What is the most wind-resistant patio umbrella?

When it comes to patio umbrellas, finding one that is wind-resistant is a must. There’s nothing worse than seeing your umbrella topple over with a single gust of wind – not only is this a safety hazard, but it could also damage other pieces (like dining tables and chairs) that you also have occupying your patio. So, how do you know a patio umbrella is wind resistant? Here are a few key elements to consider, below.

• A durable frame – this may sound obvious, but what your patio umbrella is made out of is, well, make or break. Consider materials like aluminium, fiberglass or steel as they provide structural integrity to withstand most winds.
• Reinforced joints – your umbrella should be reinforced where possible.
• Design – most wind-resistant patio umbrellas have an aerodynamic shape that allows wind to easily flow around it (rather than catching it). Some designs may include vented canopies or special wind vents to reduce wind pressure. 
• Heavy base – a house is as good as its foundation. This saying rings true when it comes to finding a high-quality patio umbrella. A stable and heavy base is crucial to ensure your patio umbrella is firmly on the ground.
  

The best large patio umbrellas in Australia 2024

01

Cabana Dreams 2.1m Rivie market umbrella

$999, Temple & Webster

Transform your outdoor space with the Rivie 2.1m Market Umbrella, designed to provide both shade and sophistication. Perfect for Aussie summers, this umbrella offers a practical yet chic solution for your backyard, balcony, or beachside retreat.

Crafted with a durable powder-coated steel frame, the Rivie umbrella is built to withstand the elements while maintaining its timeless charm. The fade-resistant canopy ensures vibrant colours and reliable UV protection, so you can relax in style season after season.

Easy to use with its smooth crank mechanism, setting up your shady spot has never been simpler. Whether you’re hosting a barbecue, sipping your morning coffee, or unwinding with a good book, the Rivie Market Umbrella is your go-to for comfort and elegance outdoors.

Key Features:

• 2.1m canopy diameter for ample shade
• Fade-resistant polyester fabric for lasting colour
• Sturdy powder-coated steel frame for durability
• Smooth crank mechanism for effortless operation
• Classic design complements any outdoor aesthetic

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02

Costway 2.8M patio umbrella with crank handle

$85.95, Amazon

Add a touch of charm to your outdoor area with the Costway Ruffled 2.7m Patio Umbrella. Designed for both function and style, this umbrella is perfect for shielding you from the harsh Aussie sun while elevating your alfresco setting with its ruffled edge and timeless aesthetic.

The durable canopy provides excellent UV protection, ensuring long-lasting shade and comfort, while the sturdy steel pole and heavy-duty ribs offer reliable stability, even in breezy conditions. Whether you’re hosting a garden party, enjoying a family barbecue, or simply lounging by the pool, this umbrella has you covered—literally!

Its easy-tilt mechanism lets you adjust the angle of shade effortlessly, so you can stay cool and comfortable all day long. The classic yet whimsical design makes it a stunning addition to patios, courtyards, and gardens alike.

Key Features:

• 2.7m canopy diameter for expansive coverage
• UV-protective and fade-resistant polyester fabric
• Ruffled edge for a stylish, vintage-inspired look
• Heavy-duty steel pole and ribs for durability
• Easy-tilt mechanism for adjustable shade

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03

Striped Brighton Market umbrella

$129.99, Temple & Webster

Create a breezy coastal vibe in your outdoor space with the Brighton 2.7m Striped Market Umbrella. Its classic striped design adds a pop of sophistication to patios, gardens, and poolside settings, making it the ideal companion for sunny Australian days.

The generously sized 2.7m canopy offers ample shade, perfect for entertaining guests or relaxing with family. Made from high-quality, fade-resistant polyester, the umbrella ensures long-lasting protection against UV rays while retaining its vibrant stripes.

Built for stability, the sturdy steel frame is powder-coated for durability, making it a reliable addition to your outdoor furniture setup. The easy-to-use crank mechanism allows for seamless opening and closing, ensuring hassle-free enjoyment every time.

Key Features:

• 2.7m wide canopy for extensive shade coverage
• Eye-catching striped design for a chic coastal aesthetic
• Fade-resistant polyester fabric with UV protection
• Durable powder-coated steel frame for stability
• Effortless crank mechanism for smooth operation

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04

Instahut outdoor umbrella in beige

$92.95 (usually $135.95), Amazon

Upgrade your outdoor living space with the Instahut 3m Outdoor Cantilever Umbrella. Designed for both style and functionality, this umbrella delivers generous shade while enhancing the look of your patio, deck, or garden.

The expansive 3m canopy is crafted from premium polyester fabric that’s fade-resistant and water-repellent, providing reliable UV protection while maintaining its elegant beige colour. Its cantilever design allows for optimal flexibility, making it perfect for covering outdoor seating, dining areas, or poolside lounges.

Built with a durable powder-coated steel frame, this umbrella is designed to withstand Australian weather conditions. The smooth crank lift and easy-tilt function let you adjust the canopy effortlessly, ensuring shade wherever it’s needed. A stable cross base adds extra support, and the contemporary design complements any outdoor setting.

Key Features:

• 3m wide cantilever canopy for maximum shade
• UV-resistant, fade-proof, and water-repellent polyester fabric
• Durable powder-coated steel frame for lasting stability
• Smooth crank lift and adjustable tilt mechanism
• Modern design to suit any outdoor decor

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05

Shade Master MK2

$499 (usually $629), Amart

Enjoy the great outdoors in comfort with the Shade Master MK2 Outdoor Umbrella. Perfect for Australian backyards, patios, and entertaining areas, this umbrella offers a generous 3.5m canopy, providing reliable shade for you and your guests on sunny days.

Constructed with a durable aluminium frame and heavy-duty polyester fabric, the Shade Master MK2 is built to withstand the elements while offering excellent UV protection. Its cantilever design allows for maximum versatility, making it ideal for covering outdoor dining sets, lounges, or poolside spaces.

The smooth crank system ensures effortless setup, while the adjustable tilt feature allows you to customise your shade throughout the day. Designed for stability and style, the Shade Master MK2 seamlessly blends into any outdoor setting, delivering both practicality and timeless appeal.

Key Features:

• Expansive 3.5m canopy for generous shade coverage
• UV-resistant and durable polyester fabric
• Strong and lightweight aluminium frame for longevity
• Easy-to-use crank system for simple operation
• Adjustable tilt design for optimal shade control

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06

Kazuno umbrella by Havana Outdoors

$134, Freedom

Elevate your beach days with the Kazuno Beach Umbrella, a perfect blend of retro style and modern functionality. Designed with a generous 2m shade canopy offering UPF 50+ sun protection, it ensures your outdoor fun stays safe and comfortable under the Aussie sun.

The durable polyester canopy is built to last, while the 70s-inspired design, complete with charming cotton tassels, adds a touch of vintage glamour to your seaside setup. Its sturdy beach pole with a convenient connector makes setup a breeze, allowing you to spend less time assembling and more time relaxing.

For ultimate convenience, the Kazuno Beach Umbrella comes with a matching carry bag, making it lightweight and easy to transport. Whether you’re off to the beach, pool, or a sunny picnic, this stylish and practical umbrella is your perfect outdoor companion.

Key Features:

• 2m canopy with UPF 50+ sun protection
• Durable polyester fabric for long-lasting use
• Sturdy beach pole with an easy connector system
• Retro-inspired design with eye-catching cotton tassels
• Matching carry bag for effortless portability

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07

Black Sands Market umbrella

$179 (usually $299), Sunday Supply Co.

Step up your beach game with the Black Sands Beach Umbrella by Sunday Supply Co., where elegance meets durability. Designed with a sleek, monochrome aesthetic, this premium beach umbrella is as stylish as it is practical, offering a touch of sophistication to your outdoor adventures.

The expansive 2m canopy provides generous coverage and is made from high-quality, UV-rated fabric, offering UPF 50+ sun protection to keep you cool and safe under the harsh Aussie sun. Its sturdy, rust-resistant steel frame and reinforced poles ensure reliable stability, even on breezy days, making it a dependable companion for any seaside outing.

With its timeless black-and-white design, matching carry bag, and lightweight construction, the Black Sands Beach Umbrella is as easy to transport as it is to admire. Whether you’re lounging on the sand, enjoying a picnic, or relaxing poolside, this umbrella effortlessly blends function with flair.

Key Features:

• 2m wide canopy offering UPF 50+ sun protection
• Durable UV-rated fabric for lasting colour and coverage
• Sturdy rust-resistant steel frame for dependable stability
• Elegant black-and-white design with premium finishes
• Lightweight and portable with a matching carry bag

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How do I choose an outdoor umbrella?

Choosing an outdoor umbrella requires considering key factors for Aussie conditions. Start with size—ensure the canopy provides ample shade for your space. Look for materials like UV-resistant fabric and rust-proof aluminium or steel frames to withstand Australia’s harsh sun and coastal climates. A sturdy base is essential for stability, especially in windy areas. Consider adjustability, such as tilt and crank mechanisms, for customised shade throughout the day. Style matters too—opt for designs and colours that complement your outdoor decor. Finally, think about portability if you’ll be moving it between spots like the backyard, pool, or beach.

How do I protect my outdoor umbrella?

Protecting your outdoor umbrella ensures it lasts through diverse weather conditions. Always close and secure the umbrella when not in use, especially during windy or stormy weather, to prevent damage. Invest in a durable, weatherproof cover to shield it from sun, rain, and dust when stored. Clean the canopy regularly with mild soap and water to prevent mould and fading. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or scrubbing too hard. If your umbrella is portable, store it indoors during the off-season or extreme weather. Lastly, ensure the base is sturdy to prevent tipping and check for any loose fittings or wear.

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Environmental sustainability

“Sustainability was the number one design principle,” shares Anthony. Christine agrees, adding, “If you’re going to build a new house, I feel like there’s a responsibility to be as sustainable as you can.” While they agreed on that approach, which informed much of the planting palette, they also had their own priorities. For Anthony, creating a productive garden filled with fresh, seasonal produce was key, while Christine really wanted a calming oasis with natural beauty that she could enjoy.

