Table of contents for Issue#16.1 2018 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

The first kitchen garden at the famed New South Wales restaurant Bells at Killcare was originally planted by former head chef, Cameron Cansdell. Surrounded by a large expanse of formal gardens, manicured lawns and immaculately trimmed box hedges, and protected by a rustic post-and-rail fence and giant scarecrow, this tennis court-sized garden appears as a rural remnant of the area’s farming origins. GARDEN GOODNESS It’s no leaf-perfect vegetable garden, either, but a working garden, and one of three organic gardens at the boutique hotel and restaurant. “It’s more than just the convenience of growing fresh herbs and vegetables close to the kitchen,” says Cameron. “It’s about being able to prepare and serve freshly picked vegetables to customers within a very short time to maximise flavour.” The kitchen gardens provide the…

Most people think they’re doing their bit for the environment by participating in the local neighbourhood working bee and opting for tap water instead of bottled. For those with both the means and the inclination, however, giving back to Mother Nature can be far bigger than that — as big as a backyard, even. This was the case for a young family on Sydney’s north shore who sought a sustainable design solution to make the most of the outdoor space surrounding their Federation-style home designed by Utz-Sanby Architects. The homeowners asked landscape design firm Spirit Level Designs to turn their eco-friendly aspirations into an inventive working garden. For their “Willoughby Garden”, the homeowners wanted to create spaces that would both support and nurture their family, but also give back to…

“The landscape level change is embraced by both the building and soft landscape, and every room delivers a visual connection to the borrowed landscape” When it comes to natural Australian beauty, it’s difficult to surpass the world-renowned Blue Mountains region of New South Wales. “Borrowing from this amazing landscape was a pleasure,” says designer Steve Warner of OUTHOUSE design, who created this garden and outdoor room in Blaxland, a charming town in the lower Blue Mountains. But along with this beautiful location came certain challenges. “A vital component of the design process was following the strict set guidelines that are in place for designing within a bushfire-prone area,” says Steve. “We had to design a garden that visually connects with the bushland but still achieves the required policy controls in…

“You want to be planting into soft, cultivated soil that is mineral- and nutrient-rich so understanding your soil and good soil preparation is the first step” Having decided what plants you want in your garden and where you want them to go, getting them into the ground is the next step. While planting is not an overly complicated affair, neither is it as simple as digging a hole, plonking in a plant and backfilling with soil. You want to be planting into soft, cultivated soil that is mineral- and nutrient-rich, so understanding your soil and good soil preparation is the first step towards successful gardening. Not only does the soil need to be fertile and have adequate organic matter, it also needs the right pH balance for the plants you’ve…

Some may turn to gardening as a way of calming their mind, a kind of therapeutic outlet after a hard week in the office. A session in the garden can leave you feeling dead on your feet, but strangely renewed inside. For others, however, it can seem like a lot of hard work for very little return. Pinterest and the internet are full of beautiful, thriving gardens, providing inspiration but not truly explaining how to get such a luxuriant look without a lot of effort and expense. Earthlife, a company based in Toowoomba, Queensland, understands these struggles and has developed some simple solutions to help Aussies grow fantastic gardens and lawns. Created for basic gardeners and fanatical plant collectors alike, these simple, easy-to-use products create an environment suitable for growing…

Do it tough and do it right — that’s how the team at Tufright get things done, with a superior and environmentally friendly range of composite decking and cladding. As well as loving the Earth, Tufright products are durable, non-slip and moisture and termite resistant. Plus, there’s no need for oiling, painting or resealing and even less concern about warping, fading and chipping. Tufright uses an existing or new decking frame to lay its low-maintenance composite boards that require little more than the occasional sweep and hose down to keep them looking fresh and new. Guaranteed not to split or crack, and with no exposed nails to trip you up or split your toes, composite boards are the hottest trend in alfresco design. Tufright composite decking boards are made from…

