Table of contents for Issue #17.2 2019 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

Magic Meadow, Lovely Banks: it all sounds a bit Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm but there’s no trace of Shirley Temple in Deb Parsons’ busy five-acre (two-hectare) market garden in the northwest Geelong suburb of Lovely Banks. Once mainly farmland, Lovely Banks is fast becoming a residential area thanks to its handy position close to the Princes Highway and overlooking Geelong. But the Parsons’ farm, Magic Meadow, run along organic and sustainable lines, has little to do with the encroaching suburbanisation. Besides managing the property and its vegetable gardens, Deb mentors the would-be farmers among her neighbours in growing their own produce, runs bread-making workshops — traditional wood-fired sourdough, to be exact — and makes her own gourmet feta and preserves. She also harvests honey from her own beehives (her bees…

Much has transpired in Australia since the early 1900s. The way we approach the design and construction of our homes and gardens remains one of the key milestones to show that the times have changed and that they are, today still, a-changin’. Through the decades, the grand residences and miners’ cottages of the early 20th century gave way to more practical but arguably less charming new builds and prefabs. If you’re one of the lucky few to own a heritage property these days, you’re right to treat updates and modernisations with care. It was with this ethos that Outdoor Escape Landscaping approached its latest project: the redesign and reconstruction of a heritage property’s dated, impractical garden in Sydney’s Cremorne Point. Working alongside Costata Landscape Design, Outdoor Escape Landscaping needed to…

When we think of a modern Australian backyard, we usually imagine a green space with an expansive, lush grassed area and a varied planting palette. When designing this small Subiaco garden, however, Tim Davies Landscaping chose to keep things clean, sleek and simple for the homeowners. By borrowing the sophisticated architectural style from the property, the Tim Davies Landscaping team created an inviting space that wasn’t only an eye-pleasing backdrop, it also didn’t encroach on the valuable usable space. With only the existing deck and pool to work with, the garden needed standout features to lift the space, and this was achieved with the exquisitely detailed, prefinished Equitone-clad wall. “The wall extends the length of the space, creating a rational, clean horizontal line that mirrors the crisp architecture of the…

The value of outdoor play and time spent connecting with nature should never be underestimated. Young children and toddlers learn physical skills and develop the senses by touch, taste, experimentation, climbing and observing. A garden that provides spaces for play, both physical and imaginative, is ideal. Of course the goal is to design gardens that look good and meet the needs of adults while being child-friendly. “During the initial design process, we discuss at length the family structure, what each needs and their common interests,” says landscaper Nick McCarthy of Urban Escape. “And we look at the site and any issues it may pose. For example, with small kids you want to minimise level changes, making them gradual, and maximise the amount of flat usable area. “The next step is…

You can grow plants from seed or cuttings, but if you don’t have the time, patience or confidence for that, you can pop along to the garden centre and buy seedlings or more mature plants. However, before you get to the actual planting part, you need to assess the different growing conditions in your garden and take the climate and soil conditions into account. This is pretty much a matter of common sense. If cold is likely to be a problem, avoid plants that are frost-tender. If you really want to try a plant, give it the best chance you can by placing it in your warmest spot, perhaps against a north-facing wall, or perhaps try it in a pot in a sheltered spot. Conversely, if you live in a…

Now we’ve kissed summer goodbye for another year, there’s no time like the present to start planning your heating so you can enjoy the outdoors year-round. Infratech specialises in infrared electric heating for indoor-outdoor spaces, and there are plenty of attributes that make these heaters stand out from the crowd. Made in the USA, Infratech heaters are weather-proof, ecofriendly, efficient, versatile and they create a wonderful ambience. You could say it’s where comfort and style meet. Infratech has been a pioneer in infrared technology for more than 50 years, with the company offering a wide range of products for the domestic and commercial heating market. Infratech uses the latest in manufacturing technologies to offer the most efficient infrared systems for the lowest cost in the industry. From heating a backyard…

Nuview Window & Door Installations specialises in all types of windows and doors for both domestic and commercial applications. It’s a one-stop shop providing the full service, from manufacturing to supply and installation. The company offers an extensive product range that comprises both aluminium and timber construction. The windows and doors used by Nuview are custom-made to suit individual requirements, be that a specific-coloured frame, type of glass, acoustic design for sound reduction, thermal and double glazed or with security in mind. Nuview is a family-owned company with more than 30 years’ experience. It manufactures all its windows and doors in Australia to strict Australian standards. Nuview constructs domestic and heavy-duty frames from aluminium and western red cedar. No job is too big or too small as the company offers…

