Landscaping in Scarborough means designing for a suburb that looks straight onto the Indian Ocean, about 14 km northwest of central Perth. Jobs here run from full backyard makeovers behind older houses to compact courtyards beside apartments, and the best plans start with shelter, plant toughness and how the space will be used.
Garden and backyard work near the coast
Backyard landscaping in Scarborough begins with the breeze coming off the water. A hardy hedge or screen on the windward side gives softer plants a chance, and native garden landscaping with coastal species usually copes better than thirsty exotics. Settle shade and shelter before choosing between lawn and paving.
Small garden help for Scarborough apartments
Only about a third of occupied Scarborough dwellings were separate houses at the 2021 Census, with flats or apartments making up roughly one in six. Small garden landscaping is therefore a common job here: a ground-floor patio or courtyard where pots, raised beds and compact paving matter more than lawn.
Front yard, verge and paving jobs
Front yards and verges in Scarborough cop the full afternoon sun and onshore wind, so a water-wise verge of mulch and hardy natives often outlasts turf. For paving and landscaping, a light-coloured paver stays cooler underfoot, and edged garden beds help keep mulch from blowing across the path.
Pool landscaping close to the beach
Pool landscaping in Scarborough has to handle splash, chlorine and coastal wind at once. Choose plants that tolerate all three, keep leaf-dropping species well back from the water, and place screening where it shelters the pool area without shading it through the cooler months.
Why Scarborough homes check with the City of Stirling
Scarborough falls within the City of Stirling, not the City of Perth, so Stirling is the council to ask about verge treatments, front fences, retaining or removing a tree. Checking early saves redrawing a plan after it has been priced, particularly for street-facing work.
Your next step for a Scarborough yard
Walk the yard on a breezy afternoon and note which corners catch the sea wind, where sand or leaves collect and which plants are thriving. Then pick the single area, whether front, back, pool surround or courtyard, that you want sorted first.
Local facts for Scarborough
- •Scarborough fronts the Indian Ocean, so gardens here face salt-laden wind; hardy coastal plants and sheltered seating spots generally last longer than delicate exotic species.
- •Sitting about 14 km northwest of the Perth CBD, Scarborough is governed by the City of Stirling, which means questions about verge planting or front yard changes go to Stirling rather than a central city council.
- •The Rendezvous Hotel tower, opened as Observation City in 1986, shows how built-up the Scarborough beachfront has become; on denser streets near the coast, landscaping often means getting the most from a small, wind-exposed outdoor area.