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Westbrook Garden Imagine having to create a garden on a steep, rocky hillside with very little soil, low rainfall and no town water. Against all the odds, Chris Coffey enthusiastically accepted the challenge of landscaping 1.5 hectares (3.5 acres) of land in the...
White Rooftop Garden Don discovered an ultra modern garden and entertainment area on the roof of a Melbourne office building. Jamie Loft, Landscape Designer and Company Director of the garden and pool design business ‘Out From The Blue’, gave Don a guided...
Don was faced with a gardener’s worst nightmare: a backyard completely overgrown with weeds. This thick jungle of nasties included lantana (Lantana camara), wandering jew (Tradescantia albiflora), morning glory (Ipomoea indica) and privet (Ligustrum lucidum)....
White Wall Makeover Don looked at a classic example of a problem faced by many gardeners: a stark, white wall. The owners had tried to soften the brickwork by planting a select variety of birch tree. Betula nigra (select form) ‘Tropical Birch’ grows...
Don looked at a camellia that appeared to have quite a few leaf problems. Rounded sections from some leaves were completely missing; some leaves had yellow blotches, while others were covered in dry, silvery brown patches. However, closer inspection revealed that the...
Lilly pillies are tremendously popular in Australian gardens, particularly for hedging and topiary. In fact, these Australian natives are often planted as hedges instead of box. However, there is one thing you should be aware of before you put in a lilly pilly. Many...
Merlo’s Garden Jack Merlo is a Melbourne-based landscape designer who is setting a new standard in style for turn of the century Australian suburban landscapes. His work has been described as ‘disciplined yet extremely innovative and appealing’, and...
The latest trend sweeping Australian backyards is the creation of fantasy gardens. Often overseas travel provides the inspiration, then people return home and make their gardens over as a way of keeping those happy holiday memories alive. Many backyards are now pure...
Moran Garden The Moran house and garden was designed in 1925 by Harold Desbrowe Annear, a towering figure in the history of Australian architecture. The building is a mix of classical and baroque elements, while the garden has an Italian and Mediterranean influence....
Natural Rock Swimming Pool Once swimming pools were boring, rectangular things in the backyard, but now innovative designers are creating pools that are not only stylish, but also water wonderlands for children. Don visited the Wynne family and looked at their...