It’s interesting that when presented with a practical gardening issue, such as the need for shade, privacy or groundcover, we always look to plants that are purely ornamental. And even when we’re offered the choice of an edible plant to do the job, we tend to baulk at the idea of using a fruiting plant for the task. I wonder why this is. Maybe it’s because we don’t see past the usefulness of edible plants to appreciate their beauty as well. There’s really no reason to ignore edible plants for use outside the veggie patch, herb garden and orchard. In fact, there are many fruiting trees that provide great shade, several edible plants that act as excellent groundcovers and, for our purposes here, there’s also any number of wonderful choices…

MAKE THE SWITCH Farmers have been raising backyard fowl for many years, but recently it’s become accessible for even the beginner farmer like you and me. Enter the Eglu Cube Mark 2 chicken coop with a 2m run, the latest innovation from Omlet. Complete with wheels for easy moving, better ventilation, all-weather cover, droppings tray and plastic, it is super easy to clean. omlet.com.au HEAT THINGS UP Love the great outdoors at night? Try this hot idea and introduce a firepit to your space. It’s the perfect way to entice your family out of the house and bring back the age-old ritual of sitting by an open fire. The Teppanyaki firepit is made from a cast-iron bowl with an 8mm hardened-steel plate welded to the top rim. The plate has…

WATER WORKS Whether watering or cleaning, this extendable sprayer can reach higher than any other sprayer. The 4-Pattern Extendable Wand can be extended anywhere between 93cm and 160cm to suit the task and is easily adjusted. There are four spray patterns including: Cone, Mist, Shower and Gutter. In addition, the pivot head allows you to adjust the angle, ideal when using the Gutter setting to clean out guttering and downpipes. You can turn the water on or off via the twist mechanism at the base of the handle. Two soft-rubber grip handles make it easy to hold and with the pole being aluminium, it is light enough for anyone to use. To extend the handle, turn the widest sleeve near the spray head, then pull the spray head up. To…

Luli Faber is a neuroscientist and passionate gardener who loves to have flowers on her property year-round. Her 16ha block borders the Stuart River in Wilkesdale in the South Burnett region of southeast Queensland. “My main requirement is to find perennial varieties of bushes and bulbs that are frost and drought hardy, making them compatible with the prevalent temperate climatic conditions, where the temperature can fall to -6°C in winter,” she says. The glorious butterfly bush in front of her home attracts hummingbird moths, butterflies and countless species of native bees and wasps. Luli has planted oleanders, hibiscus, which die back in frost but regenerate, kangaroo paws, star jasmine, drought- and frost-tolerant daisies, geraniums, daylilies, a climbing honeysuckle and marigolds, which are annual but self-seeding. “I try to reduce work…

Featuring raised veggie gardens and high brick walls, this multifunctional courtyard is the perfect space for its elderly owner to rest and relax. Designed by Clea Cregan from Miniscape Projects and constructed by Deck It Out! Landscape & Outdoor Solutions, this compact and abundant garden provides much-needed ease-of-access and peaceful privacy, while also featuring modern touches. “The client approached me to help her transform her dysfunctional, uninspiring small courtyard into an ‘outdoor room’, allowing her to grow herbs and vegetables; soften the high brick-walled space with plantings; and create multiple areas to sit and enjoy the garden,” says Clea. “As the client is elderly, she wanted a raised garden to allow easy access for gardening.” The small site needed a garden design that would be inviting, spacious and multifunctional for…

When you think of tropical garden design, what comes to mind? Is it the pops of colour, yards of flamboyant foliage, the elaborate water features? While the usual backyard paradise trope still has its place, the kind of tropical gardens we’re really impressed by nowadays evoke the style in more subtle, nuanced ways. Designed by Space Landscape Designs and constructed by Vivid Outdoors, this garden at a home in Seaforth ticks all the boxes of a tropical garden, without compromising on modern style. The result is an outdoor space that feels cool, sophisticated and infinitely relaxing. When these homeowners sought to transform their old backyard, deciding on the look and feel of the new garden was pretty much a no-brainer. The garden already included some mature tropical plants that the…

Having a lush green lawn is basically the Australian dream. With weekend barbecues and kids’ parties on the go, and that feeling of walking around barefoot on the grass, the benefits of having a beautiful green lawn might seem endless — and that’s because they are. If you're thinking about planting a new lawn but don’t know where to start, that's because not all lawns are the same. As with other plants, you need to consider important factors like climate, soil type, water and maintenance. After all the effort it takes to plan a great outdoor space, it’s important to purchase a top-of-the-line turf to complete the lawn. Thanks to My Home Turf, this is now possible. My Home Turf aims to deliver good looks, hard-wearing turf and a great…

In southern Italy, on the beautiful western coast, nestles the small seaside village of Acciaroli. Of its 2000-odd residents, 300 have reached the great age of 100. If that doesn’t impress you enough, it’s estimated that about 20 per cent of those centenarians have actually achieved the age of 110. In addition, the incidence of heart disease and Alzheimer’s is comparatively very low in Acciaroli. The village is now the subject of ongoing study to determine what it is about its people’s genetics and/or lifestyle that has caused this. What is known already is that many of them smoke and spend a large part of their day drinking coffee until it’s wine o’clock, when they switch to alcohol. Many are overweight but you rarely see them exercising (intentionally). On the…

