MAKEOVER
Eat play love Raised beds and fruit trees bring new life and order to this family garden Text and perspective drawing by Carol Bucknell. Illustration by Pippa Fay.
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1 READER LETTER
Dear Carol, We would love a revamp of our backyard. We live in Titirangi, West Auckland, so the soil is quite hard and has lots of clay. We have levelled the back section in two areas and planted grass but we have no idea what to do next. North is the lefthand side of the photo and we get all-day sun; it’s very hot in summer but can be wet and muddy in winter. The garden is reasonably sheltered. More privacy from our neighbours would be great, but is not essential – we can see them but they can’t see us. We would also love more fruit trees and a small vege garden if that is an option. We have a busy life so there isn’t much time to spend on garden upkeep. We would love something simple and stylish that doesn’t break the bank and won’t need too much maintenance once it’s established. We have two boys, 10 and 7, who both love to play cricket. We also have a black Labrador and a cat. Thanks for considering us. Emma Tamura, Auckland
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BED TIME
GAME PLAN
FOOD FOREST
Build raised beds around the perimeter of the back lawn, keeping the beds reasonably level. Where the ground slopes down, make the fence side deeper than the front, and step the sides down too. Raised beds should be 1-1.2m wide so all the plants can be easily reached from the front.
The raised beds will give a more defined look and better shape to the lawn, while making it faster to mow. The plants will also be easier to maintain and better protected from the dog and ball games.
Move existing fruit trees into beds if possible and plant more, along with veges, herbs and ornamental and pollinating flowering plants. Use taller fruit tree varieties to screen the neighbouring house on the left, close to the terrace. Smaller fruit trees will preserve the most desirable aspects of the view.
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SCREEN TIME 04
VIEWPOINT In the centre of the rear boundary, build an arbour with trellis for the back and sides. Grow climbing plants up it and include a bench seat for watching cricket on the lawn.
For extra privacy and to soften hard surfaces in the terrace area, add another screen above the brick planter and train scented climbers onto it. This structure will help to balance the height of the adjacent barbecue and connect the terrace to the garden.
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BE SEATED Build bench seats along one edge of the terrace to give it a better sense of enclosure and provide storage below.
