Thoughtful garden design, grounded in horticultural expertise
What Joyscapes brings to every design
At Joyscapes, planting and garden design go beyond aesthetics. Every project combines design training with hands-on horticultural knowledge – ensuring gardens are not only beautiful on paper, but realistic to build, resilient to grow, and enjoyable long-term.
Many designs look great initially but struggle once planted. By understanding soils, plant performance, sourcing realities and maintenance from the beginning, we design gardens that thrive in real conditions – not just in drawings.
Every project begins with listening: how you live, how you want to use your space, and how involved you’d like to be in the process
Ecological concern
✔ Climate-appropriate planting
✔ Habitat support
✔ Protection of existing vegetation
✔ Biodiversity
✔ Water preservation
✔ Permaculture experience
Practical perspective
✔ Layouts designed for daily life
✔ Storage where needed
✔ Easy access
✔ Attention to drainage
✔ Maintenance-friendly designs
Joyful Expression
✔ All-year round interest
✔ Personality
✔ Layered planting
✔ Diverse but complimentary textures, foliage and colour
✔ Sensory planting
Context & Compliance
✔ Attention to overlays, flood maps, site conditions and local regulations
✔ Assistance for permits
✔ Safe and buildable designs
Don’t need a complete garden redesign?
Not every garden needs a full design. We also offer smaller, focused design services for existing gardens, planting projects, balconies, courtyards, veggie patches and nature strips.
PLANTING DESIGN
For people who want a complete detailed planting plan for a new or redesigned garden, with plants, quantities and locations worked out.
What it is
Ideal for new garden beds or existing areas that need a more substantial planting redesign. We’ll create a cohesive planting scheme suited to your site, style and practical needs, rather than leaving you to work out quantities and locations yourself.
What’s included
- Site visit and assessment
- Measurements of the planting area
- Planting plan showing exact plant locations
- Plant selections and quantities
- Recommended spacing
- Plant schedule with key information
- Suitable substitutions
- One round of revisions
Scope
The starting price covers one defined planting area of up to approximately 25-30 m². Larger areas, multiple separate garden beds or particularly complex planting schemes will be quoted according to scope.
This service focuses on planting rather than major changes to paths, paving, structures or the overall garden layout. For larger changes, our Full Garden Design service may be more suitable.
Balcony & Courtyard Design
For people who want to make the most of a small balcony or courtyard with a practical, plant-focused design.
What it is
A focused design service for balconies, courtyards and other compact outdoor spaces. We’ll help make the most of the space with plants, pots and a layout suited to your conditions and how you want to use it.
What’s included
- Site visit and assessment
- Simple scaled layout
- Exact plant selections, quantities and locations
- Pot and planter recommendations
- Potting mix and soil recommendations
- Consideration of sun, shade, wind, privacy and watering
- Plant schedule and sourcing recommendations
- One round of revisions
Scope
The starting price covers one small balcony or courtyard of up to approximately 20 m².
Larger spaces or projects involving significant built elements, paving, custom structures or other landscape construction may require a larger design package.
Structural engineering, balcony load assessments, waterproofing and building or owners corporation approvals are not included.
NATIVE Nature Strip Design
For people who want to replace a plain nature strip with a colourful, biodiverse planting suited to their local conditions.
What it is
A small planting design specifically for your nature strip, taking into account local conditions, practical access and council requirements.
What’s included
- Site visit and measurements
- Review of relevant council nature strip guidelines
- Planting plan with exact plants, quantities and locations
- Plant schedule
- Soil preparation recommendations
- Establishment and maintenance guidance
- Recommended nurseries and sourcing options
- One round of revisions
Scope
This service is currently available for nature strips in Darebin and Merri-bek. Other council areas may be available by enquiry.
The design will follow the relevant council guidelines, but any required permits or approvals remain the property owner’s responsibility.
Design consultation
For people who have questions or ideas and want professional advice and direction without needing a complete garden design.
What it is
A collaborative consultation where we walk through the garden with you, answer questions, explore options and help create a clearer direction. This is a good fit if you’re happy to take things from there yourself but want some expert input first.
What’s included
- Up to 90-minute site visit
- Advice on layout, planting, materials, functionality and other garden design questions
- Discussion of plant and material options where relevant
- Follow-up PDF summarising the key points from our visit
- List of plants, materials or products discussed
- Any questions we need to double-check after the visit added to your follow-up notes
Scope
This is an advice-based service rather than a completed design. It doesn’t include measured or scaled plans, detailed planting layouts, quantities, extensive plant research or construction documentation. If you need us to work out exactly what goes where, one of the design services below will be a better fit.
PLANT SUGGESTIoNS
For gardens that need help filling gaps, replacing problem plants or improving the existing planting.
What it is
We’ll assess your existing planting and recommend suitable additions or substitutions based on the conditions, existing garden and the look you’re after. This is ideal if you don’t need an entirely new planting scheme, just some thoughtful help improving what’s already there.
What’s included
- Up to 60-minute site visit
- Assessment of existing planting and growing conditions
- Recommendations for filling gaps and replacing selected plants
- Personalised follow-up plant list
- Up to 15 plant recommendations
- Notes on why each plant has been suggested and where it could work
- Suitable substitutions where useful
Scope
This service provides plant recommendations rather than a detailed planting plan. Exact quantities, measured spacing and mapped plant locations are not included. If you want us to design an entire garden bed or planting area, choose Planting Design instead.
Veggie Garden Set-up
For people who want to start growing food and need help choosing the right location, set-up and plants for their space.
What it is
A practical consultation to help you get your veggie garden off to a good start. We’ll look at your space, growing conditions and what you actually want to eat, then give you a personalised plan for getting started without overcomplicating it.
What’s included
→ Up to 60-minute site visit
→ Advice on the best location for your veggie garden
→ Recommendations for beds, containers or growing areas
→ Assessment of sun, microclimate and existing conditions
→ Crop and edible plant suggestions suited to your garden and local climate
→ Soil preparation and fertilising advice
→ Basic watering and irrigation recommendations
→ Seasonal growing guidance
→ Opportunity to ask questions about getting started
→ Personalised follow-up PDF combining general growing guidance with recommendations specific to your garden
Scope
This is designed to help you confidently establish and manage a home veggie garden rather than provide a detailed productive-garden design.
It does not include a scaled planting plan, detailed week-by-week crop scheduling, construction drawings for raised beds, detailed irrigation design or ongoing crop planning. Larger edible gardens, orchards or more complex productive landscapes can be quoted separately.