This award-winning garden from Exotic Living showcases the best elements of tropical plantings and refined hardscaping with a considered, elegant design.
There’s something luxurious about tropical plants – the glossy greens and lush foliage create a resort-like atmosphere – that makes them a popular design feature for homeowners looking to find a relaxing, holiday vibe for their backyard.
With high-quality features and fittings, this garden from Exotic Living (exotic-living.com.au) has been suitably awarded, winning Gold and Best in Category and Landscaper of the Year (Residential Construction) for projects between $100,000 and $200,000 in The Landscape Association’s 2025 Landscape Excellence Awards.
The brief
The owners of the garden were clear in their brief to their chosen landscaper, Exotic Living, asking for a garden with an entertaining area, spa, sauna, and firepit.
“Relaxed, tropical, and inviting” were key words, envisaging a setting where they could relax in their new spa, surrounded by lush tropical foliage.
Originally an underutilised and uninviting backyard, Exotic Living was tasked with creating a luxurious, resort-style hideaway centred around a white, polished-concrete spa. The homeowners wanted to feel like they were on holiday at home, surrounded by greenery, warmth, and a sense of relaxation at every turn.
The clients favoured light, neutral-toned materials, such as whites and creams, complemented by dense, vibrant green foliage. The garden needed to be functional and low maintenance, while also screening unsightly elements such as the carport, which was clearly visible from the main living space.
Practical challenges shaped the brief. Drainage was a concern, with water pooling near the rear of the home. The entry from the loungeroom, via wide sliding doors, was obstructed by a brick retaining wall one metre away, limiting access and making the space feel closed off. Privacy was also an issue, with neighbouring homes overlooking from a higher elevation.
Scope of work
The resulting design required thoughtful spatial planning, clever screening solutions, and a refined material palette to deliver both impact and intimacy within the client’s investment range.
The full scope of design and construction included:
• Planning and garden layout development;
• demolition and reshaping of the existing retaining wall and garden bed;
• new blockwork walls to define zones and manage soft level transitions;
• stone cladding to vertical surfaces for added tone and texture;
• burnished concrete steps and a platform beneath the spa, detailed with shadow lines for refinement;
• paving to the carport for a clean and functional finish;
• tiled entertaining area adjacent to the house;
• a hardwood timber batten screen and custom sliding gate to shield views into the carport; and
• the placement of stepping pads to soften transitions and avoid the dominance of hard pathways.
Other work included installing the new spa, including concrete foundation, crane lift, and coordination with a pool plumber for filter and pipework, adding an outdoor shower, fixing the drainage to address water-pooling issues, and integration of low-maintenance tropical planting throughout.
Exotic Living also designed external lighting and completed the installation for subtle night-time ambience.
Challenges
Excellent access was one of the project’s advantages, with a rear laneway allowing direct machinery entry. This made craning in the spa straightforward and supported efficient handling of materials. The carport also proved useful, functioning as a sheltered storage zone for tools and supplies during the build.
A key challenge was the tight space near the house, where the original retaining wall had created an awkward division. By removing it and reworking the levels, Exotic Living reclaimed usable space, introduced fluid circulation, and improved visual connections between zones.
Plantings
A variety of tropical plants were used in the garden, including Philodendron xanadu, Plumeria (Frangipani), Dypsis lutescens (Golden Cane Palm), and Heliconia (Lobster Claws). The Golden Cane Palm was used for screening, while ground covers included Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (creeping rosemary) and Pratia (white star creeper).
A spectacular Magnolia grandiflora ‘Teddy Bear’ was included as a feature tree, while a lemon tree was planted at the request of the client.
The result
Intended as the centrepiece of the garden, the spa was positioned to be visible from all main garden areas while still feeling integrated. Burnished concrete and timber detailing provide contrast and warmth, while the stepping pads guide movement in a relaxed, natural rhythm. All design and construction were completed by the same contractor to ensure cohesion, efficiency, and quality control throughout the process.
Cladding was installed across all newly built retaining walls, including the curved spa wall and those beneath the carport. A consistent material palette tied all the elements together visually, reinforcing the design’s coherence. The retaining walls were clad in ‘Callcario’ natural stone from Artisan Exterior, a cool-toned material selected for its modern elegance and alignment with the home’s architecture.
Given the spa’s large scale, design consideration was given to visually embedding it within the garden. The curved retaining wall and elevated planter were used to achieve this. Dense tropical planting enveloped the spa, softening its presence and ensuring it felt integrated rather than imposed.
The project was also completed on budget.
the spa and the house. Image” Exotic Living/The Landscape Association
About the awards
The 2025 Landscape Excellence Awards dinner, sponsored by Glazed Co, took place on November 7, 2025, with industry celebrating and showcasing outstanding levels of complexity, quality of workmanship, management prowess, innovation, and creativity to the wider landscape community.
The awards provide members of The Landscape Association and their staff with recognition for excellence in landscaping projects. For all the 2025 winners, visit landscapeassociation.com.au or TLA’s social-media accounts.