Backyard and Outdoor Living Issue #52 2021

While I have a pretty big backyard now, I lived in various apartments for 12 years prior to this, so I am no stranger to having a small space to play with when it comes to the garden. So what did I do? Well, the last apartment I lived in actually had quite a decent-sized balcony with beautiful water views. We were able to fit a Weber on there and a tall table and chair set (which maximised the view). As for the garden, I had a lovely vertical herb garden on each adjoining wall and a massive collection of potted succulents and cacti. It was a lovely place to sit with a wine and cheese board on a Sunday arvo. Turn to our small gardens feature for more hints…

SEED TO DUST MARC HAMER HARVILL SECKER | $35 Keep the tissues handy because Seed to Dust is a life-affirming tear-jerker. Following a year in the life of professional gardener Marc Hamer and his relationship with the woman who has employed him to tend her 12-acre garden for the past 20 years, the pages are filled with gardening folklore and the story of Marc’s journey from homelessness to family contentment. It is a beautiful example of a life lived in harmony with nature. THE NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL GARDEN KATHRYN BRADLEY-HOLE RIZZOLI INTERNATIONAL | $120 Get on board the environmentally friendly gardening bandwagon with this sumptuously illustrated edition highlighting 25 gardens from around the world. Tackling issues like water conservation, avoiding invasives, reducing chemicals, supporting wildlife and reviving time-tested, organic practices, this is an invaluable resource for anyone looking…

01: UP THE WALL Green walls and indoor gardens breathe life into Hobart’s Moss Hotel, designed by Circa Morris-Nunn Chua Architects. The bespoke design solution is teeming with plants native to the Tasmanian rainforest, particularly ferns. While the walls look effortless, it is important to note that Tasmanian natives are not known for their ability to thrive indoors. Paul Bramich at LandSolutions Tasmania was engaged to design and install the system that would best suit the plants he selected for the conditions of the warehouse setting. The planters are rigged with a comprehensive custom irrigation system to ensure the growing medium maintains optimal moisture levels similar to a damp ferny gully or rainforest understorey. Propagated by Plants of Tasmania Nursery in Ridgeway, the flora is enchanting and made all the more…

CAMELLIAS During the coolest months, camellias put on a dazzling display of flowers. Available in a rainbow of different colours, they’re great plants for hedging or as a feature plant in a shady position. You might not realise that single camellias (camellias with open blooms and exposed stamens) are a wonderful source of nectar and pollen for birds. They’re particularly beneficial for birds as they flower during autumn and winter, when there are fewer sources of food available. Single camellia flowers are also bee magnets, so you’ll be providing them with valuable food as well. SALVIAS I have observed the most delightful spinebills hovering around our salvias, their long beaks probing into the flowers for nectar. Salvias are an essential part of perennial flower beds, providing gorgeous colour for many months. Whether you’re…

WORDS: KAREN BOOTH Garden spaces are getting smaller as more of us eschew big backyards in favour of maximising indoor living spaces. A smaller outdoor area can look spectacular and be pretty much anything you want it to be, but some skill and creativity are required. Smaller gardens can be harder to design because everything is immediately visible and there isn’t much room for error. Basically, every centimetre counts. A small backyard or courtyard can be a private, plant-filled getaway, an extension of your indoor living area, a place for entertaining, somewhere the kids can play or a combination of all the above. Generally speaking, the simpler the design and the more restrained the palette of colours, surfaces, textures and plants, the more soothing the effect. There are other tricks of the…

“Dwarf fruit trees take up much less space in the garden so if you have a limited area to grow trees, they will be the best option. Dwarf fruit trees also grow very well in pots or planter boxes as long as the containers are reasonable in size,” says Glenice Buck, landscape designer and founder of Glenice Buck Designs. “If your only outdoor area is a small courtyard/balcony/verandah or patio, then you can still grow fruit trees with these dwarf varieties. “Dwarf fruit trees can flourish in a container as long as it’s the correct size,” says Glenice. “Select the largest pot you can fit in your space and use a pot that is squat in shape. This means one that is as high as it is wide as the trees…