Interested in eating truffles? No, not the chocolate type, but those curious, black, richly scented fungi that can cost a fortune. A truffle is an edible ascomycete fungus. The edible part is found underground where it grows like a tuber. The name “truffle” literally means lump or tuber, which is also the fungus’s botanic name: Tuber melanosporum. Truffles are very expensive to buy, strongly flavoured and used sparingly when added to dishes such as omelettes, pasta or pizza, or infused into oils. ORIGIN OF TRUFFLES Edible truffles are native to Europe, particularly Spain, France and Italy, but are now grown around the world. Truffles form a close relationship with the roots of certain trees —including birch, oak, hazelnut and pine — and grow naturally in forests. The relationship is a…

If you’re doing a lot of pruning and weeding and you and your neighbours have a lot of green waste to get rid of, why put it out for the council when you can make use of it for your garden? Save it up, collect it together and make an 18-day hot compost. Regular or cold composting takes several months before the material breaks down sufficiently to be usable on the garden. We’re talking anything up to 12 months, depending on a number of factors. Hot composting produces the good stuff in a much shorter timeframe, measured in days rather than months. Plus, it kills weed seeds and pathogens (diseases), unlike cold composting, and has a higher nutrient content because there is less leaching. Finally, the end result of hot…

TRUFFLE HUNT Feeling a bit fancy? Check out the annual Truffle Festival at Borrodell Vineyard in Orange in central west New South Wales. To be held on June 30 and July 7 this year, the festival gives its lucky guests the opportunity to hunt for truffles with Bailey the dog and explore the oldest truffle trees on mainland Australia. After you’ve gathered your bounty, you can retreat to the warmth of the underground wine cellar to enjoy a five-course dinner and matching wines while listening to French-inspired live music. A charity auction will give you the chance to procure some exclusive items, including the Black Wasabi — the premium truffle unearthed on the night. Feel free to fill up on wine as the festival includes a courtesy bus to ship…

On Queensland’s Darling Downs, 30km north of Toowoomba, lies the rural village of Hampton, home to Justin and Kylie Russell and their three children, Marley, 11, Monty, 9, and Fergus, 7. Their acre-and-a-half (0.6ha) property, Thistlebrook, was originally part of a dairy farm that was subdivided back in the 1970s. This region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range is not part of subtropical Queensland. According to Justin, it receives around 35 to 45 frosts between March and October. The temperature quite often drops to -5°C and occasionally as low as a rather chilly -8°C. Springtime is usually dry and the summer months warm to hot — and getting hotter, the Russells have observed. Rainfall is variable but the yearly average is around 1000mm. Since the disastrous floods…

A fusion of modern and timeless, this stylish entertaining space is in a class of its own. The Victorian-era home in Melbourne’s Ascot Vale was fully remodelled and the land surrounding it was given a complete overhaul. Before the renovation, the yard was overgrown and unremarkable, the undulating levels restricting potential uses of the site. The finished project delivered a series of elegant outdoor rooms that are not only beautiful, but extremely functional. Designer Nicholas Goff from Apex Landscapes says the homeowners’ priority was to create a space that exuded a feeling of synchronicity with the home’s interior, and to provide garden rooms and spaces that were multi-use, with a particular focus on outdoor entertaining. One of the key features was the swimming pool. “It was important that we provided…

Remodelling this Grade II-listed Victorian countryside property in Surrey, England, while carefully maintaining some of its original features was the task presented to London architecture and interior design practice Gregory Phillips Architects. A proposed two-storey extension was to replace one from the 1980s and the renovation sought to undo these clumsy alterations to the original layout in order to reveal the home’s true beauty and grandeur. The client’s vision was for a bright, open-plan living space. “We both wanted to retain the qualities of the existing listed building and to create a modern addition,” says company director Gregory Phillips. The external proportions of the new extension were also carefully considered in relation to the mass of the existing property, to ensure minimal impact on the profile of the home. The…