Emmaline found the perfect balance between the two in a layered approach where every element complements the others. The use of Australian native plants led to a hardy, drought-resistant and water-wise garden that also encourages a wide range of pollinators, from bees and butterflies to birds. In turn, these frequent visitors help Anthony’s produce to flourish. It’s a symbiotic relationship, but Emmaline never let beauty fall by the wayside. Function and style are inseparable here.

Australian native plants

“There’s a perception that Australian native gardens aren’t as visually interesting, but the flowers and the colour are mindblowing,” shares Anthony. There’s a sense of movement, too, thanks to native grasses and beloved pollinators. This creates what Emmaline dubs “a wild Australian meadow” look that stuns not just the family, but passersby too. “The number of people who take photos is phenomenal,” says Christine, who watches it all from her office window at the front of the house.

Front yard style

“These days, front gardens tend to be a visual piece instead of functional,” explains Emmaline. But with this build enjoying a north-facing orientation, she saw the opportunity to make the most of the bountiful sunshine. “We wanted to make the front this vibrant space where you can see it all working.” Recycled timber sleepers create a subtle boundary while still allowing an almost unobstructed view of the bustling space. The garden was also designed to complement the warmth of the home’s recycled red bricks, blackbutt timber cladding and Weathertex finished in Dulux Colorbond® Night Sky®.

Sawn basalt pavers lead from the street to the front door, with lush groundcover in the form of Dichondra repens weaving between the steps. Emmaline intentionally limited the amount of hardscaping in the garden to evoke a sense of wild wonder. Upstairs on the balcony, Syzygium peeks out above the blackbutt timber cladding. Christine’s home office is situated beside the entrance, with gum vine growing in front for privacy.

Emmaline’s favourite Australian native plants

Architecture: Ben Callery Architects, bencallery.com.au, @bencalleryarchitects

Builder: Keenan Built, 0419 366 394

Landscape design: STEM Landscape Architecture & Design, stemlandscape.com, @stem_emmalinebowman

SOURCE BOOK

The post Australian native plants are the secret to this sustainable garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

While there’s no such thing as a magic fix in the garden, knowing the tricks of the trade will help you create a garden that looks beautiful, stays healthy and makes you feel happy every time you step outside or look out the window. And, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can implement all of these tips yourself.

Design secrets

• Save money by hiring someone to draw your landscape design, and then plant it yourself.
• Street view is important, but make sure you take a look at your garden from inside your house. It needs to look good from your windows.
• Choose flowers by looking at a colour wheel. Colours that are opposite each other look amazing when planted together, like red and blue.
• Take a walk through your neighbourhood and take note of plants in the area that seem to be thriving. Consider using these plants in your own garden design. It’s a trick the owner of this bucolic cottage garden in the NSW Southern Tablelands tried with amazing success.
• When selecting a feature tree, always consider the available space in the garden first. If the tree is too big you’ll be forever pruning it. If the tree is too small, it won’t have the impact you desire.
• Avoid white pebbles like the plague. They might look great initially, but over time they will turn yellow, scatter and become a hassle every time you mow the lawn. They also won’t add any nutrients to the soil like an organic mulch will.

Planting tips

• Don’t plant your flower beds too narrow or close to the house. You should extend your beds out by at least one to two thirds of the height of your house.
• Don’t dig your plants too deep. The roots can suffocate and collected water can cause them to rot.
• When planting groups of the same species, plant them in odd numbers such as seven or nine. Repeat the group throughout your garden for a cohesive effect.
• Twice a year, use a fertilizer with time-releasing water-insoluble nitrogen.
• To prevent soil drying out over a hot summer, apply a 3-5cm layer of mulch to garden beds.
• If you want to try growing fresh herbs, start with hardy Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, rosemary and sage.

Lawn know-how

• Most established lawns need less fertilizer. You should water once a week, or once every five days in extreme heat.
• Don’t pick up leaves. Instead, mow over them and leave them to break down on your lawn. It will help keep weeds down.
• Don’t pick up the grass clippings. They’ll be great food for earthworms and microbes that will help keep your lawn healthy.
• Want a lawn that stays green and hydrated? Forget sprinklers. Lay a good quality turf suitable for your climate and conditions but include an irrigation plan in your landscaping design. It was a feature the owners of this Gold Coast garden opted for when updating their backyard and they worked with Reece Irrigation and Pools to map every inch of the lawn.
• If you want a picture perfect lawn without lifting a finger, an automower (aka a robotic lawn mower) is a worthwhile investment. The idea is to run it daily so that your grass stays neat and tidy all year round.

Maintenance

• Giving your garden extra TLC in autumn by planting, weeding and fertilising will create a glorious, springtime display
• Healthy soil equals a healthy garden. Keep yours nourished for free by turning food waste into a compost heap.
• If you must use a leaf blower, be sure to blow with the wind, rather than against it and always plan out how you’re going to cover each area before you begin so that you don’t have to go over the same area twice.

The post 20 things your landscaper won’t tell you appeared first on Home Beautiful.

Here, we get to the bottom of plant watering, and teach you how to take the guesswork out of the task to ensure your garden is getting just the right amount of hydration.

Soil composition 101

Soils that are sandy in texture take the least water to wet a given depth but dry out again quite quickly. 

Heavier, clay-based soils take the most water, but they also hold that water for the longest time so don’t need to be rewatered as often as sands. 

Loamy soils (an ideal mix of sand, clay, silt and organic matter) sit between the clays and the sands.

How to work out the correct amount of water for plants

Aim to apply 25–30mm each time you water. That will wet sandy soil to a depth of between 150–175mm, but only half that depth if your soil is clay based. 

To find out how long you need to run a sprinkler to deliver that amount of water, place a rain gauge, or a straight-sided jar or tin, within the range of the sprinkler. Turn the sprinkler on full and note the time. 

In exactly 15 minutes turn the sprinkler off and measure the depth of the water collected. Multiply that figure by four to get an hourly rate of delivery in millimetres.

To check on moisture penetration, wait two hours then dig down. Adjust the length of sprinkler operation in order to wet the soil to root depth.

What happens if you don’t use enough water?

Roots seek out water and if only the top few centimetres of soil are wetted, roots will rise up to the surface where they’ll be vulnerable to drying out. Thirsty plants will often look droopy (but perk back up once watered), have brown or curling leaves (not yellow leaves) and roots that are dried out. 

What happens if you use too much water?

You’ll know plants are getting too much water if the lower leaves start to turn yellow and if the plant looks sad and droopy. 

When is the best time of day to water plants?

The best time to water your plants is whenever you have the time (some water is better than no water at all), but many gardeners swear by watering in the morning. Watering in the morning has several advantages including: 

• Cooler morning temperatures reduce surface evaporation, allowing moisture to penetrate deep into the soil
• Ensures plants are hydrated as temperatures rise
• Allows any excess moisture to evaporate over the course of the day, preventing root rot

Will wetting leaves cause burns? 

Getting water on the leaves of your plants is totally harmless, so if you’ve gotten a bit carried away with the hose, don’t fret. You may have heard this myth, but you can rest assured, it’s completely false. Leaf ‘burns’ occur when a plant doesn’t have enough moisture in its leaves, making it susceptible to scorching and drying out. 

Don’t forget to mulch

Applying organic mulch to the garden is extremely important to help keep your plants hydrated throughout the hot summer months. Organic mulch (basically any kind of mulch that breaks down over time, including bark, leaves, straw, woodchips or compost)  reduces moisture loss from the soil and, over time, will break down to nourish your plants.

The post How to give your plants just the right amount of water appeared first on Home Beautiful.

Whether you’re trying to increase the value of your property by planting a magnolia or want to make an existing tree work with a new vision for your front yard, these tips are sure to inspire. Luckily, once a tree is established, magnolias are very easy to care for, providing plenty of shade in summer and fragrant flowers in spring.

Here’s how to make them work in your garden.

1. Pair with shade loving plants

Because some magnolia trees have such large canopies, the ground below may receive only dappled or indirect sunlight. Underplanting magnolias with shade-loving plants is an easy way to ensure success, and popular companion plants include clivias, peace lilies, hydrangeas and blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora). 

2. Underplant with spring bulbs

Create a symphony of blooms by underplanting your magnolia with spring-flowering bulbs. You can either select clashing colours for a showy springtime display, or choose flowers in a subdued shade (such as white or soft pink) that will enhance the beauty of the magnolia flowers above.

Top bulbs to consider include: daffodils, bluebells, blue muscari and snowflakes (Leoucojum).

3. Surround with a perfectly manicured lawn

Magnolias are magnificent, so you may want to pare back the rest of your garden.

A beautifully manicured lawn will set the scene for a magnolia tree – just be sure to rake up fallen leaves and spent flowers to ensure your lawn receives as much sunlight as possible throughout autumn and winter.

4. Position to reduce glare from the sunlight

Magnolias thrive best when planted in full sun – preferably a position with a northerly or eastern aspect. This is also likely to be the part of your house that receives the most sunlight glare, so allow your magnolia to keep the heat out of your home by positioning it in a place that will provide shade for your windows.

For a full-sized magnolia, it’s best to plant the tree at least nine metres from the house to prevent root damage to your home. Dwarf varieties have far more compact root systems, so plant at least 2-3 metres away from your house.

5. Add mulch

For the low-maintenance gardener, mulch is the way to go. Not only will it help keep the tree moist during the warmer months, organic mulch will also impart nutrients back into the soil, resulting in a tree that produces an abundance of blooms.

Deciduous vs evergreen magnolias

Deciduous magnolia trees (Magnolia soulangeana or saucer magnolias) are all about the drama. Throughout summer, they produce wide, deep green leaves that are excellent at repelling sunlight. In winter, the leaves drop, revealing a structural frame of branches. Springtime is showtime! This is when masses of tulip-shaped blooms will burst into life. Deciduous trees thrive best in a temperate climate in a position that receives direct sunlight. 

