This is part of our first home reno series. Please remember to read our "Reno & Home Improvement Advice" blog before you attempt such a large project on your own.

• Home Reno Overview
• Master Bedroom, Wardrobe and Ensuite Renovation
• Parents Retreat - Media Room and Balcony
• Bespoke Merbau Deck and Pavilion
• Garden of Eden - Make Over
• Spa Extreme Make Over
• Hamptons Inspired Kitchen and Dining Room Renovation
• Living Areas & Walk Through Make Over!
• Front Yard and Front House Exterior Renovation
• Workshop and Garage Makeover
• Home Renovation Completion

A Luscious Paradise!

The Brief:

Our previous property was just under half an acre of manicured gardens which included four water features and three hedges, so we wanted something MUCH simpler and less time consuming to maintain while being waterwise and still eye catching into the bargain.

The Journey:

We thought about what to do here over several months after stripping garden back and while the renovation was progressing and decided that given we had a heap of palms sitting in pots we would run with a semi tropical theme. Having said that, we were somewhat concerned that a lot of our old statues and the likes may not suit such a garden but we decided to go ahead anyway, however, with some reservations.

The other thing we wanted to achieve was a levelling out of the right hand side before putting down turf ,so apart from the soil that was produced from drilling all the stump holes for the deck we bought in a lot of high grade top soil to build it up to an almost level surface, after we had turned it all over with a rotary hoe in preparation for turf. ( Drop off was considerably steep to begin with).

We also built a raised garden bed with same top soil at the rear of the deck that was bordered with aluminium mowing strip in a semi circle. Top soil was also spread on the left hand side to both level it up a bit and prepare it for the laying of turf. Irrigation was added to all garden beds and we decided that all the pots would be used to give the plants an instant raised effect, this we did by cutting around 100mm off the bottom of the pot and planting them into a well in the garden bed. Retainer walls were added to various areas to border off garden beds from lawns. A stone walkway was added to both sides of the house meeting the lawn at their ends.

Lastly; we wanted a utility area at the very back where our garden shed is so we built a bamboo screen and gate to hide it from view and put a matching bamboo screen at the other end of the fence to balance it. Statues were added and a seat with a screen behind it that has a palm leaf design (left over from front screen fence) and a new plant added below that will in time meet the bottom of the screen.

Last but not least all beds were covered in a generous layer of black mulch.

Get the Look:

Materials used are as follows:

• Quality top soil that is free draining for all garden beds and turf and aluminium plus treated pine garden borders.
• 19mm irrigation tube, quality risers, sprayers, filter and timer for irrigation system.
• 7mm Stones for paths laid on weed matt and black garden mulch for garden beds.
• Bangalow palms, cocas palms, maiden hair ferns, birds nests, cycads etc planted.
• Large and small stags plus other air plants back fence.
• Statues various, concrete seat, plus other steel antique garden ornaments coated with preservative penetrol and timber items coated with linseed oil.
• Bamboo panels fixed with ss screws to treated pine frame, steel framed bamboo gate.
• Treated pine fence extension privacy screens on side fence.
• Buffalo grass turf which is best for Australian conditions plus low light areas.
• Garden lighting via 316 stainless steel deck lights and some solar lights.

Next up in this series - Spa Extreme Make Over