Outdoor elegance
Turning outdoor spaces into visually-impressive and wonderfully-liveable places is what members of the Master Landscapers of South Australia (MLSA) do best. We meet four of their award-winning leaders to find out what it takes to design, construct and maintain a luxury garden.
Phil Dawes
The Great Outdawes Landscaping
An industry stalwart with more than 20 years’ experience, Phil launched his award-winning company, The Great Outdawes Landscaping, more than a decade ago.
For Phil, the secret to a truly captivating garden is thoughtful design.
“Good design is about understanding how a garden will serve its inhabitants, from the practical needs of young families to those seeking tranquil retreats,” Phil says.
“Design is the starting exercise, the moment you determine what the client really wants out of their yard.”
When creating a luxurious feel, Phil considers more than just the obvious. Pools, decks, stone walls, and fire pits can form striking focal points, but the real magic lies in cohesion and personal touch.
“Some people’s luxury is how it looks, but for most, it’s what the garden gives them in return through a deeper connection with the space.”
When it comes to construction, Phil is clear. “Building luxury items comes with experience and preparation. There’s a lot of things you’ve got to do right and thorough, footings, drainage, materials. Luxury isn’t just about looks, but lasting quality.”
A fine component of The Great Outdawes Landscaping portfolio is a recently finished residential project in Daw Park.
Looking to create a fun-filled outdoor space, the bespoke curved stone seating area and technically-challenging cantilevered hardwood bench was peer-recognised with the 2024 MLSA Individual Landscape Feature Award.
“Our clients were so rapt with this feature. I kept getting photos from them showing how they were using the space for months afterwards. It was great.”
Colin Giles
Adelaide Landscape Construction
Founded in 2019 by brothers Colin and Will Giles, Adelaide Landscape Construction began with two passionate landscapers.
“Six years later, our team and the scale of our projects have grown beyond what we could have imagined,” Colin says.
Colin believes every remarkable garden begins with a thoughtful design. “The design has to be practical,” he emphasises. “Whether it’s low-maintenance or lush and vibrant, it’s about adapting to the client’s wishes and giving them something that will be beautiful and useful for years to come.”
Construction is where ideas on paper become tangible reality, a process that demands creativity, problem-solving, and technical expertise. As for maintenance, Colin sees it as a sign of respect to the landscape you’ve created.
Luxury in a garden isn’t merely about opulence. “Luxury and relaxation go hand in hand. It’s about feeling at ease with your surroundings, where the mind can wander and dream.
“Mixed amongst the stunning pool, elegant stonework, mature trees, there needs to be spaces for both social gatherings and quiet contemplation.”
Colin notes that bringing wildlife into a garden is part of that luxury feel, as twittering birdsong and flitting butterflies add to the sense of escape.
One of Colin’s favourite projects is an Erindale property by WAX Design. The project included a stunning rooftop garden, tiered levels, and seamless integration with the natural setting, despite tricky access and a sloping block.
“The property backed onto a beautiful creek. It was about bringing the surrounding environment in, making it feel like a natural extension of the home,” he says. “When you look back from the creek, it’s just, wow!”
“The real satisfaction in constructing a masterpiece is the bond you develop with your clients, coupled with the working relationship and expertise of peers who are also passionate about excellence.”
Jamie McIlwain
Hills Classic Gardens
After launching his first landscaping business in Melbourne more than 30 years ago, Jamie McIlwain moved to South Australia and founded Hills Classic Gardens, where he has designed and built hundreds of exceptional and much-loved gardens.
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Today, the focus is on garden maintenance and consultations, supported by his teams of skilled horticulturists, dedicated to keeping clients’ spaces thriving.
Planning is key to creating an enjoyable and stunning garden. “It is so important to have a design you can work toward for functionality and looks,” Jamie says.
“The result from this is so much better than a yard which is simply left to evolve organically.
“Also, not all gardens are built in one go. Some people stage them for economic reasons, so if you’ve got a plan, you can construct that garden over time”.
Jamie is clear on how he defines a luxurious garden. “What elevates a space from beautiful to breathtaking is the thoughtful and harmonious blend of hardscape – think stone walls, steps and arbours, with the softscape, such as lush hedging, flowering borders, and well-placed trees.”
On the flip side, avoid cramming too many features or neglecting future maintenance needs. “There’s nothing more disheartening than returning to a garden that’s lost its way because the upkeep wasn’t considered,” says Jamie.
Over his vast landscape journey, Jamie says one client job stands out, an historic Hahndorf property, built in the early 1900s, with a recent substantial extension. Utilising material from the renovation, he and his team set about meticulously crafting sandstone walls from the recycled stone, retained significant trees, and installed a garden that transformed from formal to contemporary, sympathetic to the architecture as it wrapped around the house.
Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon Landscapes
A seasoned horticulturalist, Shane McMahon’s outdoor journey from Adelaide Zoo apprentice to running his own high-end garden maintenance business demonstrates his enduring passion for plants.
“We are so lucky to be invited into the properties once they’re finished,” Shane says. “Maintenance for us is a bit of everything. Each day is different, as is every garden, from pruning cloud trees to clipping hedges and topiaries hedges plus loads in between. We love it.”
Client time and ability are major factors to consider when designing and constructing a new garden.
Shane recommends reducing plant selection and keeping the style simple if owners are time-poor and looking to maintain the yard themselves.
“The outcomes are often disappointing if a garden is expected to do its own thing. If you have the budget to employ someone, the results will be great. However, a homeowner even just doing the basics of fertilizing regularly, mulching and installing an irrigation system will reap satisfying returns.”
Lush, healthy plantings, precise lines, and a seamless connection between house and landscape is how Shane defines luxury.
“Luxury comes through in gardens that are vibrant and well-maintained, where every detail is considered,” he says.
“Also, as topiaries are my ‘must have’ luxe plant, I think you need several of these placed around too.”
An important factor often overlooked in creating a stunning yard is lighting. Shane points out you do not need to put your garden to bed at night.
Avoiding the lit prison yard look, subtle lighting on key trees and objects provides an exceptional luminated aesthetic.
“Looking out the window on a warm light glowing through the garden, especially on a winter’s night, is so comforting.”
This article first appeared in the September 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.