Evergreen magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), on the other hand, flower throughout the year and grow in most areas. Smaller varieties such as Teddy Bear Magnolia are particularly popular for their compact shape, luscious leaves and fragrant, creamy white flowers.

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In Australia and New Zealand, red common poppies (Papaver rhoeas), also known as Flanders poppies, have become a powerful symbol of remembrance, widely used in both Remembrance Day and Anzac Day ceremonies. According to the Australian War Memorial, the significance of the poppy stems from the First World War. One of the first plants to grow in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium were poppies.

While wearing single poppies is generally reserved for Remembrance Day (November 11), one of the best times to sow poppy seeds is in autumn, around the time of Anzac Day. So if you’re looking for a way to commemorate a loved one while getting out in the garden, this is a thoughtful and productive way to do so. 

Find out how to grow and care for poppies and add some vivid colour and motion to your garden.

While we may associate poppies with Anzac Day, poppies have been used to symbolise eternal sleep, remembrance and rebirth for thousands of years, and were often used as an offering in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. 

What does the poppy symbolise? 

Best growing conditions for poppies

If you plant poppies in the right spot, they require very little care – if any at all. They like well drained soil, full sun and a spot that’s free from weeds. It’s important to note that, once planted, poppies don’t transfer very well, so make sure you sow them exactly where you want them to grow. 

Poppies can be grown directly in garden beds or in containers.

How to sow poppy seeds

Before sowing poppy seeds, ensure you prepare the soil. Remove any weeds, loosen the soil with a garden fork and enrich with compost. Once the soil is ready to go, push the poppy seeds into the soil (about 3mm deep), keeping each seed 30cm apart. Another option is to scatter the seeds over the garden bed before covering them with a thin layer of soil.

Keep the soil moist (but not soaking wet) until seeds germinate. Water well during the growing season, taking care not to wet the leaves or petals (as this may make the plants susceptible to fungal diseases). 

Once seedlings emerge, thin them out so each plant is about 15cm-30cm apart and water regularly.

Best poppy varieties to grow in Australia

• Common poppies (Papaver rhoeas)
• Poppy Fairlyand (Papaver nudicaule)
• Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale)
• Californian Poppies (Eschscholzia californica)
• Iceland Poppies (Papaver nudicaule)
• Shirley Poppies (Papaver rhoeas)

It’s no secret that some poppy varieties including Papaver somniferum (widely known as alkaloid poppies) have very powerful medicinal uses. They may look exactly like other types of poppies, but are actually highly toxic. These poppies are illegal to grow in Australia without a permit.

Red poppy varieties that are widely available in nurseries do not fall under the same regulation as they are chemically different. For more information read The Department of Primary Industries factsheet on the NSW poppy industry.

Is it illegal to grow red poppies in Australia?

When is the best time to plant poppy seeds?

The best time to plant poppy seeds really depends on your climate. In most climate zones, however, poppy seeds can be planted anytime from February through to May. It takes poppy seeds about 14-21 days to germinate after planting.

When do poppies flower in Australia?

In Australia, poppies tend bloom from late winter until November. During the growing season, deadhead poppies regularly to encourage even more flowering. Poppies are self-seeding, which means as the flowers die back they will drop seeds onto the soil for the next season. While allowing the plants to self-seed can create a wild, cottage style look, if you don’t want this to happen, simply prune back the flowers before they have a chance to go to seed.

Poppies can be perennial or annual, depending on the variety.

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Succulents can survive tough drought conditions by storing moisture in their leaves and stems. They’re also versatile enough that they can be grown in garden beds or in pots. The fact that they’re low-maintenance makes them the perfect plant for beginner gardeners, even those who are convinced they might have a black thumb. 

Want a detailed guide on how to grow succulents? Here we share everything you need to know about succulents including how to grow succulents from cuttings, how to grow succulents in pots and how often you should water succulents (because over-watering is the biggest succulent killer!). 

What’s the best soil for growing succulents?

In your garden beds, you’ll achieve best results from your succulents when they’re planted in free-draining soil. For containers, buy a specially prepared potting mix, often sold as succulent and cacti mix. The inclusion of gritty sand in the potting mix or garden beds is essential, as succulents won’t tolerate wet feet and will rot quickly without it.

How often do you need to water succulents?

While succulents come in a range of sizes, colours, shapes and also habits, a common characteristic is their water-storing, fleshy leaves, which help them to survive in drought conditions, both in the wild and indoors. “When it comes to watering succulents, less is more,” says Tammy Huynh of Yates.

“Give them a good drink (until the water runs out of the drainage holes) once a week. If you forget, don’t fret – they’re likely to forgive you anyway!” Georgina Reid, author of The Planthunter, suggests testing the potting mix before you wield the watering-can. “Stick your finger into the mix and if it’s moist, don’t water,” she advises.

Do succulents need direct sunlight?

Succulents and their close neighbours, cacti, love lots of light. If you’re growing succulents indoors, Matt Leacy says “You’ll need a really well-lit room and at least four hours of good sunlight hitting the plant.” 

When in doubt, check the plant’s label and follow the ideal growing condition guidelines. Failing that, aim to replicate the area from where the healthy-looking cutting was taken.

For sun-loving plants like crassula and echeveria, a window sill with northern light is perfect. “The optimal position will really depend on the plant.”

How to grow succulents from cuttings

“Propagation is easy,” adds Matt. “Take a cutting of your succulent and leave it in a dry area by a window with soft light. Wait for it to dry out a little. It should start to send out shoots within a couple of weeks. Once it has, plant it in a small pot using a good succulent mix.”

What’s the best fertiliser for succulents? 

A good feed of nutrients during the growing and flowering seasons will be appreciated! You can buy this in granular form, or as a soluble powder to be added to your watering can. General-purpose fertilisers containing nitrogen and potash, as well as trace elements such as iron, magnesium, manganese, boron and copper, are suitable.

When’s the right time to repot succulents? 

If planting your selection of succulents in containers, almost any pot, tub or trough will do the trick! Just make sure you allow enough room to cater for the roots of the plants, and for sufficient drainage. Repotting is only ever required when the roots start to burst out the base of the pot or become obvious on the surface of the soil. This is a job best done in spring.

The post A beginner’s guide to growing stunning succulents appeared first on Home Beautiful.

Garden designer Inge Jabara of Inge Jabara Landscapes has created many green and white gardens over the years, and has come up with a convincing theory as to why they’re so popular. “They go with a love of a white kitchen, a white couch and white walls in a home,” she says. But the main reason the look of white blooms against a verdant backdrop is so enduring, she believes, boils down to the atmosphere the colour combination creates. “It’s calm, refreshing and uncomplicated. White and green are so simple they feel harmonious together.” 

Paddy Milne, director of The Scape Artist and host of Selling in the City also regularly works within a palette of strictly white and green. It’s a style anyone can emulate, he says. “Green and white is one of the simplest combinations to get right, and you can create a peaceful and serene garden that compliments almost any architectural style,” he says. 

Is your heart set on creating an elegant garden featuring only white-flowering plants? Here, Inge and Paddy share their tips for establishing a green and white garden that’s anything but boring, and reveal their top favourite white-flowering plants. 

The White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent is one of the most well-known gardens of this style. It was designed by writer, poet and gardener Victoria ‘Vita’ Sackville-West who understood that by restricting the colour palette she would have to become more creative with layering foliage and textures. Key plants used at Sissinghurst include: dahlias, Japanese anemones, gladioli, irises, hydrangeas, and almond trees. For more information, visit The National Trust UK website. 

Famous white garden: Sissinghurst Castle

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Planning a green and white garden

When Paddy was called to design a garden for a newly built home in one of Ballarat’s most historic streets, it was important to create a sense of old-world charm to contextualise the home and complement its black and white facade. 

Going with a harmonious green and white garden just made sense. “It has a timeless appeal that gave this front yard a classic, elegant look,” he says, adding, “Green plants and white flowers can soften the harsh lines of architecture, creating a more inviting and picturesque facade.” 

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Start with a glorious green canvas

It’s easy to fall into the trap of designing a green and white garden that’s all about the flowers, but Paddy prefers to begin by establishing a canvas of greenery.

“The green-on-green elements are the most important. Green has and always will be nature’s canvas,” he says. “Use it freely for the most luscious natural backdrop.” 

Inge also likes to surround white-flowering plants with a supporting cast of lush evergreen shrubs. Her top three go-to plants for this purpose are: Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica, ‘Miles Choice’ (Laurus nobilis) and tractor seat plant (Ligularia reformis).

“Include a range of large leaf foliage and small, thin leaf foliage,” says Inge. “Opt for plants with dark green foliage because white flowers against bright green can make the leaves appear neon. I also always make sure that there’s a hedge somewhere (whether it be to hide a fence or a few box hedge spheres to break things up) because white and green suits a formal style and hedges create formality.” 

Lush layers

When selecting plants, always think about creating layers based on the height, shape, size, colour and texture of each plant. The layer many beginner gardeners forget altogether is the groundcover, says Paddy.

“It’s often the forgotten child, but don’t leave groundcovers behind. I like to think of the ground layer as a mosaic, and have two or three groundcovers interacting with each other and spread from the front of the bed toward the middle, under the mid-sized shrubs,” he says.

Perfect perennials

“I love perennials for their bust of energy,” says Paddy, who then builds upon an evergreen base by adding in a mix of several flowering plants.

“I like the variety of lots of different flowering plants together,” he says. In the Ballarat garden, the key flowering plants are: hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, agapanthus ‘Snowball’, Japanese anemone and salvia. 

