Lets face it – we get tough little “highveld type” weather in Perth and as an ageing but die-hard gardener, I sometimes find it challenging to keep my beloved garden alive.

Scorching summer days, sandy soils, and erratic rainfall patterns have left many homeowners scratching their heads when it comes to what plants will actually thrive here.

But here’s the deal: Western Australia is host to some of the universe’s most beautiful and toughest plants. And the best part? They’re almost made to thrive in our Perth backyards.

If you’ve been battling with exotic plants that refuse to adapt to our conditions or you’re fed up with seeing your water bills soar over summer, native plants Perth gardeners love could be what you’ve been after.

Professional landscape design services can help you choose the optimal natives for your own site conditions. These aren’t just any plants — they are survivors, adapted to our one-of-a-kind conditions over millennia.

In the lush tapestry of outdoor spaces, two artistic strokes bring the landscape to life: hardscaping and softscaping. When balanced thoughtfully, these two elements create gardens and outdoor settings that are beautiful and functional. At Principal Landscapes, we’ve mastered this art. Our multi-award-winning team, led by Managing Director Cullen Long, has been Designing Nature and Crafting Lifestyle in Perth, Western Australia, since 2007.

The Basics of Hardscaping

Hardscaping refers to the complex elements in your landscape—think patios, walkways, retaining walls, and even pools. These are usually made of hard materials like stone, concrete, or metal. Hardscaping provides structure and serves as the canvas upon which softscaping is painted.

“Principal Landscapes designed and constructed our outdoor kitchen and entertainment area. Our outdoor area has become the central hub of our house, and this is all down to Cullen and his team at Principal Landscapes,” says Ron Tait, a satisfied client.

Softscaping: The Yin to Hardscaping’s Yang

Softscaping is the planting of gardens, the arranging of shrubs, the rolling out of lush lawns—anything that grows. It brings life, texture, and colour to your outdoor spaces. Softscaping is flexible and can be changed or updated seasonally, unlike its hardscape counterpart.

As landscapers, we often get asked by our prospects and clients, “What does a landscape designer do? “, and it is a perfectly valid question. Whilst many people will be familiar with terms like ‘gardener’ and mostly understand what those who work as gardeners do, there is often some confusion when they think about landscape designers.

So, we want to eliminate any confusion that those reading might have and give you a simple guide into the work of landscape designers, including what it takes to qualify as one. Hopefully, if anyone reading is contemplating a change of career, this might help to encourage you to pursue one in landscape design.

What Is A Landscape Designer?

Let us start with the most fundamental question, ‘What is a landscape designer?’. A landscape designer is a professional that requires several specialist skills and considerable knowledge in creating outdoor spaces, primarily gardens, for residential and commercial properties.

The many skills and abilities landscape designers will have includes horticultural knowledge, garden design, aesthetics, technical knowledge, spatial orientation, and being able to create detailed plans and drawings that will be used to construct the garden or outdoor space they design.

How Do You Qualify As A Landscape Designer?

Many people not knowledgeable about landscaping are unaware that landscape designers will invariably have had considerable training and will have taken and passed a professional qualification. One of the most recognised of these qualifications is the Diploma Of Landscape Design. An alternative route for those wishing to pursue a career in landscape design is to complete an apprenticeship with a landscaping company.

There are many reasons why you might wish to install a new landscape design in your garden. It could be you have recently moved to the property and wish to have a completely new garden. Alternatively, you might have lived there for some time and your current garden is badly in need of renovation.

As well as the overriding reason for new landscaping, it might also be the case that you have the desire to create areas within your garden that perform specific functions. Examples of these include a cooking area for barbecues with friends and family, a play area for your children, a pool area for family fun, and a quiet area for relaxation and meditation.

It is the last example we are going to focus on because homeowners are increasingly requesting that a quiet area is included in their landscape designs. The reason might include that they are reading ever-increasing numbers of reviews and articles about the benefits of having a peaceful haven within a landscaped garden, and wish to realise those same benefits for themselves and their families.

As for what your peaceful haven area looks like and consists of, many of the decisions regarding these will come from personal preferences and tastes. You will also have to take into account the practicalities of designing and constructing it too, which your landscapers will gladly assist you with. If you are struggling to think of ways in which you could create your peaceful haven, here are seven tips for creating one that you should consider.

Peaceful Haven Tip #1: Add A Fire Pit: A fire pit brings many desirable benefits to your quiet area. First, and as a practical benefit, on those chillier nights after the sun has gone down, it can provide you with warmth. In addition, a fire pit is a great centrepiece for a quiet area where more than one person gathers.