Landscaping & Garden Design in Lane Cove
Lane Cove is a leafy bushland suburb where blocks slope down toward the Lane Cove River. We specialise in native bush gardens, tiered terracing and retaining walls, and bushfire-aware planting for Lane Cove's heritage and Federation homes — landscapes that work with the gradient and sit naturally in the bush. $20M insured, 10+ years experience.
Native Garden Experts
Bush-style design
$20M Public Liability
Fully insured
Licensed & Qualified
Landscaping & Horticulture
100% In-House Teams
Never subcontractors
Landscaping Lane Cove — Bush Gardens & Sloping Blocks
Lane Cove is one of the North Shore's most distinctly leafy suburbs, with streets of heritage cottages and Federation homes set among bushland that tumbles down toward the Lane Cove River. The blocks here have real character — and real challenges. Many fall steeply, back onto bush reserves, and carry mature trees and sandy-clay soils that ask for a thoughtful, site-specific approach rather than an off-the-shelf garden.
We design for exactly those conditions: tiered sandstone and block retaining to create level garden rooms, stepped access through the slope, drainage that handles river-side runoff, and native, bush-style planting that thrives in dry shade. We also know Lane Cove Council's tree-protection and foreshore controls, and factor bushfire requirements in where blocks adjoin the bush. The result is a landscape that feels like it belongs.
Lane Cove & Surrounding Suburbs
We provide landscaping throughout Lane Cove and its leafy, riverside neighbours.
📍 Lane Cove
2066Native and bush garden landscaping for Lane Cove's leafy, sloping blocks running down toward the Lane Cove River, from heritage cottages to Federation homes.
📍 Greenwich
2065Terracing and retaining for Greenwich's steep waterfront and bushland blocks on the peninsula south of Lane Cove.
📍 Riverview
2066Bush-aware garden design for Riverview's wooded riverfront streets, where natives and screening sit beside the Lane Cove River.
📍 Longueville
2066Sloping-block landscaping and stone terracing for Longueville's prized harbourside and river-view homes.
📍 Northwood
2066Garden construction and retaining for Northwood's elevated, bushland-fringed blocks on the point east of Lane Cove.
📍 Artarmon
2064Compact rear gardens, paving and screening for Artarmon's interwar homes, just north-west of Lane Cove.
Serving Lane Cove & Surrounds
Landscaping in Lane Cove — FAQs
Lane Cove landscaping is heavily influenced by the suburb's sloping bushland blocks. Garden renovations and native planting schemes typically start around $9,000, while sloping sites that need terracing, stone retaining walls and stair access commonly run from $30,000 to $130,000+. The steeper the block and the more structural the retaining, the more the budget shifts toward earthworks and walls. We provide free, detailed quotes after walking the site.
Lane Cove falls under Lane Cove Council, which has strong tree-protection controls, requirements for retaining walls over 600mm, and additional rules where blocks adjoin bushland reserves or the Lane Cove River foreshore. Tree removal almost always needs a permit given the suburb's leafy canopy. We check Lane Cove's LEP, DCP and tree controls early and handle any DA or permit work needed to keep your project compliant.
Lane Cove's blocks often fall steeply toward the river, so the answer is usually terracing — tiered retaining walls in sandstone or rendered block that turn an unusable slope into level garden rooms, paths and entertaining areas. We pair structural terracing with stepped access, drainage to manage runoff, and planting that suits the shaded, root-filled bush conditions. The result is a garden that works with the gradient rather than fighting it.
Yes — native and bush-style gardens are a natural fit for Lane Cove and blend with the suburb's wooded character and adjoining reserves. We design with local and native species such as lomandra, grevillea, banksia, ferns and tubestock natives that tolerate the dry shade and sandy-clay soils, plus mulch and habitat planting that supports local wildlife. These gardens are low-water, low-maintenance and very much in keeping with the area.
Where Lane Cove blocks back onto bushland reserves or the river corridor, bushfire considerations matter. We plan asset protection zones, choose lower-flammability and well-spaced planting, keep ground fuel down, and use non-combustible materials like stone, gravel and rendered walls close to the home. If your block is mapped as bushfire-prone we factor the relevant planning requirements into the design.
Yes. Lane Cove's leafy, shaded blocks generate plenty of leaf litter and steady native growth, so many clients move onto our garden maintenance program once construction is done — keeping terraces, native beds and screening healthy and tidy. Visit our Lane Cove garden maintenance page for details on regular visits and care plans.
Trusted by Lane Cove Homeowners
See what our Lane Cove clients say about our landscaping services.
Elena Stepanova
Local Guide“David and his team did a fantastic job tidying up our garden and pressure washing the pavers. They were efficient, professional, and left everything looking fresh and well-maintained. Communication was easy, and they took great care with the details. Highly recommend their services!”
Lorna Strickland
“I value that Ethereal Gardens can do the full range of maintenance services including mowing, edging, hedge clipping, weeding, etc as well as broader landscape services (which I hope to use in the future). They do a great job and the garden looks lovely.”
Jacqueline Bailey
“Ethan & his team have been outstanding! Great lawn mowing & gardening. Also hose down & keep clean!”
Let's Create Something Ethereal
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