• Agapanthus ‘Snowball’
• Azalea White Bouquet
• Camellia
• Gardenia
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Alba’)
• Magnolia
• Rose (Iceberg Floribuna Rose)

Popular white flowering perennial plants

Planting en masse

One of the simplest ways to give a green and white garden a formal quality is by repeating the same plant throughout a garden. It’s a tip Inge implemented in her very own garden. “The one hero I look forward to each year in my garden is the mass planting of hydrangea ‘Annabelle’.” 

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Landscapers’ pick: Top 5 white flowering plants

01

Japanese Windflower

(Anemone hupehensis japonica Alba)

Paddy Milne’s favourite white-flowering plant is the Japanese Windflower (also known as Japanese Anemone), which blooms from late summer and into autumn. “They offer a stunning autumn show,” he says. “They move gently in the breeze at the right height to eye ball them.” This flower grows up to 1.2 metres tall and can thrive in both full sun and under trees in the semi shade. 

02

Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’

(Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’)

Mass planting works well in a green and white garden, and Inge says one of her favourite white-flowering plants to work with is Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ for it’s large, lacy plumes and felt-like leaves. “I have this one planted en masse in my garden,” she says. Annabelle’s snowball flowers can reach up to 30cm in diameter and prefer a spot with dappled shade.

03

‘Himalayan’ dogwood

(Cornus capitata)

“This is a stunning tree with beautiful white flowers,” says Inge. The ‘Himalayan’ dogwood is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 8-metres. It flowers profusely, and its spreading habit forms a gorgeous, shady canopy. It produces small berry-like fruit that attracts birds.

04

Madagascar jasmine

(Stephanotis floribunda)

Jasmine is one of the most popular white flowering plants, beloved for its fragrance as well as its ability to climb and cover ugly fences quickly. Inge’s favourite variety is the Madagascar jasmine. “Oh, I love this vine. It’s evergreen and has a stunning white flower with a scent that takes you on holidays,” she says. It produces glossy green leaves and has tubular, white flowers. 

05

Wedding cake tree

(Viburnum plicatum)

“This stunning structured plant has flowers that emanate from the top of the branches, and when it’s in full flower it looks like a wedding cake,” says Inge. Native to Japan, this shrub can grow up to three metres tall and has tiered branches that create a structured, cascading effect in the garden. It produces masses of small white flowers and the leaves have a gorgeous, pleated appearance. They prefer a cooler climate and like a partly shaded or dappled shade position. 

The post How to design a chic green and white garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

“They are one of the most exuberant flowers out there and will steal the show wherever they are grown. They come in an almost endless selection of shapes and colours to delight and add spectacle,” he says. If you too have fallen under the spell of this flower, which has inspired countless paintings, films and books, then planting your own tulip bulbs, either in the garden bed or pots, is a must.

But first, rethink everything you’ve heard about growing tulips. “Tulips may have a reputation for being ‘Prima Donnas’ but in most cases this is undeserved,” says Paul. “All you need to do is plant them into well drained soil in a sunny spot, water and enjoy the show.”

Here, Paul shares his expert tips for planting tulips, caring for them during winter and even how to make ‘bulb lasagne’ to enjoy an extended display of flowers in spring. Plus, we speak to Home Beautiful stylist Nonci Nyoni who shares her tips for turning your tulips into a stunning flower arrangement to enjoy indoors.

With sunny spring days on the horizon, the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival will also shine again from September 14th to October 13th 2024. Immerse yourself in a breathtaking display of over a million tulip flowers at the festival, which will take place in Silvan, VIC. For more information, visit the Tesselaar Tulip Festival website.

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2023

Best growing conditions for tulips

Tulips grow best in a sunny location in free-draining soil. “Tulips originate in the mountains of Turkey and Central Asia, where they live in poor soils and harsh conditions,” says Paul. “In Australia, they grow best in the cool to Mediterranean climates with cold winters and dry summers.” 

When do tulips flower in Australia?

Tulips flower in spring, says Paul, adding, “There are early, mid and late-flowering varieties of tulips. They an flower earlier in warmer climates and a little later in the cooler zones.”

When is the best time to harvest tulip flowers?

To ensure you have the longest vase life for tulips, Paul recommends picking the flowers early in the morning, “when the moisture content is high and the buds are still closed and blushing green.” 

Cut flower stems at a 45 degree angle (so they have a larger surface area to hydrate from). 

“Tulips are one of the only flowers that keep growing after they are picked,” says Paul, which means tulips can sometimes ‘flop over’ when placed in a vase. 

How to make tulips stand straight

While we love the look of a vase of droopy tulips, if you prefer them to stand straight, Paul reccomends “Wrapping them in newspaper and popping them in a dark, cool room overnight. Or you can prick the stem just below the bud and they will soon stand to attention.”

Tulips’ beguiling beauty caused a socio-economic phenomenon known as ‘Tulipmania’ in the 1600s that had flower growers scrambling desperately to get their hands on rare bulbs that would unfurl into multicoloured flowers.

Tulipmania

How to care for tulip bulbs in summer

“Ensure bulbs are shaded through the hot summer months,” says Paul. To do this, “combine your planting with perennials (these usually grow up and flower from summer to autumn, so you can make the most of your garden display) or add some mulch.” Buy tulip bulbs from Old Boy’s Flowers.

Do tulip bulbs multiply?

It is possible for tulip bulbs to multiply in the garden, but to achieve this, you may need to cut back the flowers early on to ensure the plant’s energy is focused on bulb growth, rather than seed production. “If tulip bulbs are well nourished they will produce offsets or baby bulbs that can reach flowering size in a year or two,” says Paul.

How to grow tulips in pots

Tulips are a wonderful flower to grow in pots, and can even be layered with other bulbs and perennials to create an extended flowering display. To grow tulips in a pot, start with a tall pot (“Blooms can grow up to 30-70cm tall and can look out of proportion in a squat pot,” says Paul). As for pot diameter, look for a pot that is 14cm in diameter if you plan to plant 3 bulbs, and a pot that is 25cm if you plan to plant 9 bulbs.

Any good quality potting mix is sufficient for growing tulips and it’s a good idea to add liquid fertiliser once the tulips have emerged and are actively growing.

“Tulips look best en masse,” says Paul. “When planting, keep this in mind, and plant them quite densely rather than one or two here or there. By using a triangular planting formation you can create a nice full display.”

How many tulip bulbs should I grow?

Layering tulip bulbs

With annuals

“We always recommend planting winter flowering annuals on top, such as pansies, violas or Primulas,” says Paul. “This has two main benefits: the first being you’ll have a bigger, longer lasting display of blooms (the tulips will push right past and won’t be affected by all the other plants) and the second is you remember to water over winter.” 

With other bulbs

“You can also layer your bulbs like a lasagne!” says Paul. “Spring star flowers, miniature daffodils or grape hyacinths will flower from winter onward to extend  the show, soften the edges of t he container and add to the colour.”

How to arrange tulips like a professional stylist

Home Beautiful stylist Nonci Nyoni often reaches for bunches of tulips when preparing homes for photo shoots. “I love them particularly for their bright bursts of colour and the freshness they add to a room, without being too … showy! I think they are simple, elegant and they make a space look effortlessly chic.” 

Tulips come in an endless array of colours, but Nonci has a soft spot for the soft peach blooms. “The beauty is in both the shape and simplicity of the flower and the subtlety of the colour,” she says. 

Best vase for arranging tulips

Nonci says it’s hard to make tulips look bad, and that any type of vase will work. But, if you’re picking at straws, the best vase for arranging tulips is one with a wide opening. “The wider the top of the vase, the more you can let the tulip achieve the perfect ‘droop’ when they’ve drunk a lot of water,” she says.

So there you have it: everything you need to know to grow your own gorgeous tulips, how to harvest them at just the right time and how to arrange them in a vase like a professional stylist. “What’s not to love? They are so simple to grow and give so much to the heart and soul,” says Paul.

The post How to grow tulips and bring their “effortlessly chic” style indoors appeared first on Home Beautiful.

The mornings are pleasantly cool while the daytime sun has lost its summer sting making it the perfect time to also be working in the garden.

Horticulturalist Adam Woodhams shares five autumn gardening projects to tick off your checklist that will also give you every excuse to enjoy the great outdoors and improve your garden while you’re at it!

1. Relax outdoors and plan ahead

Here’s a project everyone can enjoy – relaxing and observing. Now is the ideal time of year to be chilling-out in your garden and thinking about the next project you may want to undertake.

Many of the garden projects that require a bit of hard work are best left for the cooler months meaning now is perfect for planning and working out budgets. 

Looking at a new lawn? Set it out now so that in late winter you can do the spade-work to lay it as soon as the weather warms up. Want to create the ultimate outdoor dining area? Start researching furniture, such as extendable outdoor dining tables and waterproof outdoor rugs, now.

Whatever your garden ambitions, now is the time to put pencil to paper and start turning them into reality for next spring.

2. Show your lawn some love

Don’t neglect your lawn in autumn! Lavishing a little TLC on a tired lawn will reap benefits well into winter and spring.

Apply a quality slow-release lawn food. This will allow your grass to top up its energy reserves after a long, hot summer and store some energy, improving its resilience, for the winter ahead.

If your lawn is looking a little patchy after the wear-and-tear of summer then grab your garden fork and open that soil up before raking over some clean, dry river sand. This will open the soil up, aerating it, improving air, water and nutrient movement.

Finally, make sure your lawn is getting maximum exposure to sunlight by raking up fallen leaves and pruning back unruly shrubs and tree branches.

3. Plant spring-flowering bulbs

It’s not too late to add one of the single most spectacular spring displays you could ever wish for – spring flowering bulbs. You’ll find bulbs in virtually every flower colour in the rainbow in most garden retailers or online.

Some of the traditional, such as jonquils, daffodils and freesias, can be left alone post-flowering to naturalise in the garden, whereas others, such as tulips, will need lifting and storing in all but the coolest areas.

4. Plant trees and shrubs

Did you know that now is one of the best times to be planting many trees and shrubs? The air and soil are still warm enough to allow for development and establishment and soil stays moist with lower evaporation, reducing stress on new plants.

