Janet Dangerfield asked landscape designer Andrew Quixley to come up with a design for her courtyard that was ‘different’, and that would arouse all the senses. The result is a fabulous water theatre, which Don describes as the most inventive use of water...
Burke’s Backyard first visited Rene and Carolyn Hundscheidt in 1998, when they were just starting their garden. Rene utilised his skills as a builder to design and carry out the construction work. The original native garden was bulldozed, and a fabulous,...
When garden designer Rebecca Haynes first saw this tiny courtyard, it was an unattractive area full of dead plants, hanging baskets and mosquitoes! Her main challenge was to create a garden that was good to look at, almost like a 3-D painting, because the courtyard...
Don visited Polly and Peter Park at their home in the Canberra suburb of Red Hill, and chatted to them about their amazing garden. The front garden is a formal garden of clipped hedges and a neat lawn. Beyond this facade lies something extraordinary. This is not one...
Coliban Garden Don visited Coliban, the home of Beh Kim Un and John Dunham. It is named after the Coliban river, which forms its boundary over more than 2.5 kilometres. In the early 1800s the property was used for sheep and cattle grazing, then after the discovery of...
Jamie Durie designed this minimalist, Australian contemporary garden overlooking the Pacific Ocean. His brief was to incorporate a swimming pool, spa and entertaining area into the design, while making the most of the spectacular views. Main entrance The main entrance...
Garden designer Mark Vowles has transformed a bare block of land at Deception Bay, Queensland, into a lush, tropical garden. He has travelled widely, and was inspired by the ancient and modern tropical styles of Thailand, Bali and the South Pacific. Mark has a passion...
Greek Style Courtyard When garden designer Matthew Cantwell first saw the courtyard shown in our segment, it was ugly and dated. Quarry tiles, mission brown furniture and a dilapidated paling fence made it a depressing place where the family definitely did not want to...
Indian Goddess Garden In 1996 Julia Wright wrote to Burke’s Backyard asking for help with the landscaping nightmare that she had inherited. The small courtyard at the rear of Julia’s terrace was barren, out-of-date, and completely covered by ugly dark...
Japanese Garden Although many Australians dream of living near the beach, gardening by the seaside can be quite a challenge. Not only are beach sites usually very windy, but the plants also have to cope with sandy soil and salt spray. Don visited a Japanese-style...