Backyard and Outdoor Living Issue #56 2022

Summer is well and truly here, so it’s time to entertain outdoors (even if it’s just the people in your house) and get out into the garden to really make the most of it. In Fave 5, Angie Thomas shares with us her five favourite summer salad ingredients that you can plant in your own backyard. Then in Best Of, we take a squiz at some truly impressive succulent and cacti spaces. Want to create a flourishing garden but don’t know where to start? In our seeds and planting feature, we give you the lowdown on creating the perfect edible and ornamental garden, from planting seeds to harvesting — including the products to buy to make it happen. Our outdoor entertaining feature covers everything you need to know to keep your guests…

THE ABUNDANT GARDEN Niva Kay and Yotam Kay, Allen & Unwin, $45 Embrace home gardening the natural way with this practical guide to growing a regenerative home garden. The Abundant Garden has simple, reliable strategies and techniques to help maximise your ability to feed yourself and share the abundance with those around you. W With information on growing a wide variety of vegetables, there are also helpful charts to help you plan and plant your garden year-round. There are also details on how to grow microgreens and great recipes for ferments, preserves and pickles to stock the pantry with your garden’s bounty. GARDENING FOR MINDFULNESS Holly Farrell, Mitchell Beazley, $29.99 A practical, inspirational guide to improving mental wellbeing through gardening, this book is now available in a gift-friendly format. Projects for the mindful gardener, including…

PUMP IT! Grundfos SCALA1 brings intuitive water boosting to Australian homes through intelligent pump control. The all-in-one booster solution was designed to achieve convenience and customised control over your home water system, right from your smartphone. Ideal for garden irrigation or pressure boosting in one- and two-family houses and apartments, SCALA1 is an all-in-one unit, integrating pump, motor, diaphragm tank, pressure and flow sensor, dry-running protection, controller and non-return valve. Talk about an all-rounder! grundfos.com/au #MEETTHECHICKFLUENCERS Backyard chickens took the world by storm in 2020. And with many Aussies spending more time at home due to the pandemic, owning their very own flock seemed like the perfect solution to cure the lockdown blues. Naturally, as the demand for fluffy companions grew, so did the Instagrams. The world of chicken Instagrammers is a thriving…

1. LETTUCE Recently the humble lettuce has really shown how versatile it can be. From the leafy basis of mixed salads to braised and sautéed dishes, and large leaves making a fantastic low-carb alternative to wraps and taco shells, lettuce should be a kitchen staple. The easiest and fastest lettuces to grow at home are the “cut and come again” loose-leaf varieties, where you can pick individual leaves as you need them over many weeks. And they’re available in an appetising range of leaf colours and textures, helping to make your salad deliciously vibrant. Look for mixed seed varieties like Yates Lettuce ‘Baby Combo’, which includes a blend of sweet and tender baby leaf lettuces in an attractive range of greens and reds. 2. ROCKET If you’re looking for a salad flavour punch,…

INDOOR/OUTDOOR LIVING More often than not, the best covered outdoor rooms are those you can access directly from the home. Case in point: this modern space that spills out from the interior open-plan living room. Essentially a covered deck, this set-up has it all, including dining and lounging zones, as well as a charming built-in bench running along the side wall. Photo courtesy of Bunnings Warehouse. bunnings.com.au NATURAL BEAUTY Blessed with an adorable arched window, recessed ceiling details and a natural material palette of stone, timber and rattan, this covered outdoor room is earthy and inviting. Black accents break up the neutral scheme and add a sense of drama. Of particular note are the linear lanterns by Chapman & Myers for Visual Comfort and available from The Montauk Lighting Co. montauklightingco.com BIFOLDING BEAUTY Devoid of…

01. WELCOME TO CACTUS COUNTRY No self-respecting list of the best cactus and succulent gardens could call itself complete without the inclusion of Cactus Country. Bursting with thousands of succulents and cacti, the 12-acre desert oasis, three hours from Melbourne deep in the Victorian Murray bushland, has never been more popular thanks to social media and its undeniably photogenic, “Insta-worthy” backdrops filled with weird and wacky plants as far as the eye can see. An elevated lookout dome is the perfect spot to enjoy a margarita or Mexican beer (or a homemade cactus ice cream for the kids) as you take in the 1000+ plant varieties that make Cactus Country their home. cactuscountry.com.au 02. FABULOUS FRONT GARDEN A delicate blend of soft and structural plants provides a striking backdrop to the clean lines…