You may not notice much growth before winter but come spring autumn planted shrubs and trees will take off fantastically.

5. Start a compost heap

Autumn is a great time to be looking at establishing a compost heap.

At the simplest level a compost heap needs a combination of what’s often called ‘green and brown material’ – green, moist nitrogen-rich fresh material and brown, dry carbon-dense material – to function well.

All of those diced-up fallen leaves and lawn clippings from your lawn-mower catcher are an ideal starter for a compost heap. Come spring you should have a nice pile of rich, home-brewed material ready for adding to the veggie garden.

The post 5 rewarding gardening projects to tackle in autumn appeared first on Home Beautiful.

There’s no end to the iterations either – small and large-sized pieces are laid in randomised crazy paving patterns that can take regular paved areas from sad and neglected to a series of spectacular spaces to relax, entertain and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. The way irregular shapes and sizes of stones are used creates pleasing patterns in even structured environments bringing a freeform aesthetic wherever you’re looking to make a statement in neutral tones, with a natural material. We think it deserves a seat at the table when planning to landscape your backyard with outdoor pavers. Here’s why.

What makes crazy paving so popular?

“The natural texture as well as the colour and size variations make crazy paving an extremely versatile flooring option that is suitable for almost any application,” says Eco Outdoor marketing manager Rebecca Fox. “The format allows for movement in a flooring aesthetic that is also a perfect means to break open a space visually. It can be used throughout the external and internal spaces of a home.” You can even find packs of affordable crazy paving tiles from big retailers like Target to effect make the job even simpler.

How does crazy pave work?

Also called flag stone, the concept of crazy pave was born out of using up otherwise wasted off-cuts or broken pieces during the installation of larger cut stone and outdoor pavers but it’s a trend that looks here to stay. From a simple tidy up in a small courtyard to a full-scale landscaping brief, this method of laying stone is super effective and makes an affordable alternative for formal paving.

“I love crazy paving,” says award-winning landscape and interior designer Adam Robinson. “To me, it provides a more organic approach to paving. I find it works especially well in areas where we don’t have a lot of room for planting and softness, but you still want an organic garden feel.”

How much does crazy paving cost? 

If you’re using a professional landscaper, your crazy pavers would be sourced the same way as standard pavers but it’s generally a more affordable choice. If you’re looking to DIY it can be a more forgiving way to lay pavers yourself – particularly when your landscaping budget is already stretched. And speaking of stretching, try planting ground cover in between your paving as part of the design to make your stone go further.

• mondo grass
• dichondra
• babies tears
• blue star creeper
• thyme
• sedum

Ground cover plants that suit crazy paving

What sort of architecture does crazy paving suit? 

With the rise in popularity of mid-century and 1970s home renovations, homeowners are embracing existing crazy pave patterns and restoring them with love, resulting in a combination of retro charm and good financial sense. “If you’ve got a mid-century home, you could absolutely use crazy paving to be sympathetic to the period of architecture, but it also works beautifully in a contemporary space,” says Adam.

The final result doesn’t have to reflect the 1970s either – outdoor pavers in this style, “Can create a seamless, organic flooring surface that wonderfully complements contemporary, architecture,” says Rebecca.

Where can you use it?

Because it’s laid in a random pattern, crazy pavers lend themselves to irregular shapes and pathways just as easily as more formal styles of outdoor paving. It can be used anywhere you’d usually pave an area, including pool surrounds, driveways, courtyards, garden paths and fireplaces. “Crazy paving is an ideal choice to bring texture and interest to a project,” says Rebecca. “We’re seeing it used to create a statement around a swimming pool or at the entrance to a home.”

The post Why you should consider laying crazy paving in your garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

A heritage home, such as a Victorian cottage or Federation home work best with either a timber picket fence or a fence made from wrought iron, while a modern brick house would look best with either a brick, aluminium or composite fence. The idea is to look for a fence that compliments your home while taking considerations such as the climate, the level of upkeep you’re willing to accept and your budget, of course. 

Here we run through 8 amazing front fence ideas featuring timber, brick and the affordable all-rounder: aluminium.

8 front fence ideas to inspire

Timber picket fence

Perfect for a period home

When you think of fences, the first type of fence that probably comes to mind is a picket fence. A picket fence is traditionally made from evenly spaced timber boards attached to horizontal rails that dates back to America’s earliest colonial period (from about the 1620s to 1720s). The tops of the timber boards were originally pointed to deter intruders, but modern versions are simply decorative. 

A bespoke picket fence with hand-carved finials gives this Federation home a delightful, old-world charm. 

Modern picket fence

For contemporary homes with a timeless design

After many years living in New York, the owners of this newly built Melbourne home were inspired to build a home just like the grand houses in The Hamptons, a popular holiday destination in the US. White picket fences are one of the key elements of the style.

This square picket fence features simple straight lines and very little ornamentation or flair, resulting in a look that is at once timeless, yet modern. 

Brick fence

Warm and strong

Opt for brick if you’re looking for a timeless, durable option that will add warmth and structure to your home’s exterior. Brick doesn’t have many downsides, but it is a relatively expensive option both in material and labour costs. But take heart, brick is versatile and can work alongside other more affordable materials like aluminium to create a cohesive, yet cost-effective fence. 

Take style notes from this Brisbane home which combines a modern aluminium picket fence with a panel made from reclaimed red bricks. Passersby often stop to ask about the red bricks, which were sourced from a recycle yard in NSW. 

Concrete fencing

The ultimate in privacy and seclusion

Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in Australia, and today, this sturdy material is becoming a design feature in its own right, rather than something to be hide. The best match for a house that heroes concrete is, of course, a concrete wall. A concrete fence provides plenty of privacy and also creates a sound barrier, excellent for homes located on a busy road. Pre-cast concrete fencing options have made this option relatively affordable, and these products can be customised with cut-outs and curves and to suit your home.

A fresh coat of paint in Dulux Colorbond Surfmist Half and stone detailing at the entryway of this renovated coastal home completely refreshed the look of this 80s-era build.

Stone fencing

Textural and inviting

It may seem counterintuitive, but stone can really take a strong, fortress-like structure like a fence and make it feel warm and inviting. And while a front fence made entirely of stone is uncommon, using even just a touch of stone in strategic places (like either side of the front gate) can have a huge impact.

At this newly built Brisbane home, stone detailing adds to the coastal, private vibe of a concrete fence paired with a slatted, automated aluminium driveway gate.

Aluminium fencing

The affordable all-rounder

Aluminium is tough, affordable and versatile – making it a great choice for almost any type of Australian home. It is corrosion and rust-resistant, making it an exceptional choice for coastal areas. It won’t attract termites and the powder-coated surfaces requires very little maintenance or upkeep. Aluminium is also lightweight and easy to mould to almost any kind of application. DIY aluminium fence panels can be custom ordered from Bunnings, with prices starting at about $300 per panel.

A white aluminium fence with an automated sliding gate lends a modern touch to the exterior of this classic Queenslander.

Composite fencing 

The best of wood without the woes

Composite fencing is made from a combination of wood fibres (or sawdust) and plastic – resulting in a durable, weatherproof fence that has all of the aesthetic qualities of wood without any of wood’s limitations (rot, splitting and upkeep, to name a few).

Composite fencing is available in a range of colours and styles to suit almost any type of home, whether it’s a modern farmhouse or a mixed-materials contemporary home.

Go green

Fix a tired fence without lifting a hammer

Got a lacklustre front fence that is structurally sound and not quite worth replacing? Give it a revamp with plants. There are two main options you can go with here: a classic, manicured hedge or a fast-growing climbing plant.

A hedge will add extra privacy, shade and a sound buffer as seen in this Hervey Bay oasis, while a climber like Boston ivy will quickly conceal a sad or crumbling fence with minimal fuss.

The post 8 eye-catching front fence designs that make a stellar first impression appeared first on Home Beautiful.

But then the flowers, the flowers. The large blooms resemble fine, bone-china teacups or a ballet dancer’s tutu, gently swaying, as they unfold into arabesque. The creamy petals of white magnolia flowers look so much like freshly baked meringues it’s almost tempting to pluck one from the tree and serve it on a plate just like a delicious pavlova, complete with summer berries. To top it off, magnolia flowers even smell like lemons.

To make a long story short: we think magnolias make a wonderful statement tree in any garden, and given time, can even create a privacy screen. But how exactly do you grow and care for magnolia trees? What growing conditions do they need? How do you go about planting one in your garden? Which is the best variety to grow? We dug deep to bring you the answers to these questions, and more, in our guide to growing magnolias.

Your speedy magnolia tree guide

A handy guide to magnolia varieties, planting basics and their mature size.

Deciduous vs evergreen magnolias

Broadly speaking, there are two main types of magnolia trees. Evergreen magnolias and deciduous magnolias. Deciduous magnolias drop their leaves during autumn to bare their branches throughout the colder months. Spring is when everything comes alive again and flowers begin to emerge. 

Evergreen magnolias, on the other hand, retain their leaves all year round and often flower in spring and summer, or even several times a year.

Deciduous magnolia varieties

• Magnolia ‘vulcan’ pbr ‘Magnolia vulcan’- a deep pink, almost red flower
• Magnolia soulangeana brozzonnii ‘Saucer magnolia’
• Magnolia soulangeana ‘Tulip magnolia’
• Magnolia soulangeana ‘Black Tulip’
• Magnolia x star wars ‘Magnolia Star Wars’

Evergreen magnolia varieties

• Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’
• Magnolia grandiflora ‘Teddy Bear’
• Magnolia dolsopa x laevifolia ‘Inspiration’
• Magnolia hybrida ‘Magnolia Fairy Cream’

How to plant a magnolia tree

1. Nourish the soil: At planting, dig a hole about 1m wide and add compost or rotted manure to the excavated soil before returning it to the hole. 
2. Dig the hole: To plant the tree, you’ll need to dig a hole that’s double the width of the pot and about the same depth. 
3. Backfill and water in: Backfill the soil (mixed with compost or manure) and form a raised donut or saucer-shaped depression around the base of the tree to direct water towards the tree’s roots. Water in well and keep the soil damp until the tree is established. This usually takes several weeks. 
4. Mulch: Apply organic mulch around the base of the tree (keeping it away from the trunk) to prevent soil moisture loss.

