When deciding the direction for landscape design for commercial projects for Cairns and North Queensland, there are some challenging design issues which the landscape architect or landscape designer needs to consider. Cairns can be a town where many people like to follow trends in design and it is important when directing your client as to which style would be the best for their project that you think about how the scheme will look in time to come.
In the Tropics the rate of growth for plants can be unpredictable and on commercial projects it is sometimes unwise to experiment. Although the local councils such as Cairns Regional and Port Douglas Shire Councils are keen to promote the use of native plants within projects and this is promoted in the FNQROC and planning policies which all designers need to adhere to , they are also aware that landscape designers and gardeners within the region need the structured and reliable growth forms of old favourites such as the tough, ever-flowering Ixora and the in-again/out again foliage of the Croton.
We also have the problem with a limited population that plants that we would love to use have often been snapped up for other projects so to have these mainstays such as the Ixora and Croton usually mean that we can rely on the schemes that we draw being able to be easily constructed.
Combine these old favourites with a few local rainforest trees and good irrigation and maintenance and you have a scheme that will be more than acceptable for years to come.