Founded by Frances Hale, Peachy Green creates verdant, considered gardens that feel like living extensions of the home. Each space is designed to shape experience—offering softness, shade, seasonal change and moments of quiet refuge, while responding to architecture, site and daily life.
We speak with Frances Hale about the philosophy behind Peachy Green, her design process, and how climate-adaptive, multi-sensory planting and a naturalistic approach create gardens that feel immersive, enduring and deeply connected to those who inhabit them.
In partnership with Peachy Green
Every practice has a unique approach to landscape design. How would you describe your design philosophy, and what key principles guide the work you create?
Frances Hale: We design lush green sanctuaries that bring the wonder of plants close to everyday life. Gardens are living, breathing extensions of the architecture, and we prioritise materiality, using honest, tactile and enduring materials that sit quietly within the landscape. Our work is grounded in sustainability, climate responsiveness and longevity, creating gardens that age gracefully.
We believe that plants create emotional experiences—softness, shade, refuge, permeability, seasonality and quiet moments. Collaboration sits at the heart of our practice, and we work alongside architects, builders and skilled craftspeople to create cohesive, site-specific outcomes. Ultimately, we always design to celebrate the simple joy of plants.
What does your design process typically look like, from concept to completion?
Frances Hale: We begin with a site visit and client consultation, and walk the space to understand orientation, conditions, architecture and how the clients live day to day. Just as importantly, we look at how they want the space to feel.
From there, the concept design establishes the overall direction, exploring layout, flow, materiality and planting to define the character of the garden.
The detailed design phase then translates this into a buildable outcome, with drawings, levels, drainage, lighting, irrigation and planting schedules. At this stage, we refine materials and develop a planting palette that is both climate-appropriate and rich in texture and seasonal variation.
During construction, we work closely with contractors to ensure the design is realised as intended. The final layer is planting and styling; a hands-on process where composition and placement are carefully considered to bring the garden to life in a cohesive and immersive way.
Peachy Green founder and director Frances Hale | Portrait by Sarah Pannell
Each garden by Peachy Green tells a cohesive story, with planting, materials and light working in harmony. Xavier Hawthorn by Peachy Green | Photography by Sarah Pannell
8 Yard House by Studio Bright | Photography by Rory Gardiner
Australian landscapes are diverse and often challenging. How does your work respond to the local climate, ecology, and cultural context?
Frances Hale: We design with the evolving climate front and centre, considering heat, drought, frost and changing rainfall patterns. Plant selection emphasises resilience, biodiversity and ecological health, blending native and exotic species that perform beautifully in local conditions. Water-sensitive design, including irrigation, mulching, soil health improvement and encouraging deep-rooted, low-water species, is central to our approach.
Integrating shade, canopy, cooling and microclimate creation is essential to making outdoor spaces truly livable. We also respect the cultural and ecological narratives of each place, responding to landforms, local plant communities and the architectural story of the site. Robust, enduring materials such as brick, timber, stone and metal are chosen for longevity and their ability to weather gracefully in Australian conditions.
Looking ahead, what emerging movements or ideas in landscape architecture are they influencing your projects?
Frances Hale: There’s a clear shift towards climate-adaptive gardens; spaces that prioritise resilience, shade and water sensitivity, with planting suited to more extreme conditions.
We’re also seeing a growing interest in multi-sensory landscapes, where fragrance, texture and movement create a more immersive, emotional connection to the garden.
Biodiversity is becoming increasingly important, with planting designed to support pollinators and broader ecological health. At the same time, there’s a return to material honesty — natural, often locally sourced elements that will weather and develop character over time.
More broadly, gardens are being reimagined as everyday sanctuaries; spaces for grounding, connection and entertaining. We’re also collaborating earlier and more closely with architects, resulting in stronger indoor–outdoor relationships. Alongside this, there’s a growing interest in productive landscapes, with edible planting and small-scale regenerative practices becoming part of the suburban garden.
At the heart of Peachy Green is Frances Hale, who champions gardens as living, breathing extensions of everyday life. Goodwin by Peachy Green | Photography by Tom Ross
“We respect the cultural and ecological narratives of each place, responding to landforms, local plant communities and the architectural story of the site.”
— FRANCES HALE, PEACHY STUDIO FOUNDER
Each garden by Peachy Green tells a cohesive story, with planting, materials and light working in harmony. North Melbourne by Peachy Green | Photography by Sarah Pannell