Magnolia trees in Australia can grow to be 3-12 meters tall, depending on the variety. Magnolia Vulcan, for example, can reach up to 5 metres in height, while Teddy Bear Magnolia can reach anywhere from 4-5 metres in height.

Some magnolia varieties and their sizes:

• Magnolia x soulangeana: Can grow up to 8 metres tall and 5 metres wide, and can form a multi-stemmed shrub or a single-trunked small tree 
• Magnolia grandiflora ‘Greenback’: Grows to be 5-6 metres tall and 3-4 metres wide 
• Magnolia ‘Exmouth’: Can grow to be 12 metres tall and 5 metres wide 
• Magnolia Teddy Bear: Can grow to be 4-5 metres tall 
• Yulan Magnolia: A small deciduous tree that can grow to be 5 metres tall 
• Port Wine Magnolia: An evergreen shrub that grows to be around 3 metres tall 

How big do magnolia trees grow?

Where is the best place to plant a magnolia tree?

Magnolias prefer full sun over a shady spot. They can tolerate a range of conditions but grow best when sheltered from strong winds. The soil should be moist yet well-drained and slightly acidic. Here’s more detail to help you find the perfect place in your garden for a magnolia plant…

Climate

Deciduous magnolias like a chilly, moist winter followed by a warm, moist summer. They thrive along the Great Dividing Range and in south-east Australia – anywhere rainfall is reasonably generous (or adequate irrigation is available) and where winters are cool enough to induce dormancy. They’re not for the tropics or the steamy sub-tropical coast.

Sun

Full sun is most suitable, but they’ll grow with a little shade and enjoy the shelter of other large shrubs or small trees. Strong winds will damage the flowers and break the brittle branches, so try to plant in protected areas.

Soil

The most important feature of a suitable soil is that it holds moisture but not wetness. Average garden soil will suffice as long as it drains freely. Magnolias grow naturally in soils that are deep and rich in rotted organic matter. Slightly acidic soil is ideal but magnolias will tolerate alkaline soils containing plenty of humus. 

How to grow magnolias

Here’s how to take care of your manolia trees.

Water

Young magnolias need plenty of water, but once established and deeply rooted (their root system can span four times the overhead canopy!) they’ll tolerate short dry spells. If watering is needed, soak slowly so water sinks deeply into the soil. Do this fortnightly until regular rain returns.

Fertiliser

If soil is deep, dark and rich in organic matter, feeding isn’t necessary. However, spraying the leaves of young plants with soluble fertiliser helps them establish. Spray fortnightly from the time flowering ends until autumn and repeat the following year. When the plants are established, use a controlled-release fertiliser for trees and shrubs. Apply immediately after flowering finishes, topped with a compost mulch.

Pruning

In general, pruning isn’t necessary, but you can always remove dead or damaged branches and prune out others to encourage a more desirable shape. Prune deciduous magnolias straight after flowering, cutting back to the raised ‘collar’ found at the base of larger branches. Be careful not to cut past this collar, as this will discourage further flowering and growth.

What are the disadvantages of a magnolia tree?

Beyond the obvious factors, such as ensuring enough space for your magnolia’s height, here are some additional details to consider 

Shallow roots

• Magnolia trees have shallow root systems that can be damaged by strong winds or nearby construction. 
• The roots of some magnolia varieties, like the Teddy Bear magnolia, grow horizontally, which can cause problems if the tree is planted too close to a building. 

Disease

• Magnolia trees can be susceptible to powdery mildew, a disease caused by the fungus Microsphaera penicillata or Phyllactinia corylea.

Drought

• Summer heat and drought can cause leaves to develop brown edges in late summer.
• Magnolias need to be watered during dry weather, but too much water around the roots can be harmful.

Frost

• Some magnolia types are sensitive to frost and should not be planted in areas with frequent frost.

Messy leaves and flowers

• Evergreen magnolias drop large, glossy leaves year-round.
• Deciduous magnolias shed both leaves and flowers in autmn.

Other considerations

• Magnolias prefer some space to spread, so avoid planting them too close to structures. 
• Magnolia trees should not be planted in areas with poor drainage or compacted soils. 

The post How to grow a glorious magnolia tree appeared first on Home Beautiful.

So how did the Blockheads fare? All managed to deliver tidy front gardens, but the only teams with budgets big enough to really take a shot at the win were Leah and Ash in House 2 and Steph and Gian in House 4. Steph and Gian may have had a secret gnome up their sleeves, but ultimately Leah and Ash’s “understated luxury” garden and facade captured the judges hearts and took home the win. “The moment you walk into this property you just feel there’s so much thinking, so much finesse, but it’s not overdone,” said Marty. 

1. That fence

The Block’s resident architect Julian Brenchley designed the unique, undulating front fence, which was created using 3D printing technology. It hints at the home’s personality-filled interior, and placing plants along the top to soften the look even further was a true stroke of genius. 

2. A nod to the old school 

There’s so much innovation in Leah and Ash’s front garden, including a driveway turning circle, the curvaceous front fence and all of the angles and curves that make up the front facade, but guest judge and landscape designer Dave Franklin saw past all of the flashy features to get to the heart of the garden’s design. “This is an old school style landscape,” said Dave of the garden’s tiered layout. 

So what makes a tiered garden so great? In a single-layer garden, most of the planting is at ground level. By raising up some sections of the garden into ‘tiers’ a garden designer elevates some plants towards eye-level, which creates interest and depth. Tiered gardens are also an excellent choice for sloped sites, as it maximises the available planting space and helps reduce soil erosion. 

3. The water feature

It’s easy to bring a bad day at work home. But that’s a problem Leah and Ash’s front water feature may help mitigate. The sound of running water is known to calm the brain, and by placing the water feature next to the footpath, it helps you ‘shed off’ any of that negative energy as you walk up the garden path toward the house.

4. Mixed materials

One budget-savvy move Leah and Ash made during front yard and facade week was to alternate granite stone pavers with concrete pavers. “This is how you do concrete,” said Dave. The large-format pavers also created a grand, welcoming walkway towards the house.  

5. Planting ahead

It’s a well established fact: kerb appeal matters when you’re trying to sell a home. Leah and Ash were clever in their decision to plan ahead with their plant selection. Silver birches are dormant in winter (which is when The Block finished filming) but come alive with flowers in spring (which is when the houses are going to auction). It was a smart move, and one that will help buyers fall in love with their home even more on auction day. “Come springtime, for the auction, this is going to be booming,” said Dave.

Runners up: Steph and Gian

Steph and Gian may have given Kyle and Leslie $5000 for a secret gnome, but at the end of the day it just wasn’t enough to nab them the win. Dave Franklin was excited to rattle off a laundry list of plants selected and said the planning that had gone into the selection was incredible.

Shaynna said the garden looked “expensive” and all judges loved the generous travertine pavers. “‘It has a sense of grandeur, a sense of texture,” said Shaynna. 

But it was Steph and Gian’s dark hallway that let them down this week. The choice of a hardwood door prevented light from penetrating the corridor and blocked any view of the garden beyond. “We’ve just come from one of the best yards on The Block this season,” said Dave. “I’m with Darren on this one, you want to see a bit of that front yard.”

The post 5 reasons Leah and Ash deserved to win front yard week on The Block appeared first on Home Beautiful.

 1. Hydrangea

Nanna’s favourite and easy to grow from cuttings, hydrangeas need plenty of water daily. A position in full sun to semi shade helps to avoid these summer flowering beauties getting hit too hard by brutal midsummer sun.

2. Sweet pea

Delicate and sweetly scented, plant sweet peas in a sunny spot on St Patrick’s Day (17th of March), the saying goes, for a bumper crop in Spring. Support with trellis, climbing frames or against a fence as the tendrils grow thicker. Pick the sweetly old-fashioned flowers as they appear and more will follow.

3. Larkspur

A classic cottage garden favourite, this old-fashioned bloom is more delicate than its bigger brother delphinium and looks beautiful planted en masse. Flowering in spring and summer, once planted it will reseed itself and reappear each year.

4. Poppies

Who can go past a poppy? Enjoying a resurgence in popularity, commercial growers are experimenting with size and colour blocking to produce some incredible blooms. In your garden, their gently nodding heads blowing in the breeze like paper to add a bright pop of colour from late winter into spring and summer.

5. Love-in-a-mist

Now this is an old-fashioned lady. Nigella damascena produces delicate star-like pale blue and white blooms atop ephemeral-leafed stems, in contrast to its hardy nature and strongly scented seeds that can be harvested and dry roasted for salads and curries.

6. Hollyhocks

Another cottage garden classic, the hollyhock adds wow factor to your garden, growing striking flower-covered stems up to 3 metres tall. Great to add height to your garden, they’re easy to grow and flower in full sun.

7. Rudbeckia

Rudbeckias or cone flowers are tall, bright yellow flowers, similar to an Echinacea with a black centre, surrounded by soft petals. Also known as “black-eyed Susans”, Nick Vale of Sydney’s Garden Life is a fan – “I love rudbeckias!” he says, “They work well planted all in a big drift, then you can interplant with other flowers like lilies, all growing up on top of them.”

Top tips to keep your garden tip top

• Give it a little care, often
• Watering is key – daily if possible and before the heat of the day
• Feed a couple of times a year – a simple scatter of slow-release fertilizer does the trick
• Check instructions on the tag or seed packet of flowers you purchase and make a note in your diary of when to feed or prune
• Keep it simple – if you’re not prepared to put in the time, opt for easy-care plants
• Be patient – trial and error can be half the fun!

