Table of contents for Issue#16.3 2018 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

Tom and Zaia Kendall and their 14-year-old son Marlon live on 34 acres in Kin Kin, in the lush Sunshine Coast hinterland north-west of Noosa. About a third of the property is managed (farmed would be the wrong word) according to the principles of permaculture. To the untrained eye, the Kendalls’ “managed” 10 acres are all but indistinguishable from the surrounding subtropical rainforest — and Tom and Zaia wouldn’t want it any other way. Permaculture is a sustainable system of agriculture, environmental design and habitat maintenance that takes its cues from nature itself. The concept was coined in the 1970s by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren from the words “permanent (agri)culture”. Mollison described permaculture as simply “a philosophy of working with, rather than against, nature”. Tom has farmed and…

GREEN AND SERENE This quirky backyard proves that today’s outdoor living spaces are just as comfortable and liveable as those inside. This space has a bold presence thanks to the incredible and unique tiles. The furniture is kept to the basics: a lounge for lazy summer afternoons, a luxurious outdoor lounge chair in a sunny spot, and a table that is perfect for entertaining. Proof that the best backyards have a combination of sun and shade. globewest.com.au PRIVATE RETREAT With its gentle sweeps, architectural planting and contemporary mix of colours and materials, this backyard strikes just the right balance between relaxed resort style and up-to-the-minute urban. This is a garden that abounds with eye-catching elements, starting with the matching curved timber seats at either end of the garden. Moreover, the…

There is something soothing about rounded shapes in a garden. The curves are easy on the eye and they have a way of drawing your attention in a gentle, leisurely way. When a curved shape is used for a seating area or gathering point it offers the added benefit of creating a sense of being embraced, which ups the cosiness factor considerably. The firepit zone in this garden is a celebration of the circular and it’s a clever inclusion that helps to maximise the space. “The owners of this multi-tiered garden in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi are a young family who needed room for entertaining family and friends. The brief was to create multiple areas within the limited space so that the kids and adults could enjoy their…

A well-designed garden is one with good “bones” and an authentic sense of place. It fits seamlessly into its surroundings, makes the most of its assets, and it enhances the lifestyle of those who will be using it. Although a well-designed garden looks as if its creation was close to effortless, considerable knowledge (of soils, plants, materials and the like) is required — and if you have a waterside location, finding someone with the requisite expertise is essential. The owner of Nautilus, an award-winning property located south of Sydney on Burraneer Bay, approached accomplished landscape architect Brandon Wallis, director of Sitedesign Studios, because of his extensive experience designing waterfront landscapes. Such proficiency was critical as it was imperative the landscape design not only complemented the remarkable residence, but that it…

“Shade has become an important consideration for homeowners,” says Andrew Perry of Outrigger Awnings. “Australians love outdoor entertaining, but they are also very aware and conscious of the damage that is caused by the harsh Australian sun. It is essential to have shade for comfort and cooling, but also protection from harsh UV rays. Additionally, people are finding that they are being affected by both heat and cold in our current climate. A clever shade solution can help with all of these things and add considerable value to a property. “Installing a custom-designed awning will have a huge impact on the level of comfort you derive from your outdoor entertaining area,” continues Andrew. “Many people are finding that being able to control the amount of shade or sun at any…

With cooler weather comes less gardening. That’s the age-old adage and it is true to a certain degree, as a lot of our plants slow down, die back and drop leaves. The soil begins to go cold, too, and this affects the growth of the plants and the surface conditions. And of course there is the constant raking of the leaves. In nature, deciduous leaves are broken down by soil organisms and the enzymes they produce create a layer of mulch that keeps the soil surface warm. This ensures the soil stays open around the roots. Without these vital organisms the leaves don’t break down and they tend to become hydrophobic, resulting in the soil becoming compacted and not accepting rain. Despite being located in Queensland, Earthlife understands these issues.…

