When landscape designer Leon Rogan saw the large block of overgrown wilderness his client wanted him to transform in the Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill, he said no – it was just too big to fathom.

But they arrived at a compromise – he would tackle the project in stages – and nine years later the area is a beautiful tropical oasis and is still evolving.

“My client is a little eccentric and extremely creative. We have a running joke that if it’s labelled ‘rare and unusual’ she wants it,” laughs Rogan.

“We catch up regularly to discuss how we can evolve the garden further to incorporate the numerous species and objects she finds.

“My philosophy for creating a garden is it has to reflect your personality and your needs. The owner of this garden works from home and she wanted a place she could escape to when she needed a break from work.

Originally my client never wanted to step foot in her garden, now she is there all the time.”

As well as being a relaxing retreat, the garden offers lots of elements to spark your inspiration. “Everywhere you look there is something to see: unusual plants and sculptures, water, colour. You go on a different journey every time you step into the garden,” Rogan says.

“My client is obsessed with rare-plant mail-order guides. I’m constantly telling her that certain species wouldn’t survive in our climate, but we have a lot of fun and experiment with different plants. Some work, some don’t – it’s constantly evolving.

“Some of the plants that work really well include Vireya rhododendron, a hardy plant that flowers beautifully in the right conditions. The wonderfully fragrant angel’s trumpet looks stunning, and unusual varieties of hydrangea such as oakleaf also thrive here.

The Dracaena draco (dragon’s blood tree) looks particularly stunning, as it has a blue light underneath that lights up its grey, succulent leaves.”

Leon Rogan owns landscape design company Garden Fetish, T: 0424 141 355.