Backyard and Outdoor Living

WORDS: ALICE GRIFFIN PHOTOS: MARIAN RIABIC 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 inclin

WORDS: CARROL BAKER PHOTOS: JENNA FAHEY WHITE 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 com

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 Bail

WORDS: LOUISE SMITHERS PHOTOS: BLACKBOX COLLECTIVE — FABIO SILVESTRE “Clean, contemporary and Asian influences permeate this functional and beautiful family garden” Blooming with contrasting features and ideas, this Kensington garden in Sydney’s East

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 l

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

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

WORDS: DANIELLE TOWNSEND PHOTOS: GREG SCOTT “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 diffi

WORDS: NICK VALE PHOTOS: NICK VALE & COURTESY OF BELLS AT KILLCARE 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 forma

WORDS: DIANE NORRIS Leafy green Asian vegetables are tasty, nutritious, easy to grow and versatile in the kitchen. All are good sources of calcium and vitamins A, C and K. They can be steamed, stir-fried, stewed, braised or chopped and cooked in soup

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 renovat

WORDS: DANIELLE TOWNSEND PHOTOS: DARREN CHUNG 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 des

WORDS & PHOTOS: CLAIRE BICKLE 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) pro

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 wh

WORDS & PHOTOS: SALLY PLOTTEL “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 wo

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 Redf

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

WORDS: KAREN BOOTH “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 th

WORDS: NICOLE MULLOY 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

WORDS: KAREN BOOTH “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 de

WORDS: JOHN SCOTT 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 al

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

WORDS: JENNIFER STACKHOUSE 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 grow

WORDS & PHOTOS: CLAIRE BICKLE 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 an

WORDS: MELISSA KING 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,

WORDS & PHOTOS: TOM & ZAIA KENDALL 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 to