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…

This spring we’ll see the popularity of indoor plants grow — particularly hard-to-get ones. More homeowners and renters will grow their own produce, succulents will be among the best sellers, we’ll creatively embrace small space and upcycle materials while doing so, more gardeners will go organic, and more Aussie families will embrace the outdoors rather than their screens. 1. REAL INDOOR PLANTS SET TO REPLACE PLASTIC This year we’ll see the trend of plastic indoor plants diminish (thankfully!) as people become more aware of the many benefits real plants bring. They’re great for our health thanks to their ability to absorb harmful toxins from the air. Yates recently surveyed 1000 Aussies nationwide and found that six in 10 of us think indoor plants provide a calming influence. Four in 10…

The botanic name tells us a lot about this celebrity superfood. Chenopodium is the genus name for goosefoot, a weed of the amaranth family. Quinoa is closely related to the edible weed called Fat Hen (C. album). Quinoa is grown for its edible seeds, which are used as a grain or flour substitute. The modern world loves quinoa as it is high in protein that’s rich in amino acids and it lacks gluten. It’s available commercially as a seed or flour and can be used in breakfast cereal mixes, as a gluten-free porridge, as a salad or baked as cakes or muffins. The grain is native to the Andes, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years in parts of Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. “Quinoa” is the Spanish…

TURNING JAPANESE University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Japanese Garden, also known as Ju Raku En, is one of Australia’s largest and most traditionally designed Japanese stroll gardens. Ju Raku En (roughly translated as “to enjoy peace and longevity in a public place”) was opened on 21st April, 1989, by Yoshiharu Araki from the Brisbane Consul-General of Japan. Located on 3ha on the northern side of USQ Toowoomba, the site is jointly owned by USQ and the Toowoomba Regional Council. This outstanding garden features a mountain stream and waterfall, dry garden, central lake, 3km of paths and 230 species of Japanese and Australian native trees and plants. What a beautiful place to relax and clear your mind between uni lectures. usq.edu.au MIGHTY MEAT ANTS Research from Charles Sturt University has demonstrated…

It looks like an ordinary suburban house on a busy street just 7km north-west of Melbourne’s CBD. But behind the low brick fence and newly planted citrus are not only thriving vegetable gardens and more fruit trees, but also a fish farm teeming with around 150 trout. Robert Kershaw’s block is only 400sqm, but just about all of it not occupied by the house is given over to food production. Besides the fish and some chickens, Robert says the family grows “a huge variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs: zucchini, lettuce, corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, rosemary, lemongrass, coriander, basil, beans, grapes, apples, lemons, oranges, mandarins, bananas, Kaffir and Persian limes, and rhubarb”. Most of this profusion comes from soil-less aquaponics with growing media of scoria and clay beads.…

It is always exciting to see a garden for the first time and immediately recognise it holds a lot of promise. This Federation home in Kensington is just south of Sydney’s city centre. Our clients were living overseas and we were briefed on one of their visits home. They were not interested in converting this modest, yet comfortable home into a behemoth that would dominate the block, a refreshing change for us. They were clearly garden lovers, which certainly makes our job easier and a lot more enjoyable. On a block of 650sqm, the house was positioned with reasonable setbacks by city standards. There was very little landscaping in both the front and rear gardens. A painted concrete path provided uninspiring access to the front balcony and a single car…

A contemporary design with classic undertones, this engaging garden in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick is a confident fusion of contrasting textures set within the green embrace of a luxuriant planting palette, punctuated by clean, simple lines. “The homeowners wanted to use their new garden for both outdoor living and entertaining. In particular, they wanted a lawn area where the children could play and a swimming pool the entire family could enjoy,” explains designer David Franklin of Franklin Landscape & Design. “Also high on the agenda was dealing with the slope across the property that had made the garden hard to traverse. This problem was resolved by introducing a series of steps and level changes leading from the deck at house height down to the garage. In the process, we…

There is an art to entertaining, whether you do it indoors or out. While the level of artistry may be the same, there is something different about entertaining outdoors. With the sun warming your skin, the breeze whipping your hair and the scent of freshly mown grass mingling with the aroma of barbecue or woodfired cooking, can you imagine a more relaxing setting? At night it’s a different kind of magic, with ambient lighting creating a fairyland kind of vibe and the stars providing a twinklingcanopy. Most entertaining outside involves the cooking and serving of a meal and it really doesn’t matter what you have in mind. It could be a big group gathered around a table sharing food from large platters and bowls; it could be a buffet service…