The post 7 old-fashioned flowering plants you need in your garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

In the pages of Matt’s book Secret Gardens, named after his award-winning landscape design company by the same name, he shares some of his projects and reveals how these gardens came to life. The results are a stunning coffee table book filled with magnificent images taken by Nicolas Watt of breathtakingly modern landscape design, together with a rich source of practical landscaping ideas.

Read on to hear Matt’s top tips on making the front of your home look more expensive with clever planting and landscape design.

Make it lush

Create a lush entrance like the side of this residence, planted with a mass of Alpinia nutans that climbs the entire length of the imposing staircase connecting to street level.  

“The foliage comes alive with the wind,” says Matt. “A subtle reward that was further enhanced by a neighbouring willow myrtle, delicately draping overhead.”

Matt’s best gardening hack to make the front entrance look expensive on a budget is greenery. “Planting that sets you apart in the street – a well selected and well positioned tree, partly concealing the house and creating intrigue,” he suggests.

One trick of the trade, says Matt is to balance hard surfaces with the softness of planting and/or areas of lawn.

Money-saving ideas for a beautiful garden

“When designing a garden, it is important to consider neighbouring vegetation and the opportunity it can offer to borrow from the scenery,” says Matt. Sometimes, it’s worth buying cheap plants on Ebay.

“When I am looking for something that is hard to find I will occasionally look there.” But you have to be lucky. “It’s rarely the case that you find the quality of stock that we expect from usual wholesale suppliers,” say Matt.

Favourite trending plant? 

“Cactus,” he says. “Olives continue to be one of our favourite trees. They are a hardy species, they look at home in a coastal setting and they provide a very modern appeal yet work equally as well in a more traditional-style garden. I think it is their unique foliage colour. It seems to work so well in the Australian landscape.”

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The post How to make your front entrance look more expensive than it is appeared first on Home Beautiful.

It’s a garden in which you feel you could spend hours peeling back its layers, only to find there is yet another area to discover.

The bare bones of the space – including the layout of the front section, a grouping of beautiful mature trees and some of the pathways – were in place when the couple moved here, but it has nevertheless changed almost beyond recognition.

Where once there was dry, powdery earth, sparse plantings and a plethora of crazy paving is now richly composted flowerbeds edged in neat box hedging, overflowing with native and non-native plants and set alongside cinder and brick paths. “When you’ve got mature trees, you get a lot of movement in the ground,” explains Bill. “The paving was very unstable, so we decided to define the garden with some brickwork.”

The removal of a giant tree also necessitated some changes.

“We had a huge liquidambar and, because it was so big, it virtually controlled the eco system of the whole garden,” recalls Bill. The tree was soaking up a lot of moisture as well as casting a large portion of the garden into shade, so when it became unstable and had to be taken out, a swathe of plants that couldn’t cope with the changed conditions also had to be moved.

Dividing existing plants and transplanting others has been at the heart of the creation of different areas of the garden. Bill and Lyndall have had a lot of help from their gardener, who comes in a couple of days a week. “He is very experienced,” says Bill.

“He moves something, transplants it and it grows, which is a gift!” Bill’s own skills as a fencer – he runs fencing firm Bill Gibson Fencing – have also come in handy; a new perimeter railing encloses the whole space and the chooks, inherited from the previous owners, now have the run of the boundary thanks to a second fence that runs along the inside. “When kids go past on the way to school they stop and have a chat with the chooks,” smiles Bill.

Elsewhere, the couple have relaid stretches of lawn, put in a patio at the back of the house and installed an outdoor kitchen. The pond, also the couple’s handiwork, is now stocked with goldfish that flash silver, red and orange as they weave in and out of the pond foliage, but initially, the planting wasn’t a success.

“The plants went into the pond with too much earth and it soured,” explains Bill. “So I pulled them all out and put in some gravel, then put them back with a little of the soil they had established themselves in and bingo! Of course, a lot of leaves fall into the pond and decompose, and the plants feed on that.”

The addition that has made the most difference, however, is a bore that supplies the garden’s water needs. “If we hadn’t been successful in putting that in we’d have had to change the whole garden to gravel beds and Japanese gardens,” says Bill.

As it is, the plantings are a colourful mix of natives such as old man banksia and lilly pilly, along with English cottage garden favourites. Stately jacarandas, crepe myrtle, Japanese maple, liquidambar and a vast silky oak provide shade, while buffalo grass rolls around the eastern verandah. It’s a work in progress, says Bill. “It’s still evolving, but we’re quite pleased with what we’ve done so far.”

If the front garden is a place to dwell, thanks to a selection of benches artfully set in just the right places to pause, so the backyard has a more practical edge.

This is where the vegie garden lives, and where a new patio, bordered with a drystone wall of sandstone and a screen of bamboo, has been installed. It’s ideal for entertaining and celebrations, such as the family wedding Bill and Lyndall hosted in the garden last year.

A more recent addition is the shed which, as a nod to their home’s original incarnation as a coaching inn, has been built to resemble the stable that might have once stood there.

A collection of old tools and found objects adds character. “My gardener is a bit of a collector, as am I, and we are often adding little artefacts,” explains Bill.

As much a visual delight, the garden impacts on other senses too: it’s a setting replete with the scent of fragrant roses, jasmine and lavender, while the sounds of running water and myriad birdlife fill the air.

Small wonder the couple like to just sit, sometimes, and take it all in. “Half an hour of relaxation in the garden is priceless,” says Bill. “I’ve got to pinch myself every so often and say, is this really ours?”

The post A stunning, mountain high garden oasis appeared first on Home Beautiful.

It has even made an impression on neighbours and passers-by. “People walking past comment that there’s always something flowering,” says owner Rosie. “It’s a garden that receives so much attention!”

Rosie made the decision to fully redesign the outdoor areas of their Federation home following an extensive renovation. “Most of all, we wanted the garden to fit in with the home,” explains Rosie.

Enlisting the expertise of Perth landscape designers Jenny and Neil Delmage from Naturescape Creative, budding gardener Rosie soon realised she was in good hands. “We worked as a team and they listened to our family’s needs and introduced me to an array of plants that create such a soft setting,” she says. “They’ve ensured the area is functional, yet very charming.”

All the plants, the paving, pergola, backyard pool and even the picket fence were designed and built from a completely bare garden site that was excavated during the renovation.

Taking full advantage of its prime corner block, the outdoor space now extends from the south-facing front of the house and wraps around a dramatic, inky-walled eastern side courtyard to the private back garden, where a designated alfresco eating and lounge area overlooks the pool and shaded lawn.

Curved pathways and pretty flowerbeds – not to mention a thriving herb patch at the end of the long, narrow front yard, dotted with sage, creeping rosemary and thyme – ensure this is a garden with something for everyone.

“Our approach was to utilise all of the space,” explains designer Neil.

“We planted some fairly advanced trees, for that instant effect.” Conscious of Perth’s hot, dry climate, he and Jenny also ensured the soil was rich, friable and well irrigated before planting began, and chose trees that wouldn’t need a great deal of maintenance.

For Rosie, watching her garden grow from the ground up has been a joy. “Now that the trees and plants have matured, the spaces are changing and the private spots are so lovely and cosy,” she says. “There’s something new with every season. It’s the garden that really makes a home; it’s like the icing on the cake.”

The post A Federation home’s low-maintenance front garden transformation appeared first on Home Beautiful.

The flowers began to appear the following summer and it didn’t take long for the pair to realise that the blooms were just too pretty to keep to themselves, “which led us to expanding into a cut flower garden dedicated solely to dahlias,” says Mikayla.

Fast-foward to today and they’re growing more dahlias than ever. “This winter we dug up all of our dahlias and have sub-divided them in the hope to increase the amount of plants we have in the ground for summer,” says Mikayla, adding, “they are the most addictive flower to grow. Once you start, it’s very hard to stop buying and dividing.”

Here they share their expert tips for growing dahlias, keeping them healthy and even share a family secret to cutting them just so to ensure they last as long as possible in a flower arrangement.

Like other old-fashioned flowers including roses, hydrangeas, tulips and chrysanthemums, dahlias make a wonderful addition to a cutting garden, that is, a garden designed solely for the purpose of harvesting the flowers for flower arrangements. If you find yourself spending a fortune on gift bouquets each year, consider starting a cut flower patch to create your own arrangements!

Dahlias’ place in the cut flower garden

Where to plant dahlias 

“Dahlias cope well in the sun,” says Kathryn, who says they thrive in direct sunlight in well-fertilised, free-draining soil. Most recently they planted their dahlias in a raised bed, “which worked for us this season.” At Gidgee Estate, where summer temperatures can reach 35 degrees celsius, they sometimes add shade to protect the quality of the flowers. 

What is the best time of year to plant dahlias?

Dahlias are sold as dormant, bare-rooted tubers that are best planted in spring. If you live in a frosty area, wait until the final frost has passed before planting. For Kathryn and Mikayla, the best time for planting is late October. For areas with colder winters, it may be better to hold off planting until November.

What time of year do dahlias bloom?

“Dahlias are a summer plant and tend to bloom from December through to March,” says Kathryn. 

Do dahlias require any special care during winter? 

Once cool weather and frosts hit, dahlias will begin to die back. Mikayla says that while it is possible to leave the tubers in the ground and allow them to bloom the following season, another option is to dig them up and divide the tubers.

“We lift the bulbs in mid-July so the bulbs can take the nutrients from the plant as it dies back,” says Mikayla. “We store them in crates lined with cloth, and cover them with a mix of sawdust and sand to cover them, in the hope that they develop eyes.”

A dahlia tuber ‘eye’ is a point of new growth that a plant will sprout from. “I have learnt from experience that not every tuber will guarantee a plant, as the tuber must have an eye to germinate successfully,” says Mikayla. 

What is a dahlia tuber ‘eye’?

