Table of contents for Issue14.4 2016 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

How good is summer in Australia? You can keep your white Christmas, northern hemisphere; for me the holidays are best spent outside, whether it be on a bush walk, at the beach, or entertaining friends and family in the backyard. Of course, our amazing weather is envied by many around the world, but, as with most things, it does come with some drawbacks. Scorching heat and months without rain mean water conservation is a big concern in Australia. The summer sun can also wreak havoc on your lawn and garden. Our water-wise garden feature will show you how to take the best care of your lawn and plants without wasting precious water. Homeowners often have a vison of what they want their backyard to look like, but it’s always hard…

Admittedly, a sloping site is generally more challenging than a flat one. It usually means creative thinking and design solutions that embrace the site are required. Case in point is this Mount Claremont property in Western Australia, a 50m-long, 10m-wide site with an east-west orientation that slopes steeply to the rear of the property towards the garage. The design solution? A host of distinctive courtyards, all different in their own way. When Cultivart Landscape Design visited the site for the initial consultation, the house was still under construction so some imagination was required. “My clients requested a ‘garden’ as opposed to a hard landscape devoid of plants, but they still wanted a contemporary, well-structured feel,” explains landscape designer Janine Mendel of Cultivart Landscape Design, who designed the courtyards. “They have…

A chance meeting in Sitges, south-west of Barcelona in Spain, during the 1970s was the beginning of a lifelong partnership for Mac and Mardee McDonough. Two of Australia’s fashion leaders, the pair specialise in high-quality leather and textile fashion goods and apparel through their boutique label Estilo Emporio, based in Sydney. Acknowledged by their friends as fashion virtuosos as well as passionate foodies, their home is a special place where they entertain with as much style and pizazz as they put into their very own label. Located in the leafy sandstone suburb of Hunters Hill, Sydney, “Casa McDonough” is situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Built in the 1950s, the home’s interior is filled with treasures collected from around the world, creating an intimate atmosphere with particular reference…

Maggie: Good produce needs so little done to it, so don’t overcomplicate things when it comes to a barbecue. Follow the principle that less is more — the more being your enjoyment in sharing your table and having everyone in the family involved. Feel your way into cooking — recipes are only ever a guide. Cooking from the heart is the most inspiring way to create your favourite dishes. Matt: Amazing salads to accompany the meat you are cooking, especially in summer. I’ll make three or four different salads and go easy on the breads. There are so many things you can cook up on a barbecue. Experiment with foods and have fun with it.…

For instant tropical or resort-style appeal, it’s hard to go past the allure of bamboo screening. Whether you’ve gone for a Balinese-themed backyard or just want to add a touch of the exotic to your garden, bamboo screening is the ideal choice. Bamboo screening can be used in a broad array of ways — as cladding on an existing fence, to screen out neighbours, as an architectural feature or as the perfect backdrop to tropical foliage plants or a garden bed full of flowers. And if you’re looking for a backdrop for a sculpture or water feature, bamboo screening is perfect for that, too. Infinity Panels specialises in high-quality, low-maintenance black bamboo screening panels. Black bamboo adds a richness of colour to a garden or alfresco living space and is…

The Earth Summit in 1992 revealed some concerning information about the quality of soil around the world. In Australia, the summit reported, soils are at least 50 per cent mineral-depleted. This means that the fruit and vegetables grown in Australian soils contain much less of the essential vitamins and minerals than they once did. Many people who grow their own edibles do so to obtain fresh produce that is superior to that available at the supermarket. They seek food with better flavour, fewer chemicals and often a higher nutrient content. It’s not only about edibles, though. An avid gardener will know the importance of quality soil to the appearance, health and yield of ornamental plants. So how can the home gardener ensure they are doing the best for their plants?…

WATER SMART Award-winning Alpine Nurseries Alstonville, in northern New South Wales, was formally opened earlier this year with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith. The property, which was formerly a potato farm, was custom-designed by water management consultant, Chris Rolfe, to exceed industry benchmarks in water collection, purification and recycling. “The location boasts minimal waste and maximum conservation, where a large percentage of the water used is captured onsite and effectively recycled,” says Chris. The site also uses a cutting-edge potting machine that can pot 15,000 plants a day. A key feature of the nursery is the recreation of a “Big Scrub”-styled strip of rainforest along Youngman’s Creek, which flows through the property. The rainforest is a labour of love for staff member Doug Blythe and features…

