Backyard and Outdoor Living

There’s no better place to see where garden design is heading, or to garner some quirky, fun and out-of-the-box ideas for your own backyard, than a garden show. The doyenne of the show garden circuit is the Chelsea Flower Show, held each May in Londo

Spring has sprung and we’re all venturing outside that little bit more as the daylight lasts longer and the thermometer creeps higher and higher. Perfect timing, then, for a recap of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, with its fantastic array

Who doesn’t love a stylishly decorated personal sanctuary surrounded by nature’s beauty? The outdoor furnishings in this backyard blow us away, and the scenery doesn’t disappoint either! The design is both romantic and charming. The neutral colour se

Zenko and Janine Vukelic were the first people in Australia to experiment with growing their own home from mulberry trees. Biotecture isn’t a new concept — it’s common practice in north-east India, where living bridges grown from aerial roots of rub

For all the benefits of inner-city living, there are still some drawbacks. If you’re one of the few not priced out of the market completely, concerns usually revolve around space — namely, not enough of it. Aside from smaller rooms, perhaps the bigge

June saw the winners of the 2019 Queensland Landscape Architecture Awards announced by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). Recognising 20 winners across 12 categories, including five Awards of Excellence and four Regional Achieve

Steve Warner from Outhouse Design created this practical garden that offers year-round interest and an escape from inner-city living in a little slice of paradise. With the help of Greg Soster from Outside Space, a dream was brought to life in a smal

The Nedlands residence in Perth’s Osborne Park revels in the natural light and views that its magnificent large-scale windows make possible... and therein lay the design challenge: create a contemporary green space that requires minimal maintenance,

If a certain Alice found her way to the suburb of Collaroy in Sydney, chances are she’d feel right at home at Through the Portal. This residence contains plenty for the curious to explore, starting with the signature namesake sculpture. Designed as a

Design is one of the simplest ways to showcase our likes and interests, to tell our stories. Time and again we’ve seen Australians utilising garden design as a tool to connect with and reflect on their European sensibilities. Grand Grecian residences

Sometimes it takes a team of people to build a dream garden, but that’s no reason to shy away from the task. Just ask Sally, owner of this beautiful garden in Mount Victoria. Sally’s garden seamlessly blends two garden areas together and creates the

Outdoor entertaining spaces don’t have to have all the bells and whistles. Nor do they have to be large or lavish. What is essential, however, is that yours suits the way you like to entertain and makes the best possible use of the available space. W

Whether you’re a city dweller or you live in the suburbs, it will come as no surprise to learn that our backyards are getting smaller. Today, houses are bigger, blocks smaller, so the amount of outdoor space is decreasing. Townhouse or duplex living,

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 be

There’s nothing sweeter than a garden filled with blooms. Flowering trees come in all shapes and sizes and offer a wide range of flowers, from the large, showy panicles of the crepe myrtle to the delicate pea-like pink blooms of the cercis family. So

Have you ever gone fruit picking? The joy of picking ripe, straight-off-the-tree fruit to enjoy over the coming weeks is a delightful experience. Next time, don’t just take home the fruit — take home a tree! PlantNet offers an exclusive range of frui

With cooler weather comes less gardening. That’s the age-old adage and it’s 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 surfa

The time has come to get your own garden toolkit together or maybe add a couple of extras to the shed. You hit your local hardware barn and in a flash your well-laid plans descend into confusion as you’re faced with aisle after aisle packed with a mu

Gourds are squash-like vegetables but they’re not grown to be eaten. Although you can eat them when they’re small, as they grow and mature they become bitter. Rather than being grown as an edible vegetable, this long, hard fruit is grown to be used.

After a long, cold winter in cooler, temperate climates, it’s reassuring to see new shoots appearing. The first asparagus shoots in the vegetable garden is an exciting moment. Harvest them daily, as the spears quickly become tall and woody. Not so we

Although lawns have been a source of pride and joy for homeowners for generations, they can also cause grief when they aren’t performing well. After a cold winter, lawns can look shaggy and patchy, particularly if care hasn’t been taken with some sim

With the warmer weather on the horizon, we often find our backyards looking a bit weathered after the cooler months. We tend to neglect them during colder periods, sometimes even using them as storage spaces or a bit of a dumping ground. So how can w

If you’ve fallen in love with French cooking and adore the small, almost pearl-like onions that often star in slow-cooked recipes, then you’re a convert to eschalots (also confusingly known as shallots, French shallots or golden shallots). Like large

The Dedon Swingrest is in a class of its own. Featuring a rotating table top and sophisticated hanging system, this hanging sofa offers comfort and style for your backyard. Suspend over your backyard or verandah and let the soft swinging motion rock

When it comes to beautiful, versatile Aussie plants, callistemons are up there with the best of them. Commonly called bottlebrushes because of their uniquely shaped flowers, they’re a popular plant in many gardens and very attractive to birds, so it’