Creative Vision
Better Decisions About What to Plant Where, and How Your Garden Evolves
We're not drafting blueprints. We're bringing horticultural knowledge and design sensibility together to help your garden reach its potential, and keep it there.
What You Get
Professional Garden Design that gets results
We're not competing with landscape architects or drafting blueprints. What we offer is something different: design guidance rooted in hands-on horticultural knowledge, shaped by monthly visits and real observation. I taught Landscape Construction and Design at Chisholm Institute TAFE, and that background informs everything we do, from choosing the right plant palette for a heritage Edwardian garden to planning a bed that will look its best in three years, not just on planting day. Many of our design projects in Melbourne's eastern suburbs begin with an Initial Clean Up (ICU) to clear the slate, followed by a tailored design that we then maintain through our ongoing monthly care program. This means your new garden stays exactly as intended, month after month.
Initial consultation and site analysis
Conceptual design and mood boards
Detailed planting plans
Hardscape recommendations
Plant sourcing and procurement
Project oversight and installation
Why It Matters
What's the difference between a garden that's been designed and one that's just grown?
I see a lot of gardens that have evolved plant by plant, impulse buy by impulse buy, and they end up feeling disjointed. A lovely Japanese maple next to an agapanthus next to a rosemary, each fine on its own, but together there's no thread connecting them. The spaces don't flow, and areas get no use because they were never designed for a purpose. A properly designed garden has intention behind every element: the plant palette is cohesive, the spaces connect naturally, and the garden feels like an extension of the home rather than an afterthought.
Many of the homes we work with in Melbourne's eastern suburbs are Victorian, Edwardian, or interwar period properties with real architectural character. A garden design needs to respect and complement that character, not fight against it. I'm not going to put a minimalist gravel garden in front of an Edwardian weatherboard, but I will find a planting scheme that feels timeless and right for the house while being realistic to maintain.
Good design also accounts for the practical realities that ad-hoc planting ignores. Mature plant sizes are considered so beds don't become overcrowded. Sun and shade patterns are mapped across seasons. Maintenance requirements are factored in so the garden is realistic to look after long-term. For Melbourne's eastern suburbs, that means working with heavy clay soils, frost-prone valleys, harsh western sun exposure on some properties, and water restrictions that periodically limit irrigation.
Our Process
How it works
Brief
In-depth discussion of your vision, needs, and budget.
Concept
Initial design concepts presented for feedback.
Refinement
Design refined based on your input.
Implementation
Design brought to life with expert installation.
Why Choose Us
Why homeowners trust ABS
Design & Maintenance Unity
We design gardens and maintain them, so the design vision is preserved through every monthly visit and seasonal change.
Site-Responsive Design
Every design is based on real site analysis: sun, soil, wind, and microclimate, not just what looks good on paper.
Practical Beauty
We create gardens that are beautiful and realistic to maintain, balancing aesthetics with real-world care requirements.
Long-Term Plant Knowledge
We know how plants behave over years, not just how they look in a pot, so your garden works at maturity, not just day one.
Architectural Sensitivity
Our designs complement your home's architectural style rather than competing with it or ignoring it entirely.
Budget Transparency
Honest conversations about cost from the start, with designs scaled to your budget rather than an idealised wish list.
Client Stories
What our clients say
"We've used Anthony and his team for several projects over many years – from a large scale re-design and remodelling and replanting, to everyday garden care and maintenance. His service is great and we're very happy to recommend him."
Andrew & Caroline
Surrey Hills
"I have been impressed by the high quality of your work, your friendly and very prompt service and your reliability… I would give you and your workers a star rating of 5 out of 5."
Jill
Hawthorn East
"We were attracted not only to the house but also to a small but special garden with many unusual plants… we have been very happy to have Anthony and Sam keeping a watchful eye and giving the garden whatever TLC is needed. They are reliable and we have confidence in the care they take."
Sue
Kew
"Anthony and his team are a pleasure to have around. They are all absolute gentlemen and they do a wonderful job. Reliable and diligent."
