Table of contents for Issue #17.1 2019 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

After 15 years as a seafarer, when Emma Carlos decided to jump ship she very quickly learned to enjoy a landlubber’s life. She and partner Mark Simm bought an 18.5-acre (7.5-ha) property in Beerwah, a town tucked behind the Glass House Mountains in the lush subtropical Sunshine Coast hinterland. Blackwattle Farm is a B&B and farmstay offering a memorable berth for tourists. But the organic farming duo had a much bigger vision for their slice of rural paradise. “We wanted to aim to be as self-sufficient as possible,” says Emma. “We have a small herd of Dexter cows — the steers for meat and cows for milking — as well as chickens for eggs and some meat pigs, too. Plus, of course, our beautiful veggie patch.” The 30m×30m vegetable garden…

Achieving sustainability has become the norm these days, with many reducing their waste and reusing what they can. This tropical Queensland sanctuary is no exception, featuring drought-tolerant Australian natives and recycled timber materials. Yet it still exudes elegance in its design. The homeowners of this classic Queenslander wanted a beautiful and functional space that was low maintenance and would showcase the beauty of Australian native plants and sustainable design. They chose to hire Regenerative Designs Australia to carry out the garden’s design. “The style of the garden is informal, naturalistic and elegant,” says Justin Nigh of Regenerative Designs Australia. “I used only Australian native plants that are drought-tolerant and relatively low maintenance.” To meet the clients’ brief of sustainability, and to complement the native plant palette, Justin and the team…

As is so often the case, children seem to emerge as young adults almost overnight and we find ourselves having to adapt our homes and entertaining areas to fit the lifestyle requirements this change brings. This was the case for the owners of this Brisbane abode and their three daughters. “The existing backyard mainly comprised a garage in one corner and a gently sloping lawn the girls had made great use of in previous years. Now, however, the family craved a larger entertaining area and a separate outdoor retreat,” says Aaron Worth of Utopia Landscape Design. “But not all of the lawn area was to go. The owners wanted to retain some of it for the odd game of badminton and to enable the creation of attractive gardens to frame…

Cooking outside isn’t just about the food — although the flavour burst you get when you bite into a fully loaded pizza, baked to perfection in your backyard woodfired oven, or tuck into a plate of sizzling marinated prawns, hot off the grill, isn’t to be sneezed at. What it’s really about is the whole experience, from food prep to sitting down to eat. The friends who turn up early for Sunday lunch and help you chop veggies and marinate meat; the party guests who chat to you and keep your glass topped up while you turn the kebabs — it’s about the aroma of food barbecuing, the primal allure of a woodfired oven, and the opportunity to share a meal in the most relaxed of environments — your own…

Lifeless soils pose significant threats to your garden. You may regularly add products like fertilisers, wetting agents and composts, but the reality is if your soil is dry, even gardeners with the greenest of thumbs can wind up with a struggling plant on their hands. Beautiful, lush gardens are all the rage right now, but what do you do if you find your plants are limp, your fern decimated and orchids desperate? We can blame the weather, but a dry soil comes down to our own gardening practices. Chemical fertilisers are toxic to the life of soil; synthetic wetting agents can lock up moisture, meaning plants have to work harder to access the water, while composting organic matter without biology can contribute to creating a lifeless and hydrophobic environment. Add…

There's no doubt that adding a deck to your backyard will improve your home’s aesthetics and increase its value. Decks provide a social space to congregate, celebrate and bring people together. They are a great way to extend your living area outdoors and with the right tools and guidance you can build one yourself. With SpecRite merbau, you can have more than just a stock-standard deck; there’s a variety of ways you can take your deck up a notch and make it a standout feature of your home. • Built-in benches give your deck an extra dimension. Instead of a flat expanse, benches clad in decking timber add interest and variation. • Using the same timber, adding a set of steps spanning the full length of the deck will make…

