Backyard and Outdoor Living Issue #18.1 2020

The incredibly unusual circumstances we’ve all been experiencing have seen many of us spending far more time in our own homes and gardens than we ever have before. No doubt our backyards have felt the benefit of all this undivided attention, and it’s great to know people have been strengthening their connections with the natural way of things and embracing a new passion for gardening as a hobby. Coinciding with a huge growth in the popularity of indoor plants, being stuck inside has also led many of us to examine our interiors and yearn for more nature and greenery indoors. What better time, then, to examine this growing trend of bringing the outside in? This issue, we’re focusing on this green interiors explosion with two inspirational Aussies — Rachel Smiles and…

FORM MEETS FUNCTION, FLAWLESSLY In the brutal Australian climate, some provision of shade is imperative, particularly during the summer months. But positioning a parasol in your garden, while a nice, flexible option, often leaves a cumbersome obstacle right in the way. Fear not, Kettal has been onto it, and come up with these genius design alternatives, incorporating a sunshade into such handy pieces as tables, planters or daybeds. Function and form have been given equal recognition in this update of the Meteo collection, a previous collaboration between Kettal and Berlin-based designer Konstantin Grcic. That such a gorgeous addition to your backyard could have such multi-tasking qualities will make anyone with a penchant for the practical smile, and the huge range of colour and material options available ensure you can select a…

UP THE WALL Indoor vertical garden systems are in plentiful supply and range from kit-form frames to which you attach individual pots to geotextile pockets that you fix directly to a wall. Wally Gro’s modular, felt-like wall planters are a great example of the latter. Ticking the sustainable box (they’re made from recycled plastic water bottles), Woolly Pocket planters can be used indoors or out and are available as a single pocket (Wally One), a three-pocket planter (Wally Three) and a five-pocket version (Wally Five). Soft-sided and breathable, each pocket has a built-in reservoir and is attached (using the supplied fasteners and anchors) to the solid, stable, sun-bathed wall of your choice. To keep the wall dry, each pocket has a “military grade” water barrier. Of course not all plants will…

HOUSE PLANTS: HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR INDOOR PLANTS ISABELLE PALMER CICO BOOKS | $39.99 British “Balcony Gardener” Isabelle Palmer has kindly offered her services — usually reserved for garden design and small, urban outdoor spaces — to those keen to green-up the interiors of their homes. Inside, more than 60 ideas for displays and designs are offered, as well as tips on tools and techniques. Sadly, the resources section at the back covers the UK and US only, but within the main bulk of the book, everything on the subject of indoor foliage — from drying and pressing flowers to making your own hanging bottle planters, plus the notoriously difficult orchid — is covered in well laid-out segments with beautiful imagery. We particularly enjoyed the section on moss framing — the perfect…

HOME AMONG THE GUM TREES A garden only full of natives with a waterwise focus was important to this relaxed property in Woolooware, which didn’t have irrigation. Many existing materials found onsite after an extensive home renovation were repurposed into the garden to reduce waste and costs. Large sandstone boulders create a functional retaining wall and ground the whole garden so plants can spill over. Decomposed gravel pathways wind through soft plantings of native grasses and groundcovers, leading up to a hidden firepit area. The neighbour’s large gum tree finishes off the picture and provides much welcome afternoon shade. figlandscapes.com.au RISING ROOFTOPS Terrace houses in the city don’t always have much space for gardens. This inner-Melbourne home was a labour of love and the reward was incredible views to the city, nature visible…

Melbourne-based plant guru, interior designer and architect Jason Chongue is the co-founder of The Plant Society. His passion for gardening, which began in childhood, resulted in a collection of rare, unusual plants from international and local growers. His expertise in all things indoor and outdoor plants has resulted in the growth of his business (currently four stores in Australia), book deals and media commentary. He spoke to Backyard about his passion, and took us on a tour of his own garden and foliage-filled home Jason’s well-documented indoor oasis is populated with more than 400 plants. “It’s a sprawling garden outside as well,” he says of his Abbotsford, NSW, home. “I spend an hour a day out in the garden, including tending to the indoor plants.” While he admits he doesn’t have to…