Can a sustainable garden be created on a typical suburban block? It’s easy when you keep in mind the key aspects of sustainability: recovery, reuse and recycling. This is a garden I designed for myself and it’s a truly satisfying example of the ease with which a degraded, compacted and non-sustainable backyard was transformed into a fabulous, family-friendly, “green” garden. It’s bursting with easy sustainable ideas: chickens, recycled bricks, reclaimed items as focal points, reuse of demolished building materials, and a diverse selection of hardy, water-wise plants. The design I wanted for the backyard included provision for open play areas, generous garden beds, vegetable gardens, a chicken coop, and rainwater collection and storage. Also important was that the garden be built and maintained along organic principles. With this in mind,…

Walking through this expansive and exquisitely detailed country estate in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, it’s hard to believe “Pepper Tree Creek” had humble beginnings as a small rural retreat. With no driveway access, the original property was in serious neglect and the centenarian cottage was “screaming for a garden to complement it”. It was certainly a team effort on behalf of those who came to the rescue, with the garden designed by Jonathan Garner and Nicholas Bray, the landscaping completed by Puddleton Gardens, and the hard landscape and stonework taken care of by Southern Stone. First in the brief was the request for a formal driveway with an avenue of grand trees. Here, Chinese poplar was used for its fast growth and majestic habit. “I assisted in…

Water is a precious commodity and making each and every drop count in your garden is important. When designing a water-wise garden, the idea is to aim for optimum water efficiency. This maximises water’s ability to do its job — to sustain and nourish the plants so they not only survive, but thrive. WATER-SMART DESIGN The design of a garden is a key element and good water-wise design can be achieved in several ways. The first is promoting natural water capture by planting a garden where it will receive natural water run-off, for example down a gentle slope in the yard. The second way, according to Aaron Worth from Utopia Landscape Design, is to build an environment through plant selection that supports various types of plants. “For example, if you…

Now is the time you need to think about how you want your garden to look for the year ahead. Mulching is a really important aspect of gardening as it keeps the roots of your plants cool and helps to retain moisture in the soil. Many plants feed at the interface between the mulch and the soil surface. Ideally, you want plants in your garden that not only look good during the cooler months, but will thrive through Australia’s hot summers. Here we look at some tried and true plants that can handle our demanding Aussie climate. Australian-bred Spanish Lavender Sensation Blue (L. pedunculata ‘Senblu’ PBR) and Sensation Rose (L. pedunculata ‘Senros’ PBR) are ideal choices for low, colourful borders. Both are low maintenance and drought tolerant once established, and…

C hooks can make ideal pets for children. Obtained young, they are very receptive to training and will follow their owner around like a dog, endure being wrapped up in the doll’s pram and even sit on the bike and enjoy the wind in their feathers. It’s surprising what youngsters can achieve with their pets. There are lots of reasons why chooks make good kids’ pets. They are a suitable size, especially bantams, for children to handle. They combine the enjoyment of a companion pet with a key driver: food production. Their reliance on humans for their needs and for predator protection helps children learn responsibility. Hatching fertile eggs and dealing with the inevitable death offer salient opportunities for talking about life, death and the role of roosters. Not all…

“Capsicums come in a kaleidoscope of colours, from tiny chocolate-coloured ones through yellow and orange to varieties that change from green to purple to red throughout the season” If tomatoes are the heroes of the summer vegetable garden, surely capsicums are not far behind. When I talk about capsicums, I’m referring to the sweet, large-fruited varieties that bring colour and added crunch to summer salads, not the hot chilli peppers that can really knock your socks off. If you’ve only ever eaten capsicums from the greengrocer, you could be excused for thinking there are only red and green varieties. In fact, capsicums come in a kaleidoscope of colours, from tiny chocolate-coloured ones through yellow and orange to varieties that change from green to purple to red throughout the season. Capsicums…

GOT CURVES Designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga, the stylish and unbroken outline of the powder-coated aluminium frames gives Contour its name. The collection is defined by a tube that follows the outline of the furniture in one continuous line — a complex design that appears effortless. The backrests have a beautiful open weave made of weather-resistant Tricord, which appears to float unsupported around the seats. These chairs are available with white or wenge frames, with the woven backrests in a soft linen colour or wenge. coshliving.com.au CLEAR WINNER Looking for that wow factor in your outdoor pavilion? This award-winning garden room, designed by Peta Donaldson of BLAC for the 2016 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, features Glosswood’s 90mm-wide Clear Ash prefinished lining board. The Scandinavian-esque look of the board provides…