Landscape construction specialist

All aspects of hard and soft landscape construction, blending natural materials with precise craftsmanship.

Stone walls and retaining walls, paving and steps, decks, pergolas and fencing, garden lighting, concreting and the full soft landscape. And when a garden calls for something no one has built before, that too.

Based in Ivanhoe · Building high-quality landscapes across Melbourne’s inner suburbs

Courtyard at dusk with a natural stone retaining wall, timber bench planters, a timber pergola and lit garden beds above

Wood Ox Landscapes

Specialty exterior installations and garden builds

Stone

All types of natural stone walling, retaining walls and feature walls. Natural stone paving for entertaining areas, pathways and pools. Steps, fireplaces, fire pits, letterboxes, custom inlays and pool coping.

Timber

Hardwood decks, pergolas, fences, gates and screening.

Custom timber installations such as cubby houses, benches and woodshed storage, etc.

III

Steel

Corten edging, tree rings, planters, screens, gates, balustrades and handrails.

Uplit tree trunk and lit buxus balls beside crazy paving at dusk

Lighting

Premium low-voltage lighting for garden beds, walls, steps, pathways, entertaining areas and driveways.

Clipped hedges framing an arched garden mirror above a fresh green lawn

Flora

All types of lawn installations, including instant turf and synthetic lawns. Garden bed planting, mulching and irrigation, plus tree and plant sourcing.

Eight-point sun in Black Beauty limestone set into grey limestone paving, beside a curved natural stone seat wall

Wide view of the same limestone courtyard with its curved stone edges and planting

Eaglemont

Black Beauty limestone sun, set in gorgeous grey limestone French pattern paving, surrounded by the deep, luscious tones of the natural stacked stone Wisto wall and feature bench.

Project portfolio

Swipe along each job, or select a photo to see it full size.

Moreland Road, Pascoe Vale South

Flagstone terrace with round stepping pavers, potted standards and a red maple above the street

Natural stone retaining wall, timber planter benches and garden lighting at night

Travertine courtyard with mosaic bands, stone-clad stairs and a stainless cable balustrade

Curved stone-clad stairs with stone treads rising from the travertine courtyard

Curved natural stone entry steps up to an Art Deco front door

Front garden terraces lit at night above a white brick wall and iron gate

Front steps rising between a white brick wall and natural stone walls to the house

Travertine courtyard under a timber pergola with planter benches and a stone wall

Flagstone terrace with stepping pavers overlooking the city skyline at dusk

Art Deco house with flagstone terraces, iron balustrades and a red maple

Flagstone terrace and stone walls stepping down to the street at golden hour

Lit entry stairs with iron balustrades up to the house at dusk

Front stairs, white brick walls and terraced planting at dusk

White brick front wall and iron fence below terraced planting and stone walls

Travertine courtyard under a lit pergola at night

Timber slat screen, planter benches and stone wall around the courtyard

Courtyard seen through the gate, with timber benches and a natural stone wall

Courtyard planter benches beside the stone-clad stairs

Flagstone terrace with iron balustrade at sunset over the suburbs

White brick front wall, garage and terraced garden above

Mansfield

Natural stone fireplace rising into the gable between two black doors, with a timber mantel

Natural stone fireplace in rust, gold and charcoal stone, peaking into the vaulted ceiling

Living room with a vaulted ceiling and a full-height natural stone fireplace

Full-height natural stone fireplace with a lit timber mantel above the firebox

Floor-to-gable natural stone fireplace with a timber mantel and LED strip

Close view of the stonework rising into the gable

Stonework above the timber mantel, framed by two doors

Side view of the natural stone fireplace in the vaulted room

Stone surround and firebox below the lit timber mantel

Angled view of the firebox and stonework

Brunswick Road, Brunswick West

Art Deco house above a natural stone front wall and terraced garden at sunset

Natural stone front wall and terraced planting lit up at night

Curving stone crazy paving path edged with a natural stone wall at sunset

Black stone steps, crazy paving and Corten edged beds below the stone wall

Black stone steps rising between natural stone walls

Turning black stone steps with hand-cut crazy paving filling the corner

Corten steel ring and curved beds in white gravel beside crazy paving

Natural stone front wall, iron gate and stone steps up to the Art Deco house

Iron gate opening onto lit black stone steps between stone walls

Black stone steps and natural stone walls seen from above

Black stone treads on white rendered steps beside a curved planter and crazy paving

Crazy paving side path and curved planter with step lights at night

White rendered steps and curved planter lit at night

Black stone steps, curved planter and crazy paving along the side of the house

Natural stone retaining wall in golden evening light

Uplit bamboo screen along the pool at night

Uplit bamboo and palm around a curved pool and spa at dusk

Uplit bamboo planter beside the pool at dusk

Pool paving and frameless glass with lit bamboo beyond

Crazy paving path winding through Corten edged gravel beds

Clifton Hill

Grey stone paving courtyard with a curved Corten bed, silver birches and arched brick windows

