Phil and Brenda Wynn have been to Bali six times, starting with their first visit in 1995. They fell in love with the lifestyle, culture and the lush, tropical gardens of Bali, so much so that they decided to come home and transform their Newcastle backyard into a tropical paradise. The completed makeover is stunning, and so authentic that whenever Phil and Brenda go into the garden they imagine they’re still on holidays! The makeover was completed in stages. Phil, who is a boilermaker by trade, did most of the design and construction himself with the assistance of family members. He took photos of pavilions in Bali so that he could replicate the look in the backyard at home. He also constructed garden furniture, three ponds and a boardwalk. The boardwalk was inspired by an article on Rene and Carolyn Hundscheidt’s garden in the April 2001 issue of the ‘Burke’s Backyard’ magazine. Don was very impressed with the beautiful garden seat which Phil built after purchasing a similar, single-seat chair from ‘Insideout’ – Exotic Style, an importer and stockist of exotic furniture and homewares. He made cardboard template cutouts of the frame and constructed his own chair with a longer dimension. He attempted to make it as genuine as possible, even using wooden nails, or dowels, to join the timber in most instances. He used oregon timber though the original was constructed out of teak. Brenda and Phil worked on the garden together and decorated it with Balinese statues, flags and umbrellas, as well as gas lanterns designed and built by Phil. Most of the statues and larger items were purchased from shops in Newcastle. At present Phil is busy building plinths for the statues from Hebel blocks, another idea he picked up from the ‘Burke’s Backyard’ magazine. (Hebel is a lightweight, aerated concrete that is easy to carve.) Plants in the garden include frangipanis, bird of paradise, cordylines, banana trees, dwarf philodendrons, bangalow palms, hibiscus, zinnias, gingers, tiger grass and tree ferns. Brenda loves the peaceful feeling in the garden, and enjoys watering all the plants and burning incense. Phil explained that the whole area has a very special ambience at night when the lights and the gas lanterns are turned on. That’s when he and Brenda grab a bottle of wine, go into the garden and relive the magic of their holidays all over again.
Read more about Phil and Brenda’s garden in the July edition of the ‘Burke’s Backyard’ magazine, available now at newsagents and supermarkets for $4.95. The book shown in our segment was Bali Modern – The Art of Tropical Living, by Gianni Francione with photos by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, 2000, ISBN 9625930191. You may also like to refer to Balinese Gardens by William Warren. Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, 1995, ISBN 9625934669.
Phil’s garden seat was based on one he purchased from: ‘Insideout’ – Exotic Style 192 Parry Street, Newcastle, NSW Phone: (02) 4962 5577