Table Of Contents
Property
We Heart Melbourne; Nagasaki Japan
Style
Conceptual Show Garden
Location
Garden World Cup, Nagasaki,
Japan
Year
2015
Design Notes

A compact balcony garden combining small backyard transformations with art-led design, creating a layered outdoor space within a highly constrained footprint.

We Heart Melbourne – Nagasaki Balcony Garden 2015

Built-in timber daybed with white cushions on compact balcony garden in Melbourne with vertical timber screening
Conceptual Show Garden
Published April 5, 2026
Special Thank you to:

Angus & Celeste (hanging planters)
Willie Weston (chair/stool/cushions)
Indigenous artist: Osmond Kantilla (textile artwork)
Artist: Katie McKinnon (artwork)
Gardening World Cup, Nagasaki (Event Host)

Property
We Heart Melbourne; Nagasaki Japan
Style
Conceptual Show Garden
Location
Garden World Cup, Nagasaki,
Japan
Year
2015
Design Notes

A compact balcony garden combining small backyard transformations with art-led design, creating a layered outdoor space within a highly constrained footprint.

Exhibited at the 2015 Gardening World Cup in Nagasaki, Japan, We Heart Melbourne explores how small backyard transformations and balcony spaces can still deliver rich, layered design outcomes. Created in response to the theme “My Country, My Home,” the project captures a snapshot of Melbourne’s creative culture within a highly constrained footprint.

The design maximises space through considered outdoor living space design, using level changes, integrated seating, and recycled hardwood timber to create depth and usability. Every element is carefully placed to ensure the balcony functions as both a practical living area and a visually engaging environment.

A key focus of the project is the integration of local art and design. Sculptural hanging planters, custom furniture, and textile elements bring together multiple creative disciplines, reinforcing a strong sense of place. This layered approach reflects modern garden aesthetics, where material, form, and cultural narrative work together to shape the experience.

Despite its scale, the project demonstrates the value of thoughtful garden design services, showing how even the smallest spaces can be transformed into meaningful, functional landscapes that connect people to both environment and culture.

By: Paal Grant
Paal Grant is a regional Victorian landscape designer specialising in intelligent, low-maintenance acreage gardens that integrate architecture, climate and long-term performance across complex rural sites.

Request your Landscape Design Consult

Free Initial Phone Consultation Available - Onsite Landscape Design Consultation $350.00 (Credited tpwards any landscape design package or custom service)