When planning a backyard makeover, most people think about what to add. What often gets overlooked is what's already there, in particular, the trees that have been growing quietly in the yard for years, sometimes decades.
Timber decking, fresh turf and layered garden beds built around two established trees, West Footscray
We recently completed a full backyard transformation in West Footscray, and it is a great example of why keeping mature trees in the plan, rather than removing them, is usually the smarter move.
The West Footscray Project
This backyard needed a complete refresh. The brief was simple: bring together functionality, warmth and plenty of green space, all while working around two established trees that gave the garden its character.
Fresh timber decking
Extending the living space directly outdoors from the home.
A new lawn area
Room for kids, pets or simply sitting in the sun.
Layered garden beds
Mixing low grasses, shrubs and groundcover for depth and texture.
Deep mulched beds around the trunks
Giving the existing tree roots room to breathe and creating a considered, natural look.
Instead of clearing the block and starting from scratch, the design worked the new hardscaping and softscaping around the trees. The deck steps down and curves near the trunk. The garden bed wraps around the base rather than crowding it. The lawn stops where the tree's root zone begins. Every element was planned with the tree in mind, not despite it.
Why Keep Existing Trees in a Garden Redesign?
It is tempting to think of an old tree as an obstacle. It casts shade where you might want lawn, its roots can complicate paving, and its canopy drops leaves onto a new deck. But mature trees bring real advantages when a design is built around them rather than against them.
They give a new garden instant maturity
A newly planted garden can look sparse for the first year or two while everything establishes. A mature tree already has height, shape and presence. It makes a brand new space feel settled from day one, rather than like a construction site that has just had turf rolled out.
They add real environmental value
Established trees provide shade that can cool a backyard by several degrees in summer, cut down on glare, and support local birds and insects. Removing a tree that has taken 15 or 20 years to grow means losing all of that in an afternoon, and it can take just as long to replace.
They shape the whole design around something meaningful
A twisting trunk or a broad canopy gives a landscape designer something to build a story around. In the West Footscray project, the tree became the focal point of the garden bed, with layered planting arranged to draw the eye up toward the branches rather than competing with them.
They can add real value to a property
Buyers and renters consistently respond well to established greenery. A backyard with a mature tree, decking and a proper garden bed reads as a finished, cared-for outdoor space, which matters if you are renovating with resale or rental appeal in mind.
How to Design a Backyard Around Existing Trees
If you are planning a similar renovation and want to keep your trees rather than remove them, here is how a project like this usually comes together.
Start with a proper assessment
Before any decking or paving goes down, it is worth understanding the tree's root spread, canopy size and general health. This affects where structures can safely sit and how much digging is realistic near the trunk.
Build decking with clearance in mind
Timber decking can be designed to sit close to a trunk without damaging the root system, using elevated framing rather than a solid slab poured over the roots.
Use garden beds to soften the transition
Rather than lawn running right up to the base of a tree, a mulched garden bed with layered planting gives the roots room to breathe and creates a much more natural, considered look.
Choose plants that will cope with shade and root competition
Grasses, hardy shrubs and groundcovers tend to do well planted beneath an established tree, since they are not competing as hard for water and light as a full-sun garden bed would.
Think long term
Trees keep growing. A design that gives a trunk and canopy room now will still make sense in five or ten years, rather than needing to be reworked as branches spread further.
A Garden That Gets Better With Time
What we like most about projects like this West Footscray backyard is that they are not finished the day the last plant goes in. The new lawn will fill in and thicken. The garden bed planting will grow and spread. And the existing tree, now framed by fresh decking and thoughtful planting, will keep doing what it has been doing for years, quietly anchoring the space.
If you have got a backyard with an established tree you are not sure what to do with, it is worth talking to a landscape designer before you consider removing it. More often than not, that tree is the best asset your garden has.
2 trees
Kept in place and made the focal point
Full build
Decking, turf, garden beds and planting
Better with age
The garden keeps improving as planting fills in
Full Landscape Builds Across Melbourne's Inner West
PJR Landscaping & Design handles full backyard transformations across Melbourne's inner west and bayside suburbs, including Footscray, Yarraville, Williamstown, Newport, Kingsville and Altona. Whether the project involves working around mature trees, a flat blank block, or anything in between, we handle decking, turf, planting, garden bed edging and paving in-house with one team.
Areas We Service
Footscray · Yarraville · Williamstown · Newport · Kingsville · Altona · Seddon · Spotswood · Hobsons Bay + more
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I remove old trees before renovating my backyard?
In most cases, no. Mature trees add immediate height, presence and maturity to a redesigned garden that new planting simply cannot replicate for years. They also provide shade and environmental value that takes decades to replace. A good landscape designer will work the new hardscaping and softscaping around the tree rather than treating it as an obstacle to remove.
How do you build decking around existing trees?
Timber decking can be designed to sit close to an existing trunk without damaging the root system by using elevated framing rather than a solid concrete slab over the roots. The deck is planned around the root spread so footings are positioned to avoid the main root zone, and clearance is left around the trunk to allow for future growth.
What plants work well under established trees?
Grasses, hardy shrubs and groundcovers tend to perform best beneath established trees because they handle the combination of shade and root competition better than full-sun species. A deep mulched garden bed at the base of the tree also helps retain moisture, moderate soil temperature and protect the root system while giving the planting a clean, natural look.
Do you do backyard renovations in West Footscray and the surrounding suburbs?
Yes. PJR Landscaping & Design is based in Newport and works across West Footscray, Footscray, Yarraville, Kingsville, Altona, Williamstown and the broader inner west and bayside corridor. The West Footscray project featured in this post is a recent example of the full backyard transformation work we carry out across the area.
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Planning a Backyard Renovation in Melbourne's Inner West?
Whether you have established trees to work around or a blank slate to start from, PJR can design and build the whole project in-house. Get in touch to talk through your backyard.
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