Landscape Queensland Construction Excellence Awards Winner
This verdant, courtyard-style garden offers a taste of the tropics and serves as a beacon of biodiversity
The owners of this home in Brisbane’s inner-suburbs loved the convenience of the location but craved a leafy, tropical oasis they could retreat into, leaving the bustle of urban life outside the garden gate.
“They sought a lush and modern-tropical courtyard garden that felt expansive and immersive — one that would be both highly functional and ideal for entertaining,” says Brooke Goodwin, director of Brooke’s Blooms. “More specifically, they wanted the garden to be dog-friendly, which meant an area of natural grass, and to feature a pond.”
The tropical oasis-inspired garden design, conceived by Brooke’s Blooms’ landscape design manager, Ella Clarke, combines clean, contemporary structure with layered planting. Dense tropical foliage creates a soft, immersive green backdrop, with flowering plants contributing colour in every season. The result is a vibrant yet calming courtyard environment that balances modern design with natural biodiversity to create a cool and shady, always relaxing urban retreat.
Native water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) trees were incorporated as the upper- storey planting, providing vertical structure, light canopy cover, and effective natural screening within the inner-city environment.
“Beneath the canopy,” says Brooke, “layered underplanting was introduced to build depth and texture throughout the space. This helps create a dense, tropical feel while also providing habitat and shelter that encourages frogs and other small wildlife around the pond area.
“Throughout the landscape, which uses the placement of feature gardens and statement pots to add some structure, pops of flowering plants were included for colour and seasonal interest, and to attract birds and pollinators, such as bees, to enhance biodiversity. The combination of structured trees, lush foliage, and flowering accents create a balanced planting scheme that feels modern, vibrant, and full of life.”
A defining element is the large expanse of natural lawn, which is uncommon in urban environments. It provides both visual openness and a recreation space for people and pets. This is complemented by natural limestone paving, which adds rich texture, durability, and a timeless appeal that helps to ground the contemporary design.
“Feature lighting has been incorporated throughout to highlight the key planting areas and enhance the atmosphere,” adds Brooke. “The lighting was designed to accentuate the textures and forms of the foliage and feature gardens, creating visual depth and interest after dark. This subtle illumination allows the courtyard to remain inviting and functional in the evening, while showcasing the lush planting and design elements in a soft, ambient way.”
And there is one more thing that makes this project something special. Says Brooke: “It was entirely designed, project-managed, and implemented by an all-women team that demonstrated a collaborative approach, strong leadership, and superior craftsmanship throughout the entire process.”
The result is a fully refreshed courtyard garden that balances functionality with ecological value and strong visual appeal in an inner-city environment. It’s also an award-winning garden, having won the Residential $50,001-$75,000 category in the 2025 In Landscape Queensland Construction Excellence Awards.
For more information
BROOKE’S BLOOMS
Phone (07) 3166 9037
enquiry@brookesblooms.com.au