Garlic (Allium sativum), onion’s pungent and spicy relative, carries a heady whiff of folklore as well as the musty smell of many scientific studies — and that’s a combination we like. When science backs up traditional beliefs about the benefits of a food, then it’s fairly safe to say it’s something you want to eat plenty of. To give an example, John Newton writes in The Roots of Civilisation, “Its presence in Gerard’s Herball, 1597, with ‘figge leaves and cumin ... against the biting of the mouse’ only confirms modern science’s view of it as a strong antimicrobial agent.” Of course, the belief that the so-called “stinking rose” can ward off vampires and werewolves has no foundation in science — but it’s good to know it’s there if you need…

If you did a survey of which vegetable people eat most often, you know what the answer would be. Yes, potato, at least in the western world. Many people eat them at every main meal — they are the staple vegetable. But this wasn’t always so. Europeans only started eating the potato in the 16th century when it was brought back from the Americas and it didn’t get to those most enthusiastic of spud eaters, the Irish, until the 17th century. According to food activist and writer Michael Pollan, it was the failure of the potato crop in the mid-19th century due to blight that demonstrated the downside of large-scale monoculture in Ireland. In The Roots of Civilisation John Newton writes, “It has been estimated that potato blight killed one…

2 BEE You might remember the original Flow Hive from Space for Living a few years ago. Four years from the company’s first release, there are approximately 51,000 Flow Hives in use in more than 130 countries. Flow has won multiple awards for innovation, design, marketing and business including Good Design Australia, D&AD White Pencil, Fast Company World Changing Ideas, two medals at Apimondia International Beekeeping Congress and was declared NSW Business Chamber’s Business of the Year (2017). Flow Hive 2 has all the benefits of the original Flow Hive, with bonus must-have features including a Flow Harvesting Shelf. This elegant hive is perfect for beginners or experienced beekeepers and contains 6x Gen2 Flow Frames, featuring revolutionary honey harvesting technology. Crafted from premium western red cedar, the Flow Hive 2…

LESS IS MORE Talk about an inviting common area. Clever landscaping, indescribable views, a spectacular spa and sleek outdoor furniture combine to create an ingenious backyard. So if you’re in the mood to dream — or in need of a little inspiration for your own at-home retreat — this backyard will help you turn your space into a five-star destination. gomodern.co.uk STANDOUT SPACE This relaxed, fun-loving backyard already has a lot going for it — with stylish furniture, a rug and an ottoman. A rustic privacy screen and tropicals add lushness and flair, ensuring this space is an enjoyable, relaxing destination. domo.com.au PLAYFUL OUTDOOR RETREAT The designers of this backyard have taken full advantage of every square inch, turning what’s normally a home’s thoroughfare into an outdoor destination, complete with…

Designing the perfect backyard or terrace can be a challenge, however when it comes to constructing a green space for a high-rise complex overlooking the Yarra River, meeting various clients’ needs becomes much more challenging. Ian Barker and his team at Ian Barker Gardens had a complex project on their hands when undertaking the landscape design and construction at Southgate Apartments in Melbourne. However, this elegant sanctuary now includes key features to suit everyone. “The residents of these city apartments wanted to create a private, quiet, calm sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of city living — a space where they could sit and enjoy being outdoors,” says Ian Barker, director of Ian Barker Gardens. “The space needed to be accessible for all residents regardless of age or ability,…

The owners of this Federation home loved their formal garden but felt their outdoor spaces could be put to better use, so they contacted Peter Ciobo, design director of Gaia Gardens, to create new alfresco cooking and dining areas. “Not only did we need to add a barbecue, pizza oven and a food preparation area, we needed to create two dining spaces. In doing so, however, it was important that the design ensured an effortless transition between new and existing elements,” says Peter. The covered verandah proved to be the perfect spot for the food preparation bench, offering a practical extension from the nearby indoor kitchen. Complete with a sink, storage facilities and a stainless-steel bar fridge, the bench squares off the verandah and is just the right height to…