Manure tea is similar in nature to compost tea. Manure tea conditions the soil, assisting plant roots to take up nutrients. It helps plants develop stronger root systems and thus more vigorous foliage. Manure tea enriches the soil with much-needed nutrients, including a wide range of trace minerals and microbes, which plants require for healthy growth. Manure tea can therefore be used as a rapid remedy for plant mineral deficiencies, soil enrichment before and after planting, and as a foliar fertiliser. There are some distinct advantages in using a foliar fertiliser as nutrients may be more efficiently and immediately absorbed by plants. Apart from rapid results, other benefits of foliar feeding include: • Increased plant vigour • Better resistance to disease and pest attack • Better cold and heat tolerance…

THE LOGGIA This highly evocative courtyard garden was literally the star of the show. The Loggia, designed by Tract Consultants and built by PTA Landscapes, swept the field to win four awards: the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show, Gold Show Garden, Horticultural Media Association for Best Use of Plant Life and the Mark Bence Construction Award. The walls of the herringbone-patterned, arched loggia brought structure to the garden, framed views, blurred the line between built form and plants, and acted as an aqueduct. Water flowed along the top of the wall, passed through a water spout and cascaded into the fountain below. Water was treated as an aesthetic element, yet consideration was given to its scarcity. A dry climate palette, a mix of Mediterranean and…

Sustainability was key for this arid-inspired Moss Vale garden. With its natural sandstone features and sculptural walls, each design feature was both purposeful and locally sourced. The homeowners of this Federation-style property envisioned a garden inspired by a mix of worldly landscapes, including south-western USA, the Mediterranean and the dry Australian outback. To seamlessly blend these into an arid yet picturesque landscape, they hired Nicholas Bray Landscapes. “This garden is a combination of a geometric pavement layout, curved sculptural walls, a firepit for entertaining, and garden spaces that are integrated with the verandah around the southern side of the house,” says Nicholas Bray, owner of Nicholas Bray Landscapes. Featuring sandstone paving, rendered garden walls and gravel pathways stemming from steel entrance gates, this expansive garden blends beautifully with its native…

When designing a garden, most clients look for privacy, a variety of plant life and maybe a play space for the kids. What sets this modern marvel apart from the rest was that it also needed to account for something not even on the property — its overlooking neighbour. Featuring a large extension, the home next door towered over the garden, threatening the privacy of the homeowners and casting a shadow over the backyard. To address this and to make the homeowners’ ideal garden come to fruition, they hired landscape design and construction company Ian Barker Gardens. “The family needed solutions on how to best disguise the house extension in the adjoining property. Not surprisingly for an active family of four, a swimming pool was also high on the priority…

Gardens can be gorgeous, undeniably, but growing your own can be daunting if you’ve never immersed your hands in soil before. If you’re thinking about starting your own garden, you’re probably aware that there are tons of gizmos and gadgets for gardening, but you really only need one essential tool to get started. Nature has been looking after itself for millennia, so it makes sense to incorporate what nature uses and restore life back to the earth. Returning the natural cycles back into your garden means less maintenance and effort trying to get things to grow. These cycles can be restored using a broad spectrum of soil microbes, minerals and humates, which you can easily add back to your soil. Every three months, simply scatter them across the garden, veggie…

Aussies are known for their love of the great outdoors, and want only the best products for their backyard spaces. Voted by Australians as the most trusted DIY power tool brand for the seventh year running, Bosch is the brand of choice when it comes to innovation and safety. The Bosch range of garden tools is designed with the user’s comfort in mind. They are ergonomic, lightweight and intuitively designed. Each tool is designed to reduce strain or allow you to work comfortably for extended periods of time. Bosch garden tools are all either electric or powered by a lithium-ion battery, meaning they're quieter with a lower vibration and avoid the fumes that petrol tools create. Bosch tools deliver effortless gardening, so you can enjoy your outdoor living area, whether…

Zucchini are generous plants to have in the summer garden, with their abundance of glossy fruit. They are easy to grow and such good croppers that during harvest time you can be out in the veggie patch picking zucchinis for not only your own use but for friends and family as well. With fruit in such abundance, it’s nice to know they are surprisingly versatile in the kitchen, used to make everything from classic zucchini bread to muffins, pastas and frittatas — even sweet zucchini cake. The bright-yellow flowers can also be stuffed with exotic ingredients such as olives, anchovies, basil and ricotta, then battered and fried. And what a choice of proven varieties. Zucchini ‘Black Beauty’ has been a summer staple in the veggie garden since the 1950s, grown…