“A crackling fire draws people in and if well executed, a custom-built fireplace can be the anchor of a design” Some form of outdoor heating is now pretty much de rigueur in most homes, but what you choose and where you place it depends on how your family plans to use your backyard. If you want to spark lively conversation, a firepit encircled by stools might be ideal, but if you want a quieter, more contemplative space in which to relax after a meal, a fireplace (wood-burning or gas-fuelled) might better suit your neeeds. Alternatively, you might want to keep things toasty warm in the outdoor dining space one night but in the alfresco lounge area the next. In this case, a portable gas or electric patio-style heater that can…

When it comes to garden edging, you need a product that is strong, versatile and weather resistant — and you can’t get anything that fits the bill better than steel. With Greenlines Gardenware’s FormBoss range of no-maintenance, Australian-made steel garden edging, you can be the boss of your own garden design. Greenlines Gardenware offers a large array of easy-to-install domestic and commercial-grade steel edging solutions, ranging from flush edges to 450mm-high retaining walls. You also have a choice of galvanised steel, ZAM (exclusive looking and ultra durable) or Corten steel (that boasts a weathered finish), and various gauges to ensure the edging is the appropriate strength for your garden project. FormBoss edging systems allow you to create curves and angles with ease and, thanks to the rounded top edge and…

Pet owners who love their gardens can find it difficult to strike a balance between a manicured greenspace and an area that allows pets to roam freely and comfortably. Dogs, in particular, can be a challenge to a well-maintained backyard. However, with a few key considerations, creating a pet-friendly space will provide your pet with a play area that won’t take its toll on your landscape. BOUNDED SPACE The first consideration for a pet-friendly space will be fencing. To protect your pet against outside animals, and to stop them from wandering off and getting into trouble, a fully fenced yard is a good idea. Choose fencing materials the match your landscape and you’ll have no problem blending your pet’s needs with your outdoor style. Just be sure your fence is…

Depending on your location, as the days shorten and the nights lengthen, your edible garden will go through some changes. Soil temperatures drop, insect activity levels change, weeds aren’t as prevalent and vegetables and herbs that were powering along may finish or go dormant, making way for a range of other choices that prefer the cooler weather. These changes may suit you to a tee or they may not. Let’s take a look at how soil and air temperatures affect plant growth and production; how to possibly lengthen your growing season and understand what grows when and where; and how to combat the cooler weather and some of the climatic obstacles that may occur during wintertime. SOIL AND AIR TEMPERATURES Understanding how various vegetable, herb and fruit-tree species are affected…

JUST ADD WATER As with any decorative garden element, where you choose to place your water feature requires considerable thought. Do you want it to provide a subtle sense of calm from afar or catch the eye and draw attention? If it’s the latter, a water feature can be very effective placed at the end of a path where it entices you to venture further into the garden and explore — or you could use it to punctuate the point at which two or more paths intersect. This inverted bell-shaped water feature performs just such a function in this garden by Robert Boyle Landscape Design. The welcoming space is fully embraced by established plants, creating a cosy ambience, and the water feature itself in encircled by strappy liriope that settles…

POLAR OPPOSITES Boasting a bold and textured interior punctuated with impressive works of art, this home is made complete with a giant red polar bear in the fully tiled outside pond area. Originally featured in the Queensland Art Gallery, the sculpture by Scott Redford adds even more quirkiness to an already eccentric home. Surrounding the oversized arctic character is a combination of black tiles and white stone, resulting in an ultramodern relaxation space. However, while it may look serene now, it wasn’t the case when setting up the outdoor area. “The polar bear had to be craned into position,” says James Fleetwood of Fleetwood Building Design + Construction, the firm enlisted to update the flood-damaged home in Victoria. “As did the five large pots that were already there and needed…

“Clean, contemporary and Asian influences permeate this functional and beautiful family garden” Blooming with contrasting features and ideas, this Kensington garden in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs exudes a sense of harmony thanks to the sharp eye and green thumb of horticulturist Lyndall Keating from Garden Society, a boutique garden design and maintenance company. As dictated in the brief, the garden was to ooze formal simplicity, incorporate modern and contemporary minimalism, and draw inspiration from the client’s Chinese heritage. “This was intrinsic in the formation of the clean, Zen-like refuge to complement and accentuate the architecture of the house,” says Lyndall, who worked alongside builder Peter Dunkley. With its clean, contemporary lines and an unexpectedly peaceful ambience, the new space is in complete contrast to the original design. The front of the…