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…

As we get ready to kiss summer goodbye for another year, there is 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.…

Every time we are in the tinned-food section of the supermarket, my English-born husband scans the shelves looking hopefully for mushy peas. They’ve long disappeared from the shelves of our supermarket, but recent news suggests these peas may have a clever future ahead. Mushy peas are made from a large, starchy pea developed for canning. You may have eaten them with a pie floater — a meat pie served on a bed of peas — or accompanying fish and chips. Mushy peas are at the opposite end of the pea spectrum from the fresh green baby peas or sugar snaps grown by most gardeners. As well as being suited to canning, it turns out that marrowfat, or marafat peas as they are known, can be eaten as a snack food.…

Perhaps the first fermented substance that comes to mind is not a food but a beverage. People started making wine around 8000 years ago in the Caucasus area of central Europe, and 7000-year-old jars containing the remains of wine were excavated in the Zagros Mountains in Iran. There is also evidence of fermented beverages in Babylon around 3000 BCE, ancient Egypt (3150 BCE), pre-Hispanic Mexico (2000 BCE) and Sudan (around 1500 BCE). That’s a venerable tradition. Of course, wine is not the only fermented beverage. Beer brewing was, like wine, probably a happy accident to begin with, occurring when wild yeasts met up with grains that had been left warm and wet. There is archaeological evidence of ale drinking dating as far back as the Iranian wine jars and from…

KEEPING ON TRACK Running down the centre of this garden are several curved paths that designer Andrew Plymin refers to as “tracks”. Each is bordered by brick edging embedded flush into Dromana toppings. “Visually, this simple-to-install device has stretched the garden and given the viewer a sight line to follow, beckoning the visitor to explore more,” says Andrew. “This brick work has also elevated quite cheap Dromana toppings to a more designer aesthetic.” Dromana toppings is a popular choice for garden paths as well as driveways. It is made out of crushed brown granite, is comfortable to walk on and introduces a pleasant warm colour. An even cheaper alternative, providing a similar look, is granitic sand. This garden, tucked in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Northcote, was built by Real Earth…

Since moving to his six-and-a-half-acre (two-and-a-half-hectare) property 15 years ago, Sean Morrow and his wife and daughter have transformed it from a mostly grass-covered, empty block into a haven for wildlife. As a landscape and permaculture designer, Sean is able to envision what the place will look like years down the track and is constantly creating ever more gardens and habitats for wildlife to achieve his vision. Sean has been a passionate gardener since he was eight, gardening and weeding for his neighbours as a child. He has always had a fondness for nature and its wildlife, especially lizards and frogs. He looked all over Australia to find the perfect place to establish productive gardens and a fruit and bush tucker orchard for his family, one that would also attract,…

Never think a sloping block means the end to your dream garden. Despite its sloping site, this shady coastal oasis in Dover Heights, created by Garden Society, features luxe details such as an expansive green lawn and light-pebbled pathway. The homeowners’ dream for this lush, modern garden was for it to contrast the strong architecture of their home using a leafy planting palette while also creating a sense of privacy. They hired boutique garden design and maintenance company Garden Society to turn their dream into a reality. “The client’s brief was to create a private, lush garden with the aim of softening the bold, geometric, architectural features of the dwelling and existing hard surfaces of the outside area,” says Lyndall Keating, owner and director of Garden Society. “It was important…

When you are blessed with such a breathtaking waterside location, you need to do everything you can to maximise the view and ensure a seamless connection between house, garden and water’s edge. While this property overlooking Sydney’s Middle Harbour had amazing views, turning the site into an easy-to-navigate landscape wasn’t as simple as it seemed. The brief from the owners appeared straightforward enough to begin with: they wanted to be able to get from their house located at the top of the site to the boat shed and shoreline at the bottom as comfortably and safely as possible. What evolved over the 18 months it took to complete the project was nothing short of a masterpiece in modern landscaping — and a lesson in ingenuity. The sheer scope of the…

