Water wasn't the first thing I designed for in Connecticut.
In Melbourne, it is.
In Connecticut, water was something you managed.
Rainfall was relatively reliable.
Irrigation supported performance.
Drainage was often the bigger concern.
In Melbourne, water shapes the entire approach.
Long dry periods.
Water restrictions.
Intense, short bursts of rain.
You're not just designing landscapes — you're designing how they handle water.
That changes everything:
- plant selection
- soil preparation
- grading and drainage
- how much risk you carry into summer
It forces a shift in mindset.
Water isn't a layer you add later. It's the framework everything sits within.
Not "How do I maintain this design?"
→ but "How does this landscape survive and perform over time?"
Water isn't a layer you add later.
It's the framework everything sits within.
And once you design with that lens, decisions become more deliberate — right down to species choice and section detail.
And it reinforces something I hadn't fully appreciated before:
Good landscape design isn't just about aesthetics or function.
It's about working with environmental limits — not against them.
And when those limits shift, what we recognise as "good design" starts to shift too.
For landscape architects and designers — how early does water factor into your design process?