Designer Dirt: Landscape Supplies and Garden Art in Albany WA
We are a small family business at Ardess Estate, 2a/230 Chester Pass Road, and we have been here since 2012. Half of what we do is landscape supplies in Albany, sold out of the yard by the trailer load. The other half is a shop full of garden art, fire pits, gifts, pottery and plants, a good deal of it made by us or by other people from around here. Ian and Jane run it. We are open seven days, and there are courtesy trailers out the front you can borrow for nothing.
Ian and Jane, and how a yard turned into a gallery
We came to this from farming, fertiliser and transport, after years with Summit Fertilisers, Elders, TAFE and Bayer. Ian looks after the yard and the deliveries, and in between fabricates metal sculptures out of scrap steel. If you have driven past the life-sized steer at Butterfield Beef in Amelup, or the big flower sculptures at Handasyde’s Strawberries, you have seen his work already. He also teaches welding.
Jane chooses what goes on the shelves, designs the garden stakes, makes fine art out of recycled material and organises the workshops. She came from graphic design. Between the two of us the place ended up being a landscape supply yard and an art gallery at the same time, which was not entirely the plan but has worked out.
We put real effort into stocking work by local artists rather than filling the shop with imported product.
What is in the yard
Our landscape supplies
- Stone and gravel: blue metal 14mm, cracked pea gravel 12mm, coastal stone in coarse and fine, ungraded river stone, glacial chip and landscaping stone.
- Sands and dusts: coarse river sand, metal dust and cracker dust, plus limestone.
- Soils and mulch: garden mix, compost, potting mix and a native mix mulch.
- Steel and structures: corten rings, gabion cages, raised garden beds, and bush furniture and garden structures.
If you are not sure how much of something you need, use the bulk calculator guide on our website, or read through Tips of the Trade. Failing that, ring Ian on 0437 423 344 and describe the area. It is a conversation we have most days.
Garden art, gifts and workshops
The shop side carries garden art of all sizes, from small bird stakes such as the fairy wren up through magpie stakes and grevillea wind spinners. We also stock fire pits, pottery, plants, home decor and gifts, and we do gift certificates. If you are sending something as a present, type your message into the box on the cart page and we will hand-write it on the card.
Jane runs workshops through the year covering welding, metallic paints and cyanotype printing. There is also a custom gallery on the site showing work we have made to order, going back to 2013, which is the best starting point if you have an idea for a one-off piece.
Delivery, trailers and getting here
Deliveries run Monday to Friday, with a flat fee inside a 10km radius. Beyond that we deliver to Mount Barker, Denmark and across the wider Great Southern. Smaller items go by Australia Post, and for a sculpture too big for a trailer we will arrange a carrier. If you would rather cart it yourself, click and collect from Chester Pass Road, and borrow one of the courtesy trailers free of charge.
The yard is open 9am to 5pm on weekdays, 9am to 4pm on Saturday and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. Call Ian on 0437 423 344 for landscape supplies and the big steel work, or Jane on 0427 448 481 for anything in the shop. Email [email protected], or come and have a wander around the yard. We take Visa, Mastercard and PayPal online, and cash, American Express or direct deposit in store.