Multicoloured slate crazy paving path and steps lit at night

Curved Corten garden bed with silver birches and star jasmine on wires along a charcoal fence

Front garden lit at night beneath a spreading tree, with a picket fence

Courtyard seen through the rear gate, with arched windows, stone paving and a cedar shed

Slate crazy paving and Corten edged garden beds lit at night beside the picket fence

Stone paving sweeping past the Corten bed to the dining area under the arches

Slate steps with black bullnosed treads up to the hardwood verandah

Wet stone paving and the curved Corten edge in sunlight

Slate crazy paving path and steps seen from the verandah

Stone paving in front of the arched windows and rendered wall

Close view of the multicoloured slate crazy paving

Stone paving with a strip drain beside the Corten bed

Low view across the stone paving to the dining table and jasmine fence

Silver birches, Corten bed and the strip drain through the paving

Dining setting on stone paving beneath arched black windows

Bullnosed stone step up to the side door

Stone step and paving beside the cedar shed and staghorn ferns

Stone paving and strip drain beside the dining table

Close view of the stone paving by the step and planter

Holden Street, Fitzroy North

Lawn edged in Corten with travertine stepping stones through river pebbles, toward the hardwood deck

Rear garden lit at night, with uplit maple, lemon tree and fence-line trees

Charcoal slat front fence with brass letterbox, travertine path and wisteria beyond

Hardwood deck with wraparound steps around a maple, beside travertine paving

Sculptural stone bench on travertine paving between lavender and lilly pilly hedging

Lawn, slatted hardwood shed and the deck beyond

Close view of the hardwood deck steps with mitred nosings

Travertine paving to a yellow front door, with a strip drain and clipped planting

View from the deck across the travertine dining area to the lawn and stepping stones

Wide view of the oiled hardwood deck with its boxed fascia and tree surround

Travertine side path under wisteria beside a slatted screen

Deck, travertine dining terrace and lawn with the shed water feature

Charcoal timber front fence and gate with travertine paving and lavender beds

Concrete dining table on travertine, with the lawn and shed water feature behind

Hardwood deck and side steps over travertine paving

From the deck down to the dining terrace, lawn and fence-line planting

Close view of the oiled hardwood deck boards by the sliding doors

Travertine side terrace under a polycarbonate awning toward the garden

Lawn looking back to the deck, maple and house

Hardwood raised veggie beds on gravel beside a slatted bin enclosure

Eaglemont

Eight-point sun in black crazy paving set into grey stone paving, wrapped by a curved stone seat wall

Stone paved courtyard with fire pit circle, curved seat wall, Corten screen and timber fence

Courtyard dining terrace under an umbrella, with lit stone walls and garden at night

Hardwood batten fence stepping down the street over a natural stone plinth

Corten screen with circle cut-outs above a log store, with Corten edged garden and stone paving

Close view of the black crazy paving sun and the curved stacked stone seat wall

Dining terrace at night with uplit palms, lit garden and the Corten screen glowing

Hardwood fence over a stone plinth beside a natural stone letterbox pillar

Curved stacked stone seat wall and fire pit on black crazy paving in sunlight

Grey stone paving curving past a carved timber totem, low stone wall and lush planting

Long hardwood batten fence and stone plinth along the street

Dining terrace, uplit boulders and palms at dusk

Natural stone letterbox pillar with black letterbox and house number

Carved timber totem and log edging among lit planting at night

Close view of the hardwood batten fence over the natural stone plinth

Stone stepping path and timber bridge under lit palms at night

Front fence, gate and stone letterbox pillar with new planting

Close view of the stacked stone wall with a recessed light

Hardwood sliding driveway gate beside the fence

Stained timber double gates with heavy hinges and gate wheels

Rosanna

Crazy paving courtyard with a feature tree, lily planting and the dining pavilion

Crazy paving terrace, buxus balls and a raised lawn behind a white brick wall

Black timber slat screen and pavilion over the outdoor dining area

Crazy paving courtyard leading to the covered dining pavilion

Crazy paving courtyard around a feature tree, opening off the house

Front garden with a black timber fence, layered planting and buxus along the driveway

Black timber pergola over a hardwood daybed deck on the lawn

Crazy paving porch and steps edged with buxus balls

Front garden with a gum tree, white pebble, buxus and a crazy paving porch

Lit buxus balls and crazy paving at dusk, with the pergola beyond

Black pergola and lawn with garden lighting at dusk

Lawn with a black timber play frame, steel garden bed edging and planting

Pools

Luxury pools & surrounds

Natural stone paving, coping and decking around the pool.