“It was essential to come up with a design that was as expansive as possible” Having spent a lot of time in sunny Queensland before settling into their new home in Melbourne’s suburbia, the owners sought a garden that would remind them of the Sunshine State, something that evoked the tranquil feeling of living in a resort. Their wish list included a spectacular swimming pool, which would be the focal point of the garden, a lawn where their kids could play, and an entertaining area with an outdoor kitchen. Commissioned by the discerning and style-conscious homeowners to create a one-of-a-kind garden, the design team at Ian Barker Gardens was confronted with the challenge of designing a showstopping pool that integrated seamlessly into the rest of the garden. “The owners were…

When it comes to trees, a decision made in haste can lead to a lifetime of regret. Many trees grow more beautiful generation after generation. Others have the potential to create decades of trouble, dropping messy fruit or bothersome sticks. So take your time and select the tree that offers the best combination of qualities. Thankfully, there is Fleming’s Nurseries, Australia’s leading wholesale grower of quality deciduous, fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs offering bare-rooted, containerised and advanced trees. One cultivar taking the Australian gardening scene by storm is the Cercis, also known as the Chinese Redbud. Fleming’s is in the process of introducing a whole range of the Cercis, including tree forms, weepers and multi-stem varieties. Each is small to medium in height and shape, making them ideally suited…

Timber provides a way to enhance any home or garden; also any commercial or retail property. Hardwood timber can be used to create comfortable, attractive and flexible features ranging from internal flooring to outside decking and beams. When renovating a home, you eventually come to that pivotal point in the design process when you have to choose your flooring and decking. Enter Abbey Timber. Trading since 1976, Abbey Timber is a family-owned Australian business with more than 40 years’ industry experience. The company specialises in the supply of timber products and building materials, including timbers for decking and flooring. With the largest range of decking timber available on the east coast, Abbey Timer offers more than 25 different types of timber in several sizes and grades, so you’re certainly spoilt…

The organisation of a beehive is amazingly complex and relies on each member of the hive carrying out duties that have been assigned to them by the hive. While worker bees do most of the work of the hive, the queen and the drones also have important roles to play. QUEEN The queen is a worker bee larva that has been especially fed to produce a queen bee. Soon after emerging from her cell, about 16 days after the egg is laid, she will go on her maiden flight as a virgin queen. During this flight she will mate with many drone (male) bees and store the sperm from these drones for fertilising eggs to produce worker bees. The queen’s role in the hive is to lay eggs to produce…

There’s a whole lot more to pumpkins than the typical orange Jack O’ Lantern types. Pumpkins are vigorous vines that can take up a lot of space in the garden, but they are highly productive and the fruit can be stored for months, so you get a lot out of them. If space is limited, you can always grow the vines vertically up a fence or opt for some of the smaller bush types that don’t take up as much room. Among the heirloom types, I’m a fan of ‘Galeux D’Eysines’, which is French and fabulous. It produces large salmon-pink pumpkins covered in what looks like crusty warts. Don’t be put off by my description; it’s really pretty in a grotesque sort of way and the orange flesh is sweet…

HEALTH COMES FIRST When it comes to buying groceries, it is often difficult to find something authentic and pure. This goes for eggs, too. Supposedly good for our health, eggs are often not so wholesome due to the antibiotics fed to hens to boost production. This is where raising your own chickens, in your own backyard chicken coop, can be beneficial. Our pick is the Eglu Cube Chicken Coop which features a 2m run. Perfect for beginners, it has wheels for easy moving, better ventilation, an all-weather cover and a droppings tray, meaning it’s super-easy to clean. omlet.com.au BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED Create a point of interest in your outdoor living area with a garden sculpture. A discreetly placed sculpture will help create the perfect ambience. Designed to withstand the outdoor elements,…