Building a garden is one of the most satisfying things you’ll ever do. Don’t be overwhelmed by the task. A fairly ordinary backyard can be turned into a colourful and interesting garden using a little imagination and a few tricks.
The makeover
On the ‘Burke’s Backyard’ segment, Don looked at the Addison family garden, a good example of a nice, neat garden that simply doesn’t work very well. Everything was painted a soft blue colour, but against a backdrop of scruffy native plants, the garden was not very interesting. Don set out to make an exciting, colourful garden with the help of the Addison family, a few buckets of paint, new plants and interesting ornaments.
The house remained its pale blue colour, but all the Australian native plants were removed because apart from looking unhealthy, they simply didn’t provide colour and excitement. The plants were replaced with brightly coloured and textured succulents and some tropical flowering plants. The walls of the garden and furniture were painted bright shades of ochre, pink and blue. A timber pergola was added, and painted a bright shade of orange. Strategically placed, brightly coloured Mexican pots tie the whole theme together. Don planted an Agave victoriae-reginae in one pot and placed it in the landscape. The pots come in all shapes and sizes and are a great addition to any garden.
Brightly coloured cushions, painted garden chairs and a parrot mobile completed the Mexican look and feel of this new garden.
Mexican Makeover Plan
Mexican Makeover Plants
The plants for this garden are mainly succulents or tropical. Their different shapes, colours and sizes add interest and life to the space. Plants used :
- Sansevieria trifasciata – Mother-in-law’s tongue
- Kalanchoe blossfeldiana – Kalanchoe
- Agave attenuata – Agave
- Dracaena draco – Dragon’s blood tree
- Plumeria acutifolia – Frangipani
- Bougainvillea hybrids – ‘Aussie Gold’, ‘Thai Gold’, ‘Klong Fire’, ‘Pagoda Pink’
Most of these plants will be available at your local nursery.
Additional Materials
Adirondack Chairs, $345 each, unpainted available from:
Adirondack Designs Australia
16 Industrial Avenue
Caloundra QLD 4551
Phone: (07) 5491 8977
Fax: (07) 5437 0520
Parrot Mobile available from:
Bali in Profile
81 Pacific Highway
Roseville NSW 2069
Phone (02) 9413 1622
The paint used on the front gate, window surrounds, pergola and chairs
was Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen Acrylic, the colours were Valencia
and Exotic Pink.