Swimming pool edged with natural boulders and a spa waterfall

Pool projects

Uplit bamboo screen reflected in a swimming pool at dusk — Brunswick Road, Brunswick West

Timber cabana with curtains under a gum tree at sunset

Pool with pale stone coping, lawn and a timber deck beside a SWIM sign

Pool behind frameless glass with lawn and timber pergola posts

Dark pool with a hardwood deck, frameless glass and brick paving

Spa set among natural boulders above the pool

Pool with a slatted timber cover deck and a cabana beyond

Pool with entry steps and natural stone paving under timber posts

Freeform pool with stone paving, boulders and a waterfall

Dark pool with hardwood deck and glass fence behind a weatherboard house

Brick paving running up to the glass pool fence

Pool surrounded by stone paving with orange chairs

Pool with wide stone paving and a strip drain

Wide view of the pool, glass fence and paving under timber posts

Natural stone paving between timber posts beside the pool

Pool behind frameless glass with dark stone paving

Dark stone pool surround with frameless glass

Pool with stone paving, steps and loungers

Process

How a project runs

Site visit & introduction

Chris comes to visit you at your property. You’ll take a walk around together while he gathers your ideas, your imagination and your tastes.

Design & quote

A layout drawn up for your site, with material samples and ideas all talked through and shown visually, for you to decide on before receiving a detailed proposal.

III

Excavation & groundworks

Groundworks, trenching, levelling and drainage, with subground levels and base compaction done to professional standards, so the work stands for years.

Installations & build

Concreting, stone, timber, steel, lighting and planting, built and refined as the garden takes shape with the hard and soft landscaping.

Final detailing & handover

A perfectly clean and detailed site. Your luxury lighting is set to come on after dark, and care notes are left for every new installation and material. Your garden is handed over once you are completely satisfied.

About

Chris Martin

Wood Ox Landscapes is run and operated by Chris Martin, a stonemason and landscaping expert from the standing stones and rolling hills of Wiltshire, in old England. Known for his exquisite, unique and artistic outdoor creations that leave each client with their own sanctuary that feels shaped around their soul.

Chris grew up in Wiltshire, England, a short drive from Stonehenge and Avebury. He came to Australia in 2009 and spent his first two years in Perth, building high-end landscapes for some of the city's finest properties. He has been in Melbourne since 2012, where he built his future in Australia, spending seven and a half years as the specialist landscaper for a high-end company in Melbourne's northern suburbs, before building enough of a name to set off on his own path of creations.

Chris builds a unique understanding of each client, so he can shape and blend the natural colours and elements of their outdoor space into something that's unmistakably their own.

Wood Ox is Chris's sign in the Chinese zodiac. The ox stands for strength, patience and steady, honest work.

Long natural stone retaining wall in golden evening light below an Art Deco house

Services

The full list

Excavation

Site excavation, groundwork, trenching, site levelling and drainage.

Concreting

Footings, foundations, and slabs for pathways and entertaining areas.

Stone

Natural stone walls, retaining walls and feature walls. Natural stone paving, brick paving and random paving. Steps, entrances, pathways and stepping stones.

Timber

Hardwood decks, pergolas, fencing, gates and screening. Handrails and balustrades. Garden seating and outdoor furniture.

Steel

Corten edging, fixtures and custom installations. Fences, gates, balustrades, feature screens and garden features.

Garden

Veggie beds and planters. Steel, timber or masonry edging for garden beds. Mulching and soil restoration.

Planting

Trees, plants and shrubs, with expert placement and sourcing.

Lawns

All types of lawn installation, from synthetic to lush instant turf.

Irrigation & water features

Irrigation on digital timers for hanging gardens, planter pots, garden beds and lawns, so you never have to think about it. Water features sourced from local suppliers.

Lighting

All types of ambient and bright garden lighting for entertaining areas, driveways, paths, entries, steps, walls, under trees and around garden features.

Service areas

Based in Ivanhoe, building across Melbourne

Landscape construction across Melbourne's north, south, east and west.

North

Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe East, Eaglemont, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Macleod, Viewbank, Bulleen, Alphington, Fairfield, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Clifton Hill, Fitzroy North, Brunswick, Brunswick West, Pascoe Vale, Coburg, Eltham, Montmorency, Greensborough

East

Kew, Kew East, Balwyn, Balwyn North, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Mont Albert, Box Hill, Doncaster, Templestowe

South

Toorak, South Yarra, Malvern, Armadale, Prahran, Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Elwood, St Kilda

West

Essendon, Aberfeldie, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Strathmore, Williamstown, Yarraville, Seddon

Enquire

Enquiries

A few details and some photos of the space are all it takes. Chris will call to arrange a site visit.

Phone: 0414 801 319
Email: c.martinlandscaping@gmail.com