Table of contents for Issue #53 2021 in Backyard and Outdoor Living

BROCCOLI Whether you enjoy the traditional large green heading varieties of broccoli or the smaller florets of green or purple sprouting broccoli, this veggie is a dietitian’s delight! It’s super nutritious, low in calories and a good source of fibre and protein. Taking up to four months to grow from seed (a few weeks quicker if you start from seedlings), broccoli does require a bit of patience, however home-grown broccoli’s rich flavour makes it worthwhile. Watch out for caterpillars, which commonly attack both the leaves and heads of broccoli. BROAD BEANS In Australia we call them broad or fava beans and in the United States and Italy they’re referred to as fava beans. Whatever you call them, broad beans are sown during autumn and winter and produce plump, long, well-filled…

01: ORGANICALLY INCLINED If you prefer an organic aesthetic, this freshly furnished scene deserves a spot on your moodboard. Homely, yet modern and natural, the space adopts a “less is more” mentality. Key pieces like a three-seater leather sofa and a solid teak and glass coffee table are warmed by a brick-clad fireplace. With cushions galore and room for the whole family, it’s a charming outdoor area always ready for action. ozdesignfurniture.com.au 02: ECLECTIC MIX Created by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, this colourful and textured space offers luxurious furnishings, rich timbers and modern amenities. The sumptuous area is cosy and feels like a natural extension of the interior of the home. Sheltered under a pergola and serviced by an outdoor kitchen and dining spot, this alfresco living room sits perfectly…

A stunning edition to Tribu's range of celebrated outdoor furniture is the Nodi sofa. Available in Australia from the outdoor experts at Cosh Living, this modular sofa is the brainchild of international design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Nodi is something of an oxymoron in that it boasts a strong profile but a quiet personality. Capable of looking at home in almost any setting, the frame of the sofa sits lightly on the ground thanks to a solid powder-coated stainless-steel construction. Airy and architecturally appealing, the sofa accommodates users with comfortable Canax woven backrests and super-soft outdoor cushion filling. Adaptability is always a bonus, and with three seating elements and four seat depths, Nodi can be customised to suit the individual specifications of anyone and everyone. If the Nodi sofa has stolen…

The team at Shaderunner® Australia are currently experiencing their busiest year to date, and with distributors in every state, the Shaderunner® Retractable Shade System is fast becoming the market leader in retractable shading throughout Australia. Proudly Australian made, this increasingly popular retractable shading system is custom-made to exacting standards and precision manufacturing to suit the individual setting, ensuring a perfect fit and years of dependable shading on demand. The system is easily extended using the simple endless cord system to position the Shaderunner® fabric as required, and while the majority of systems are ordered with manual operation, Somfy remote-controlled operation is also available for the ultimate convenience. The Shaderunner® Retractable Shade System is constructed using the most durable marine-grade yacht fittings and Ronstan ball bearing pulleys, ensuring years of trouble-free…

It’s the perfect time to regroup, relax and focus on ourselves. In any other year we might have headed off to a wellbeing retreat with its relaxing spaces, yoga and meditation, and fresh, healthy food. But with the COVID-19 restrictions our options for visiting retreats are limited. So why not recreate that wellness retreat vibe in your own backyard? GROW YOUR OWN FRUIT AND VEGGIES Enjoy fresh organic fruit, veggies and herbs in your own backyard. We all know the health benefits of eating our five a day, and gardening is also a relaxing and therapeutic pastime. Why not add a few aromatherapy herbs to your garden and enjoy the health benefits of mint, jasmine and lavender? If you are short of space or time, these Vegepods (pictured) take all…

To feel well, you need to eat well — and there is nothing as important to our health as a diet rich in fresh, healthy veggies, herbs and fruit. The best way to have a ready supply of nutrient-rich seasonal edibles is to grow your own — in raised garden beds, pots, vertical gardens or in the ground. Regardless of the size of your outdoor space, or your level of gardening expertise, it is possible to grow produce you can use for cooking, preserving or sharing with friends and neighbours. While improved taste and guaranteed freshness are prime benefits, so is the ability to grow what you like — and be a little experimental growing new and unusual varieties for special recipes or just for fun. Saving money is another.…

On any given day, Christine and Craig’s stunning, national award-winning coastal garden and Hamptons-inspired home, located on the Central Coast of NSW, are filled with the joyful sounds of children’s laughter. They and their three children had moved from Sydney, where they had lived in a penthouse apartment, and looked forward to spending more time outdoors as a family. They found, however, that the steep, terraced block — designed to be low maintenance by the previous owners — meant the garden was rarely used. “We literally had six small squares of grass over three levels,” says Christine, whose dream was a garden that would offer as much lawn space as possible for her children while also incorporating a spa built into an existing timber deck, a swimming pool and a…

The common name you use for Capsicum annuum is an indicator of where you grew up. In Australia they are known as capsicums, but in many other parts of the world they’re referred to as peppers, bell peppers or even sweet chilli peppers. In some languages they’re called paprika, which we know as the powdered spice made from the fruit of capsicums. This confusion of names arises because capsicums are part of the same botanical group as the fiery chilli. Despite the name pepper, they are not related to the peppercorn, which is the seed of a tropical vine. Chillies and capsicums are part of the large Solanaceae family. SWEET NOT HOT The heat in chillies comes from the chemical capsaicin, which produces a burning sensation if eaten or touched,…

