Backyard and Outdoor Living

The 20th year of the International Garden Festival wowed the crowds in Canada, with its theme of “Playgrounds” throwing up a multitude of bright, colourful and fun interactive gardens provided by more than 70 architects, landscape architects and desi

Focal points don’t have to stand loud and proud. In fact, when it comes to the placement of sculpture and art, it can be all the more effective when nestled within a garden bed or placed in front of a vine-clad wall that provides a backdrop and textu

A great way to give your outdoor space pizzazz is to have a focal point that screams class, style, chill… whatever you want it to scream, in fact. How to choose the right feature is the stumbling block for some people, though, which is why Karen Boot

When Trevor and Gillian Thornton’s daughter Victoria announced she was getting married to her partner Nathan, there was one place that sang out as the wedding venue — the Thorntons’ three-acre property in Nana Glen on the New South Wales mid-north co

Think you recognise Claudia Bowman, but not quite sure where from? If you’re an Airtasker fan, that’s probably the answer. Currently the face of the online task-sourcing site thanks to her prolific (and successful) pitches, Claudia now runs her own g

In memory of her mother and grandmother who’d recently passed away, landscape design student Trish Morrison created a garden sanctuary for the Boutique Gardens Competition by Landscaping Victoria Master Landscapers. A space to slow down and centre yo

While inner-city living has a unique charm made up of a mix of convenience and quirky character, homeowners often have to pay a high price: losing the luxury of personal outdoor space. Most of Sydney’s iconic terrace houses have access to handkerchie

In Kingswood, Adelaide, a residence with bold, red-brick architecture required a garden that matched the home’s striking aesthetic. The homeowners dreamed of an elegant, formal garden with lush green foliage, a water feature, roses and hedging. Their

Springgreen Landscapes principal Jean-Clément Printemps certainly had his work cut out for him with this brief, which required working with a narrow block, sectioning off an area of the space and creating a low-maintenance space with points of intere

The young owners of this property in Montreal, Canada, though residing in America, wanted the outdoor space transformed into a cosy, welcoming spot, ideal for weekend get-togethers with their friends. So, in stepped designer Martine Brisson and lands

With a swimming pool and fully equipped outdoor entertaining area, the rear garden of this contemporary Melbourne home beckons the family to spend time outdoors. And, thanks to the effortless shift between indoor and outdoor areas, the family’s overa

When you travel as often as the owners of this contemporary home, you don’t want to spend all your at-home time mowing lawns and digging out weeds. You want a garden that’s low-maintenance — and if you’re as easygoing as these homeowners, you’ll want

Homegrown produce has so much to offer — greater flavour and freshness, the chance to eat veggies grown without chemicals (if you choose to go organic), and the opportunity to get in touch with the rhythms of nature and feel a connection to the earth

As spring inches its way towards summer, thoughts increasingly turn to outdoor living — lunches on the deck, picnics on the lawn, dinner under the stars, lounging by the pool. Having a well-furnished, beautifully decorated outdoor living space makes

Wes Fleming was raised growing trees. His father grew them, his uncles, his grandfather. In fact, nearly all the men and women around him during his childhood were tree growers. So it’s no surprise to anyone that Wes is renowned today as one of Austr

What’s more important in a backyard than the grass beneath your feet? A soft and lush lawn is the backdrop to your home and the place to hang out on the weekend all summer long. Whether you’re entertaining on warm nights or simply enjoying the sun, t

Helping home heroes and weekend warriors since 1993, Ozito puts the power into power tools. From lawn mowers, blowers, hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, lawn edgers and chainsaws all the way to pruners, all your DIY needs can be met in one place. Gone

The challenge all gardeners face is trying to grow gardens in tired, depleted soils. It doesn’t matter if it’s sand, clay, rock or silt, if there is no life in the soil, the plants will always be dependent on a gardener to keep them alive. Nature has

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

With many parts of Australia seeing consistently warmer than average temperatures, keeping lawns and gardens lush and thriving throughout the year can be a challenge. Choosing a watering system that gives your green space the best chance of success i

Gardening is a great way to be at one with nature and get your hands dirty. But lurking in that environment are some nasty bacteria and fungi with the potential to cause you serious harm. We therefore need to be vigilant with gardening gloves and oth

Allowing your garden to continue to thrive during the drier summer period, and at the same time remain a place of calm and enjoyment, takes a little work. Here are my top tips. Something we don’t often think about is the impact of our own noise pollu

With petite house blocks and the rise of apartment-style living, many would-be home gardeners don’t have enough room to swing a cat, let alone grow a vegetable patch. The good news is you don’t need a lot of room to cultivate fresh produce. With vert

For most of us, lawnmower maintenance needs to be done by a local lawnmower mechanic, like oil changes and tuneups, but you’ll find the rest is pretty easy to do yourself at home. Every time you mow the lawn, you need to make sure you’re putting away

Hospitals are seeing about 5000 admissions for falls from ladders every year — and 80 per cent of those are domestic. Many result in brain injuries and some, tragically, in death. Most of these falls are incurred by men, and baby boomers are the most

The name eggplant seems something of a misnomer when you look at this large, glossy, purple-skinned vegetable. That’s because the eggplants we favour today are different from those grown centuries ago when the name was coined. Early cultivars that we

The pomegranate is among the oldest cultivated fruits, originating from Persia, Afghanistan and surrounding areas. The fruit is striking to look at hanging on the tree, but even more beautiful when you cut it open to reveal the fleshy jewel-like seed

We all dream of sitting poolside with a good book, and with the right seating this dream can become a reality. The elegant and beautifully crafted Nomad poufs by Cosh Living offer a space for you to sit and enjoy your outdoor area in comfort. The mod