Common dahlia pests and problems

Dahlias are fairly hardy plants to grow, but they can succumb to a range of pests and diseases. Snails are the biggest problem that Kathryn and Mikayla have encountered while growing dahlias. Luckily they have resident ducks and silky chickens on the farm to keep bugs at bay without impacting the plants.

Other general pests, such as aphids, mites and mealybugs are treated organically by companion planting alongside garlic and basil. 

When is the best time to cut dahlia flowers?

“Dahlias need to be in full bloom for flower arrangements as they won’t continue to open after picking. To ensure a long vase life, they need to be picked in the cool of the morning and each stem needs to be cut cleanly on the horizontal,” says Kathryn.“A family secret that was passed onto us was to place the stems into 5cm of very hot water until it cools.”

Dahlia flowers, once cut, can last anywhere from 4-6 days. 

Types of dahlia plants

Large dinner plate dahlias

Flowers of large dinner plate dahlias can grow up to 30cm in diameter. “The large dinner plate dahlias are hard to put in bunches, but I try to sneak some in for the sheer magnificence of the flower,” says Kathryn. Dahlia ‘Cafe au Lait’, a soft, creamy flower is a large dinner plate variety that is sought after particularly for wedding bouquets.

Medium dinner plate dahlias

Flowers of medium dinner plate varieties can grow up to 20cm in diameter. One of Kathryn’s favourites is Dahlia ‘Breannon’ which features coral-pink petals with touches of gold visible in the sunlight. 

Pom-pom and ball dahlias

Pom-pom dahlias, including Dahlia marshmallow, produce smaller flowers ranging from 5-7cm in diameter. The globe-shaped flowers are striking when placed in a bouquet and the structured petals are a soft, marshmallow pink shade. 

Cacti dahlias

Cacti dahlias aren’t cacti at all. Varieties including Dahlia ‘French watermelon’ feature spiky petals, which perhaps give the flower a spiny, ‘cactus-like’ appearance. 

In the end, there’s only so much you can learn about dahlias before you absolutely must start planting them. Mikayla says to enjoy the trial-and-error process, “Enjoy learning about what works best for your garden and let the addiction begin!”

Gidgee Estate is an events space, floristry and working garden in Temora NSW founded by Kathryn Heinjus and her family in 2019. Through a process of trial-and-error, they have regenerated the soil and established a structured garden and cut-flower farm that they now love to share with garden lovers and garden learners alike. 

About Gidgee Estate

The post The secret to growing exquisite dahlias appeared first on Home Beautiful.

If these flower varieties make you think of your grandmother, it’s because classic cottage garden blooms have always been popular. Perhaps it’s because they are hardy, simple to grow and, once established, with regular watering will pop up to delight you year in, year out.

What’s more, these varieties are enjoying a renaissance in our gardens as we spend more time at home to care for them. Give them a go and you might find you’ve inherited Grandma’s green thumb.

 1. Hydrangea

Nanna’s favourite and easy to grow from cuttings, hydrangeas need plenty of water daily. A position in full sun-to semi shade helps to avoid these summer flowering beauties getting hit too hard by brutal midsummer sun.

It may be old fashioned, but new varieties of hydrangeas are released every year.

2. Sweet pea

Delicate and sweetly scented, plant sweet peas around St Patrick’s Day (17th of March), the saying goes, for a bumper crop in Spring. Support with a trellis, climbing frames or against your fence as the tendrils grow thicker. Pick flowers as they appear and more will follow.

3. Larkspur

A classic cottage garden favourite, this old-fashioned bloom is more delicate than its bigger brother delphinium and looks great planted en masse. Flowering in spring and summer, once planted it will reseed itself and reappear each year.

4. Poppies

Who can go past a poppy? Enjoying a resurgence in popularity, commercial growers are experimenting with size and colour blocking to produce some incredible blooms. In your garden, their gently nodding heads blowing in the breeze like paper to add a bright pop of colour from late winter into spring and summer.

5. Love-in-a-mist

Now this is an old-fashioned lady. Nigella damascena produces delicate star-like pale blue and white blooms atop ephemeral-leafed stems, in contrast to its hardy nature and strongly scented seeds that can be harvested and dry roasted for salads and curries.

6. Hollyhocks

Another cottage garden classic, the hollyhock adds wow factor to your garden, growing striking flower-covered stems up to 3 metres tall.

Great to add height to your garden, they’re easy to grow and flower in full sun.

7. Rudbeckia

Rudbeckias or cone flowers are tall, bright yellow flowers, similar to an Echinacea with a black centre, surrounded by soft petals. Also known as “black-eyed Susans”, Nick Vale of Sydney’s Garden Life is a fan – “I love rudbeckias!” he says, “They work well planted all in a big drift, then you can interplant with other flower like lilies, all growing up on top of them.”

The post 7 old-fashioned flowering plants you need in your garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

Whether you’re trying to increase the value of your property by planting a magnolia or want to make an existing tree work with a new vision for your front yard, these tips are sure to inspire. Luckily, once a tree is established, magnolias are very easy to care for, providing plenty of shade in summer and fragrant flowers in spring.

Here’s how to make them work in your garden.

1. Pair with shade-loving plants

Because some magnolia trees have such large canopies, the ground below may receive only dappled or indirect sunlight. Underplanting magnolias with shade-loving plants is an easy way to ensure success, and popular companion plants include clivias, peace lilies, hydrangeas and blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora).

DECIDUOUS MAGNOLIAS

Deciduous magnolia trees (Magnolia soulangeana or saucer magnolias) are all about the drama. Throughout summer, they produce wide, deep green leaves that are excellent at repelling sunlight. In winter, the leaves drop, revealing a structural frame of branches. Springtime is showtime! This is when masses of tulip-shaped blooms will burst into life. Deciduous trees thrive best in a temperate climate in a position that receives direct sunlight.

2. Underplant with spring bulbs

Create a symphony of blooms by underplanting your magnolia with spring-flowering bulbs. You can either select clashing colours for a showy springtime display, or choose flowers in a subdued shade (such as white or soft pink) that will enhance the beauty of the magnolia flowers above.

Top bulbs to consider include: daffodils, bluebells, blue muscari and snowflakes (Leoucojum).

3. Surround with a perfectly manicured lawn

Magnolias are magnificent, so you may want to pare back the rest of your garden.

A beautifully manicured lawn will set the scene for a magnolia tree – just be sure to rake up fallen leaves and spent flowers to ensure your lawn receives as much sunlight as possible throughout autumn and winter.

4. Position to reduce glare from the sunlight

Magnolias thrive best when planted in full sun – preferably a position with a northerly or eastern aspect. This is also likely to be the part of your house that receives the must sunlight glare, so allow your magnolia to keep the heat out of your home by positioning it in a place that will provide shade for your windows.

For a full-sized magnolia, it’s best to plant the tree at least nine metres from the house to prevent root damage to your home. Dwarf varieties have far more compact root systems, so plant at least 2-3 metres away from your house.

EVERGREEN MAGNOLIAS

Evergreen magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) flower throughout the year and grow in most areas. Smaller varieties such as Teddy Bear Magnolia are particularly popular for their compact shape, luscious leaves and fragrant, creamy white flowers.

5. Low maintenance mulch

For the low-maintenance gardener, mulch is the way to go. Not only will it help keep the tree moist during the warmer months, organic mulch will also impart nutrients back into the soil, resulting in a tree that produces an abundance of blooms.

The post 5 inspiring magnolia tree ideas for your front garden appeared first on Home Beautiful.

We spoke to the gardening experts at HiPages to find out how to best care for your garden in winter. 

1. Maintain your lawn

A healthy, green lawn can boost your property’s value, so keep it in tip top shape even as the weather cools. Winter is a wonderful time to aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn will prevent the soil from becoming compacted, which prevents water penetrating down the the roots.

For a small lawn, grab a pitchfork, pierce the ground, agitate the soil a little by giving the fork a jiggle as you bring it up and repeat this process until the whole lawn has been treated. For a larger lawn, you may need to hire a lawn aerator to get the job done. 

Another way to give your lawn some TLC is to top-dress it with sand or loam. If water puddles continue to appear, try using a hose-on wetting agent. These products work by breaking down the soil to allow moisture to penetrate. 

Put down the fertiliser. Because lawn growth slows down in winter, applying fertiliser at this time will just be a waste. 

Keep an eye out for weeds in winter too. After rainfall, scan the lawn and pull out individual weeds by hand, or treat stubborn infestations with an appropriate weed killer. 

2. Mulch, mulch, mulch

Mulch is so underrated. Not only does it keep weeds at bay, it’ll also nourish the soil as well as it breaks down (as long as you you opt for an organic mulch such as lucerne or pine bark). It also helps the soil to retain moisture, meaning you need to water it less. The best time to apply new mulch is after rainfall.

3. Watch out for bugs

Snails and slugs often pop up in cold, wet weather. These insects can be a disaster for a garden and the best way to remove them is either by hand or placing a tray of beer less than 10mm above the soil. Snails and slugs are drawn to the yeast in the beer but will drown when they reach it. (Keep pets and kids out of the backyard while you attempt this one though!)

4. Get pruning

Winter is a great time to prune back trees and shrubs. Just remember to avoid pruning plants that bloom in late winter or early spring, as pruning these too early could cause more harm than good. Look out for dead tree branches and prune them back. Plants that flower in winter will also benefit from fertiliser and water between to help them flower and stay healthy. 

5. Plant winter vegetables

If you plant vegies now, they’ll be ready to harvest by late winter or early spring. Select an area that receives plenty of direct sunlight as vegetables require warmth to germinate, grow and thrive. The best vegetables to grow in winter include snow peas, broad beans, English spinach, green beans and peas.

If you live in milder, subtropical areas you have a greater range of choices including broccoli, lettuce, onions, radishes, shallots, spinach, spring onions and turnips. 

The post 5 key rules for maintaining the garden in winter appeared first on Home Beautiful.