Chris and Beatie Parsons bought their house in desperation having missed out on so many others in their search for a new home. The house was not what they had in mind but several years of hard work have transformed it into the home they now love. Another transformation took place during the renovations with Beatie retraining herself to start a new career following her retrenchment from the banking industry. Chris was so proud of his wife he wanted to surprise her with a new backyard to relax in following all her hard work and study.

Design intent

Landscape designer, Matthew Cantwell, from Secret Gardens of Sydney has created a contemporary garden that meets all of the owners needs for this small outdoor room. Paving and gravel mulch creates interest at ground level while a timber structure provides the framework to a water trough, overhead planting and built in seating. A limited palette of foliage plants provides unity throughout the design and will keep maintenance to a minimum. Design ideas: This small garden has a reason to be used now that it has a focal point in the form of the timber water feature and bench seating. A sense of intrigue has also been created by partially screening views to the garden with the clever placement of foliage plants. A glimpse of a focal point is a great design tool to encourage people out into the garden.

Adapting this plan to your garden

Make a detailed scale drawing of your backyard (eg 1:100) showing the location of the house and major features then incorporate the desired elements from our makeover. As your garden will be a different size, you will need to estimate the required amounts of materials.

Note: On your plan show the locations of any services (water pipes, sewerage, power, phone, etc) so you can avoid damaging them during the makeover.

Permits and approvals: Check with your local council regarding regulations about water features. If your water feature is deeper than a certain depth, you may be required to erect a pool fence around it. The depths vary between council areas across Australia.

Getting started

A bobcat was used to remove existing concrete and to excavate soil to subgrade levels for paving and garden beds. Post holes for the central structure and new fencing were drilled with the auger attachment on the bobcat. 

Garden elements

Timber feature: Scott and Jamie built a practical and attractive timber structure as the centre piece to the garden. A solid frame was created using treated pine posts (H4, 90x90mm) bearers (H3, 140x45mm) and joists (H3, 90x45mm). Posts were installed in the ground in rapid setting concrete, support bearers bolted in place with galvanised cup head bolts. Joists were skew nailed in the same manner as used for deck construction. Decking timbers were connected to the face of the structure with spiral shanked decking nails and stained with decking oil. Blitz Tipz: Scott used a nail gun for speed and ease of construction but screws can also be used to attach the decking boards to the face of the framework.

Paving: Nigel laid large reconstituted sandstone pavers (495x495x40mm) in a geometric pattern that helps to define the shape of the garden beds. Compacted roadbase creates a solid subgrade whilst coarse washed river sand provides a level bed for the pavers. Fine grained grouting sand swept between the large pavers helps to lock them in place while a quick setting concrete haunch prevents the bedding sand from washing away. Blitz Tipz: Nigel connected some paver beading to the top of pavers surrounding air vents, with construction adhesive to prevent water from flowing beneath the house.

Fencing: Jamie and Scott replaced the rotting side fence with a combined retaining wall and paling fence. Treated pine fence posts (three hole) installed vertically in ground in rapid setting concrete support treated pine sleepers (2400x200x75mm) nailed horizontally to the posts. Pine fence rails slipped through the holes in each post are skew nailed in place to support pine palings nailed against the rails. Blitz Tipz: Only use appropriately treated pine sleepers for retaining walls as non-treated sleepers will eventually rot.

Plants

Hardy and attractive palms, and clumping groundcovers are an elegant complement to the built landscape while needing minimal levels of care.

Palm: Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Shrub: cycad (Cycas revoluta)

Perennials: giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), ctenanthe (Ctenanthe