When done right, an awning can be an invaluable addition to your home. Windows and doors usually grab the spotlight, with very little thought given to awnings. However, they’re an asset to your home, place of business and virtually any other architectural structure. It’s no secret that most homeowners are concerned with curbing their energy consumption. One way to reduce your energy bill is by using outdoor shade structures. These provide a cool relaxation area, reducing the need to spend time indoors and in air conditioning. Outrigger Awnings specialises in creating high-quality custom-designed fabric structures for commercial and domestic applications. Designs include rain-proof and shade-retracting awnings, batten awnings, sails, cantilevered awnings, carport awnings, pergola awnings, outdoor blinds and more, so you’re sure to find your perfect match. A shade or…

Every so often a product comes along that we didn’t know we desperately needed. And that’s exactly what LinkTap gave us when it introduced its smart wireless water timer to the market. If you are looking for a powerful yet easy-to-use garden water timer which you can access on your mobile, tablet or computer from literally anywhere, this system is for you. Widely recognised as being the number-one supplier of wireless water timers in Australia, LinkTap is a leader in the gardening development business. Proof that this timer is the best of its kind, 99 per cent of the company’s reviews are five-star. The product is designed and developed in Australia, and manufactured in China according to stringent Australian standards. Often we have a tough time navigating the sparse instructions…

I never get bored with the amazement on kids’ faces when they see the first signs of leaves from a seed they’ve planted. Such moments, however trivial they may seem to an adult, can be life-changing experiences for children of all ages. Indeed, even grownups can get a jolt of satisfaction and some “Look what I did!” swagger from a successful propagating experience. Taking the time to teach children about plants, gardens and the environment is an investment for life. Here are some great gardening activities to get children growing not only plants, but themselves as well, both mentally and physically. GROWING FROM SEED • Choose easy-to-germinate varieties and make sure it’s the right season for that particular vegetable or flower. • Choose a seed-raising mix, preferably certified organic. •…

The free gift of pollination contributes 40 per cent of our food’s nutritional value, providing vitamins A, B, C and E as well as minerals such as iron and calcium. Though the European honey bee takes most of the credit for pollinating our crops and gardens, we have at least 1500 and possibly up to 3000 species of native bees. Of these, only about 16 species are social; the rest are solitary or semi-social creatures living near each other. Recent studies show that native pollinators are twice as effective as the honey bee at pollinating flowers, including those of food crops. For example, the honey bee is unable to pollinate tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums, plants that require buzz pollination, a forceful shaking of their flowers to dislodge their encapsulated pollen.…

If you think about what a zucchini looks like, you probably come up with an image of a straight green veggie that grows in a leafy clump. Well here’s the news! There are many zucchini and one is the oddly shaped but aptly named tromboncino, which has a long neck and a bulbous base. This zucchini grows on a vine that’s best trained up a trellis or across an arch so the trombone-shaped fruit can hang downwards. It is a type of summer squash. The tromboncino is a heritage variety that makes good eating. Despite its great taste, this zucchini isn’t widely known or grown by gardeners today. To find seeds, search among the offerings of specialist vegetable seed suppliers. Tromboncinos are pale green. Each fruit can grow to a…

FOR THE FAMILY Designed to adapt to the different stages of a family’s life, this garden was inspired by designer Ben Hutchinson’s own clan. In Grow Together, the designer used Australian native and indigenous flora, sustainably sourced, reclaimed and repurposed materials, and promoted the creation of habitats for local fauna through the inclusion of a natural creek and swimming pond system. Every part of the garden was connected; from the cubby house to the creek, it brought together the essentials for an Australian backyard. The designer chose naturalistic tones for the garden, tying in the colour and texture of the plants, timbers, mulch, basalt rocks, Corten steel and bluestone paving to achieve a balanced, complementary feel in the palette and create a garden which could be easily modified with changing…