Suzie
Malvern
"ABS Horticulture have been caring for our townhouse garden for many years… We have introduced some of our friends to ABS and they too have expressed satisfaction with ABS capable design and maintenance work."
Gilbert
Glen Iris
"The ABS team have looked after our garden for the last two and a half years. They have helped keep the old girl under control and the transformation of the back garden has been amazing."
Anita
Kooyong
"We are completely satisfied with the work done by Abs. We have a large yard with a huge gum that drops constant litter across our garden. Sam and Anthony are incredibly professional and nice…and they care about the end result!! Always discrete and always leave the property in impeccable condition. We have a monthly maintenance which has reinvented our garden! No need to worry about the right time to fertilise or prune, just sit back and enjoy!"
Donagh
Melbourne
"Very happy with these guys. After a year or so of having them look after my place I wanted to revamp my garden completely, they chose the best plants and flowers for the area, their attention to detail is superb and my place looks amazing!"
Pip
Melbourne
"Anthony and Sam have done a great job maintaining and improving my garden over the past couple of years. Highly recommended."
Sue
Melbourne
"ABS Horticulture has been looking after our garden for over 10 years. In that time, Anthony's team have proven to be reliable, skilled and prompt with their services. The staff are always polite and their workmanship is top notch, whether it is lawn care, pruning, or shaping our numerous bay trees and hedges. I love coming home from work on the day ABS have serviced our garden, it always looks great."
Tom
Elsternwick
Helpful Resources
More About Garden Design
How Much Does Garden Maintenance Cost in Melbourne? (2026 Pricing Guide)
Transparent pricing guide for garden maintenance services in Melbourne. Understand what affects costs, what services include, and how to budget for professional garden care.
What Does a Garden Maintenance Service Include? (Complete Breakdown)
Complete breakdown of what professional garden maintenance services include. Understand exactly what tasks are performed and what results you can expect.
How Often Should Garden Maintenance Be Done? (Monthly vs Fortnightly)
Monthly garden maintenance suits most established Melbourne gardens. Here's how to decide between monthly and fortnightly based on your garden type, plants, and seasons.
Monthly Care
What to expect as a client
A genuine conversation about how you use your garden, what you love, what frustrates you, and what you want it to feel like, not a clipboard questionnaire.
Proper site analysis: sun mapping, soil assessment, existing plant evaluation, and microclimate identification. We understand what your garden will actually support.
A design concept that balances beauty with honesty, featuring plants that thrive in Melbourne's eastern suburbs conditions and maintenance that's realistic for real life.
Detailed planting plans with species, quantities, and placement that account for mature sizes. We design for how your garden will look in five years, not just on installation day.
Professional installation with proper soil preparation, quality nursery stock, and correct planting technique. Every plant goes in right.
Seamless transition to monthly maintenance where we preserve the design intent at every visit, because a beautiful garden that isn't maintained to its design is a beautiful garden that slowly stops being one.
Ongoing vs One-Off
A designed garden needs ongoing care to stay true to its design intent
I've been called in to maintain gardens designed by others, expensive designs, beautifully drawn up, where the vision has completely unravelled within two years because nobody was maintaining it with the design intent in mind. A structural hedge that should be kept at 1.2 metres has been let go to two. A feature tree hasn't been shaped since installation. The proportions that made the design work are gone. When we design a garden and then maintain it through our monthly care program, that doesn't happen. We know which plants are structural and must be maintained at specific sizes. We know what we intended for each space. We can replace failed plants with appropriate alternatives and manage growth to keep proportions right. The garden stays true to its design, not just for the first season, but year after year.
The monthly difference
One-off care
Monthly program
Transparent Pricing
Simple, fair pricing, no surprises
Our garden design service is priced based on the scope of work. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your garden.
Free
Initial Quote
No obligation site visit
Fair
Transparent Pricing
Clear quotes, no hidden fees
Flexible
Payment Options
Bank transfer, easy & convenient
Get Started
Ready to transform your garden?
Book a free 15-minute call. We'll discuss your garden design needs, answer your questions, and provide a no-obligation quote.
No pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation about your garden.