The owners of this leafy property in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bronte wanted to create a welcoming entertaining area that would be surrounded by garden beds filled with textural interest. This was to include a grassed space for the dog, and foliage that would grow vigorously to hide the neighbouring rooflines. The designer, Anthea Dunlop of Anthea Dunlop Landscape Design, describes the owners’ design brief as one that “envisaged contemporary chic touched with a bit of rustic charm”. And although the area Anthea had to work with was relatively small, the owners wanted a feature-filled space. The key element in this outdoor spot is the dining area that is set beneath the canopy of a solid-wood pergola. The pergola is double framed and built of chunky merbau timber and…

Few of us want to devote our weekends to garden chores, but every outdoor space needs a certain amount of care and attention. Paving needs to be swept from time to time and occasionally pressure-washed. Timber decks need to be re-sealed, hedges trimmed, tree branches pruned and mulch replenished. Some of these tasks are a once- or twice-a-year deal, but if you have a lawn or swimming pool, well, they demand frequent attention. When planning your garden, there are lots of simple measures you can employ to reduce upkeep or make ongoing maintenance easier. Opt for an irrigation system operated by a smart wireless timer so you don’t have to remember to water the garden, and if you don’t like mowing, invest in a robotic lawnmower. Other good tips are…

Fleming’s has many special events planned for its birthday, including the release of The Enchanted Forest Collection, which brings all favourite Cercis varieties under one banner. New to Fleming’s and a key part of the collection is Cercis canadensis ‘Merlot’. Like a good red wine, Merlot is glossy and rich in colour. Trials have proven it to be an excellent performer in tough, dry conditions. The Enchanted Forest Collection includes a wide variety of Cercis trees that are generally loved for their large and beautiful heart-shaped leaves. All of the trees in the collection produce small pink blossoms along the branches in early spring and all produce quality autumn foliage. The new star of the collection — ‘Merlot’ — has been under trial for some time. It can take quite…

Insects are some of the most abundant creatures on earth and they all play an important role within our ecosystems. Organic gardeners and farmers are able to put aside an aversion to insects that we all seem to have, probably because of the few bothersome or aggressive ones, and understand that in nature, there is always a balance. Organic gardening techniques, whereby the use of synthetic chemicals is eschewed and soil and plant health are maintained by the addition of organic matter, will see balance created and, hopefully, very few severe unmanageable pest and disease outbreaks. Here, we profile a few more of the amazing and vital insects that create balance and important biodiversity in our backyards and our environment in general. Their roles can be as predators, pollinators and…

Fresh home-produced eggs make chooks a must-have in every backyard. While easy to achieve in the country where there’s ample space, how do birds fare in city backyards? Can an environment be provided that keeps them happy and healthy? Will hens have enough room to scratch and forage? To dust bath, stretch wings and jump around to maintain agility and strength? We want to know our feathered friends can engage in the various freedoms that are intrinsic to the nature of a fowl. So what are the secrets to successful city chooks? APPROPRIATE BREED Breed choice is all-important. Flighty, active breeds are not for the city; they get bored too quickly and express antisocial behaviour. This includes Leghorn, Ancona, Minorca, Hamburg and Araucana. If you’re lucky, you may find quieter…

YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND Complete your backyard with the inflatable ottoman. This multi-purpose piece of furniture is ideal as an extra seat when entertaining friends, a footrest or side table. Choose from Bohemian, Monochrome or Jungle to achieve the look you want in your outdoor undercover area. mocka.com.au A TOP PERFORMER With the use of Dowell alfresco doors, your living room can flow invitingly through to the outdoors. Dowell alfresco, sliding and bifold doors create the perfect alfresco environment, as well as provide the security, top quality and protection you have come to expect from one of Australia’s leading window and door suppliers. With an array of sleek features such as a Low-E glazing option for increased energy efficiency and durable low-maintenance, easy-clean aluminium profiles, these products really are the…