Each spring, the walkway that skirts the side of this Federation home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs is festooned with clusters of pretty mauve-blue wisteria blooms. The arrival of these fragrant flowers is accompanied by the hum of happy bees and evokes for the owners thoughts of Claude Monet’s celebrated flower garden in Giverny, France. Lyndall Keating, director of Garden Society and designer of the garden, is just as enamoured of the “whimsical, Monet-inspired wisteria-framed walkway” as are the homeowners. “The wisteria walkway conjures nostalgia and old-world charm,” she says. “Claude Monet famously painted this beautiful plant with poetic elegance, inspiring the garden in form, design and inclusions.” The garden Lyndall designed offers what she calls “a magical fusion of the classic and the contemporary. The design brief,” she explains, “was…

This beach house garden has a contemporary feel and an awe-inspiring sense of place, thanks to the abundance of coastal plantings and the emphasis on natural, beautifully textured hardscaping materials. Located on the New South Wales Central Coast, the garden was built by Adam Eurell and the Nature’s Vision Landscapes’ construction team, who were charged with bringing garden designer Michael Cooke’s vision to life. “The garden design is replete with clever details and uses well-considered forms to showcase the house and its ocean-side location. Some materials have been used in a simple way, others in a more complex manner, but generally the overall style is contemporary and the feel relaxed,” says Adam. Modern in design, the entry staircase provides a sculptural welcome. It was built using off-form concrete and is…

While smaller spaces can be harder to design, you can create something spectacular in a confined area. It just takes some careful thought and planning, not to mention a little creativity. To make the most of the available space, you need to adopt the mindset that every centimetre counts. You need to make wise colour choices, keep an eye on quality and finish, and take a balanced approach. For a small garden or courtyard to work, everything has to be to scale and in perfect proportion, because even one jarring note will sound very loud. As a general rule, clutter is the enemy of the small outdoor space so you don’t want to over-crowd it with too much furniture or a surfeit of decorative elements. Conversely, simplicity is its friend.…

When it comes to trees, a decision 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 you will enjoy. Thankfully, there’s the Fleming’s Group — one of Australia’s most diverse horticultural companies with three businesses under its family brand: Fleming’s Landscapes, Fleming’s Nurseries and Birdwood Nursery. Each business not only grows the trees and plants that make a gorgeous garden, but create high-end and commercial landscapes from design to completion. Begin your selection process by asking: Why do I want a tree? For shade? Privacy? Aesthetic appeal? Most importantly, assess the site…

Timber provides a way to enhance any home, garden, or 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 Timber offers more than 25 different types of timber in several sizes and grades, so you’re certainly spoilt for choice.…

A handsome house with dated doors and windows is like a winning smile with a chipped front tooth — it draws attention for all the wrong reasons. Beyond keeping up appearances, though, doors and windows also contribute to a home’s security and energy efficiency. Enter Dowell Windows and Doors, one of the largest national companies that supplies to some of the biggest residential builders in Australia. With a history dating back to 1860, the company prides itself on innovation, quality and service. Its goal is to exceed your expectations but not your budget through its extensive range. Dowell has cemented itself as a formidable force in the industry, making your home warm, quiet and extra secure with its innovative products. The company manufactures aluminium and timber windows and doors for…

NAP TIME, ANYONE? The daybed is a really smart inclusion in an outdoor space. It’s a sofa and bed all in one and can be styled with pretty pillows and throws. The Pavilion daybed can be personalised with a choice of sheer curtain fabrics and paint finishes, while the back and ceiling come in teak slats, aluminium slats or Sunvision (PVC-coated acrylic and polyester fibres). The Sunvision roof can be moved to enjoy the sun to the fullest. It’s a glorious piece that you need in your outdoor space now. coshliving.com.au THINGS ARE HEATING UP Looking for a stylish solution to warm up your outdoor space? The Morsø Kamino outdoor fireplace is shaped in cast iron and in addition to decorating and warming all outdoor spaces, it makes outdoor entertaining…