Landscaping in Gembrook

Gembrook is at the end of the line. Puffing Billy has run all the way here again since 1998, and beyond the town it's farmland, forest and Kurth Kiln Regional Park. The area was settled for timber, dairy and orchards, and plenty of properties are still on acreage. Landscaping here is often less about a pretty courtyard and more about making a big, sloping property practical.

Puffing Billy steam locomotive 12A waiting at Gembrook station, the end of the Puffing Billy line in Gembrook

Photo: Philip Mallis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sandstone-look block steps with rock boulders and lawn at a new home entrance

Typical Gembrook jobs

  • Shed, carport and house-surround pads. Excavation, levelling, retaining and concrete slabs to create flat ground where you need it. More on retaining walls.
  • Driveway work. Retaining cut batters and adding drainage so long driveways don't scour out in winter.
  • Rock and boulder walls, which suit the rural setting.
  • A house garden that's easy to look after. Paving, gravel, turf and mulched beds close to the house, kept clearly separate from the paddock.
  • Steps and paths between the house, sheds and garden.

Keep the house garden compact

On a big property it's tempting to landscape everything. A compact, well-built garden around the house, with the rest left as paddock or bush, is easier to maintain and easier to keep safe in summer.

The weather is part of the design

Gembrook is a high-rainfall area with cold, wet winters and dry summers. Good drainage, sturdy materials and plants that cope with both extremes make a garden last.

The heritage red-roofed Gembrook railway station building and platform surrounded by tall trees in Gembrook

Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bushfire overlays

Much of the land around Gembrook has bushfire planning controls. If you're building a deck or structure, or replanting near the house, check your overlays with a free VicPlan report and see the CFA's "Landscaping for Bushfire" guide.

Browse our services, the Dandenong Ranges page and the gallery.

Nearby: Cockatoo, Mount Burnett and Pakenham Upper.

Alfresco paving, synthetic turf and timber planter boxes beside a covered patio

FAQ

Can you level ground for a shed on a sloping block? Yes. Cut-and-fill pads with retaining are a common acreage job.

Do you work on farms or only house gardens? We work on rural properties as well as house gardens: shed pads, slabs, drainage, retaining, and soil and green-waste removal.

Is Gembrook too far for a free quote? No. Gembrook is in our service area, and quotes are free.

Acreage job in Gembrook? We're often booked a month or two ahead, so it pays to get in touch early. Call 0466 211 273 or contact us.