01: COOKING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS The open-air #2 Ego kitchen by Abimis plays the starring role in an exclusive villa in Palma de Mallorca. Wall-mounted under the portico in this scenic seafront villa, in an area of the home that is sheltered from the wind, Ego was produced in a linear composition that incorporates the cooking and washing areas, complete with storage compartments and refrigerated drawers. The kitchen is joint-free both on the worktop and between the various modules to ensure simple and quick cleaning and to avoid any build-up of dust or dirt. Photos by Matteo Cirenei. abimis.com 02: TIME FOR A TRIM Keep your edges in order with the lightweight and user-friendly Ryobi One+ 18V 5.0Ah Line Trimmer Kit. With a telescopic shaft and adjustable front handle,…

Dip your toe into summer and enjoy the great Australian backyard with an outdoor entertaining area that will knock your thongs off. John Storch, landscape architect and principal at A Total Concept Landscape Architects, believes “the most important component of the design is to integrate and unify the flow of the entertaining area with the garden and the overall property, taking into account the lifestyle of the owner, the style of the house, all aesthetic and functional considerations such as associated use areas like swimming pools and tennis courts, to create a finished product that enhances a client’s lifestyle and adds immeasurable resale value to their homes.” GETTING STARTED Paramount to the success of any outdoor area is careful planning that considers the physical aspects and spatial parameters of the…

As temperatures drop it might be tempting to retreat indoors — but you really don’t have to leave that beautiful outdoor room space you’ve so lovingly created just because it’s winter. After all the hard work you’ve done to create the ultimate entertaining space, it would be a shame to desert it for a portion of the year. Bring inside comfort outside with the HEATSTRIP range of outdoor gas and electric heaters proudly designed and engineered in Australia. In a market filled with unsightly and bulky outdoor heaters, it’s refreshing to see a company so passionately providing innovative, stylish and energy efficient outdoor heating solutions. From freestanding to wall mounted, there is a HEATSTRIP for every application. The new HEATSTRIP Elegance with Remote and App (THER-A) is an elegant heating…

Imagine settling into the comfy embrace of a deep-seated modular outdoor lounge, a designer rug beneath your feet, stylish scatter cushions at your back and a coffee table before you. Or how about sidling up to a good friend on a bench seat pulled up to a timber-topped outdoor dining table? Maybe your dream outdoor experience takes place on a large beanbag on a sunny patch of lawn, or stretched out on a lounger by the pool, the canopy of a cantilevered umbrella keeping the UV rays at bay and a side table keeping your wine glass within arm’s reach. Selecting outdoor furniture isn’t just about finding pieces that will weather the elements (as essential as that is), nor is it about making sure the colours coordinate with your decorating…

Feral cats, dogs, goannas, possums, birds of prey, snakes, not to mention the cunning fox are all a daunting reality for Aussie chook keepers. As our long summer days begin to fade and the weather turns cooler, food sources can become scarce, which means predators are out on the prowl for their next meal. The most deadly to chickens are foxes, known for their incredible sense of smell, travelling up to 15km to source food and thriving in urban areas. They’re persistent, learn quickly and won’t give up lightly — usually going unnoticed as they hunt during the night. With that in mind, it might be time to consider how to predator-proof your chicken coop. ChickenGuard, the world’s most innovative automatic locking system for chicken coop doors, has put together…

01 ECO DOME Domic (Russian for “house of domes”) is the off-grid abode nipping at the heels of Noosa National Park and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As the brainchild of James Birrell Design Lab , the dome home is wrapped in local vegetation and looks completely natural in its surrounding environment. Putting landscape architecture front and centre, the cave-like structure is dramatic yet always sympathetic to its sand dune-endowed locale. Investigating the latest innovations in green roof and green wall technology , the “eco lair” possesses a strong sense of belonging. Photos by Scott Burrows. jamesbirr elldesignlab .com 02 WILD BEAUTY Winding its way around a three-storey terrace, Turner Street vertical garden by Simon Ellis Landscape Architecture provides a charming splash of greenery to its urban setting. Creeping skyward is…

The Greek islands are synonymous with sun-kissed sparkling water, clear blue skies and whitewashed buildings perched on picturesque rocky outcrops. They are idyllic and popular holiday havens. Tucked into this landscape, on the ridge of the hill of Aleomandra, is a holiday home called Villa Mandra. It was built not to dominate the natural landscape, but to work organically within it. The traditional whitewashed buildings and stacked-stone walls artfully follow the contours of the landscape. The home is quietly secluded, offering the homeowners and their guests an idyllic holiday escape. “The house is built on the idea of slow, laid-back summer living and encourages mindful connection with family, friends and the freedom to exist peacefully in nature” Villa Mandra’s minimal footprint belies the number of living spaces it offers the…

Trex is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, timber-alternative decking and railing. Since the mid 1990s, the company has invented and revolutionised the composite decking category with a focus on product innovation, always with an eye on engineering what’s next in outdoor living. In addition to its industry-leading Trex Transcend® decking collections, Trex offers a variety of railings, outdoor lighting and fastener systems designed to complement the company’s world-famous decking while delivering the style and performance benefits Trex is famous for. Designed for incredible durability, easy maintenance and lasting beauty, Trex decking offers performance, sustainability and aesthetic benefits over timber and PVC decking, as well as other outdoor surface materials. The benefits that differentiate Trex decking from its competitors are numerous. Boasting superior durability, ultra-low maintenance and realistic colours and…