscaper the plan set. I answer their questions on the drawings for up to 6 weeks after I send it. This ends sooner if you sign a contract with them. After that, I’m happy to answer a quick question where I can. Anything bigger is quoted separately. Your landscaper sets the price. I don’t negotiate it or review contracts.
For your own garden, the plan can work from a PDF. Tracing isn’t exact, so it is only as accurate as the plans you give me.
“Kieran followed up within a week with the plant plan and turned around a minor edit within 24hrs.”— Michael, Hope Island, planting plan
“He is very knowledgeable and demonstrated a great balance of creative vision and practical design.”— Shannon, Burleigh Heads, Landscape Plan
See a sample planSee what’s includedBook a free 20‑minute callLandscape Masterplan
Layout to design, or structures and ground heights to price?
One plan, worked out stage by stage, and I stay with you through quoting. Good design is not decided in one meeting. So the Masterplan is three stages, each approved one at a time. You see the design at each stage, and anything you’d change is changed then, before the next stage starts. At stage 3, I check each landscaper’s quote lists what the plans show. Your landscaper then measures on site to confirm their price.
Starts with a $550 consultation. It comes off stage 1, so $6,850 is the full total.
- For
- A new layout, or you’re not sure the one you have works
- For
- Retaining walls, steps, terracing, decks, drainage or lighting that trades need to price
- For
- Steep, multi-level or complex sites
- Not for
- Structures already set and it’s the garden and planting you need → Landscape Plan
The first step
Design Consultation. Up to 90 minutes, on site or by video. You get an email recap and, if you go ahead, the proposed design direction. It’s $550 including travel in Gold Coast metro. Outside the metro, travel is extra. Every home plan starts with it, and it counts in full.
The three stages
- Concept · $1,850Your concept layout and mood board, walked through on a video call. One round of changes included.
- 3D + plants · $2,250A 3D model of the design, built on approximate ground heights. You see it on a video call. Model images and files aren’t handed over. The full planting plan and plant schedule: which plants, how many and where each goes. The planting bed shapes. One round of changes included.
- Renders, materials + spec · $2,750Three design renders of your finished garden. Materials and finishes. Ground heights from your survey, which may adjust the design. The layout and sizes of paving, walls and steps. Where lights, watering and drainage should go. An engineer or other licensed professional designs any retaining wall or drainage works. A spec for your landscaper and a list of what to buy and how much. All walked through on a video call.Quote support is included. Your landscaper quotes from the plans and the list of what to buy, so every trade prices the same plan. Send me each quote and I check it lists what the plans show. I aim to design to your approximate budget. Quotes can still come in over, so one round of design changes is included. The changes stay within the agreed design. It runs until you sign with a landscaper, or 6 weeks after your final plans, whichever is first. Your landscaper’s quote sets the cost. I don’t advise on price, quote, negotiate, review contract terms, visit site, supervise or manage the build.✓ Contractor handover included
Not included
- Engineering or certification
Your site survey
Stage 3 needs a contour and detail survey (ground heights) from a local surveyor, separate from the design fee. Recent Gold Coast surveyor prices for a 600 to 850 m² block ran about $2,090 to $2,750 inc GST. Yours depends on lot size, slope and access. After the call I can pass on surveyor contacts and tell you exactly what to ask for. Then every quote matches what the design needs. You engage and pay the surveyor directly. Architect or builder plans as well are ideal, but don’t replace the survey.
See a sample planSee what’s includedBook a free 20‑minute callOr start with a consultation ($550).
Pick a time that suits, by video. Take away what we cover, or go further if it’s a fit. I design it. A trusted landscaper builds it: yours, or I’ll suggest one if I know a good fit. I take no commission.
The Landscape Plan and Masterplan run remotely by default. You send site photos (including the view from the house), your site plan and your inspiration. We work through it by video.
Fixed prices are for a standard suburban block, front and back. Commercial and multi-unit jobs are quoted on their own. Only part of the garden? Ask and I’ll confirm what fits.
Plans are design intent, marked not to scale.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell me about your project and what you’re hoping to achieve — about 20 minutes, no obligation.
Book a free 20‑minute call