COASTAL OASIS Learn how an easy-care, low-water garden was designed and built

With a little light trimming, some hardy natives such as coastal rosemary (centre) can form neat balls of foliage and flowers

DIY home and lifestyle blogger Jaharn (smorkitchen.com) and Jason, a teacher, love relaxing outdoors with their young children. Having built a new home on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the next step was to landscape the 1200sqm block, with the couple planning a native garden that pays homage to their favourite coastal pathways and national parks.

Grant Boyle of Fig Landscapes (figlandscapes.com.au) was briefed to create a garden that required minimal maintenance and water. “We wanted to create different zones that maximised the land and how we use the garden throughout the seasons, yet didn’t require us to be constantly gardening,” says Jaharn.

Find inspiration with tips and ideas from this easy-care garden design.

Sandy soil was the biggest challenge here. Beds were enriched with organic compost, dug down 300mm and topped with mulch. Grant suggests assessing the condition of your soil with a pH testing kit. “This will help you determine if your soil is more alkaline or acidic. While different plants favour various conditions, generally you want a reading between 5-7,” he explains. “If the pH is above seven your soil is alkaline, so balance it by adding lime. If it’s below 6.5, it’s acidic and will benefit from adding compost.”

Many Australian native plants are inherently hardy and can tolerate dry spells. “Species endemic to your local area have evolved to suit the climate and by planting them in your garden you’re creating a natural habitat that will attract native animals and

ABOVE Easy-care plants are teamed with similarly durable materials, like the hardwood timber deck, which has been allowed to grey naturally and just gets an annual coat of clear decking oil

LEFT “When choosing plants and planning where they’ll go, consider concentrated repeat plantings or clustering species with the same water and sun requirements,” suggests Grant. “This achieves a great look and helps ensure water is directed where it’s needed most.” Here, casuarina ‘Cousin It’ cascades over a retaining wall. BELOW “Every weekend you’ll find us cooking over the fire pit,” says keen chef Jaharn

birdlife,” says Grant. In this garden, the native palette includes pandanus, casuarina, banksia, Queensland wattle, coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa), pig face and creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium).

Consider gravelled zones. As Jaharn and Jason love to entertain outdoors, creating a level gravel area where furniture could sit was a practical solution. And unlike lawn, gravel doesn’t require watering. The key is in the prep work, says Grant, who used compacted road base to help keep weeds at bay, topped with 100mm of crushed sandstone. This technique was also used for stairs and paths, which create an easy transition between zones. “To soften the look, I like to plant edges with groundcovers, which are less thirsty than shrubs and, because of their spreading nature, suppress weeds,” he says.

Yellow buttons border rustic steps of greyed sleepers, corten steel and gravel

Retaining wall with spillover plants Hardwood deck

House

Fire pit area Lawn

Enclosed by wattle trees, banksia and a pandanus tree, the fire pit zone feels “a million miles away” Recycled sleeper stairs

Grant Boyle, landscape designer

Many succulents tolerate sunny, dry conditions. With a huge range of colours and forms, choose varieties that suit the look you want to create, from architectural agave to dustytoned blue chalk sticks.

A generous layer of mulch helps soil retain nutrients and water longer. For best results, Grant suggests using leaf mulch spread 3-5cm thick. “Unlike pine bark, it replicates what happens in the forest as it breaks down over time, providing nutrients that help build the soil’s profile.” Once Jaharn and Jason’s plants were established, they haven’t required watering by hand in the past three years. “We give the grass a soak in summer and mulch garden beds annually, but our coastal natives can take whatever the weather throws at them,” says Jaharn.

Designing your garden with a deck? Here’s a guide to four popular materials: bunnings.com.au/

Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed range is formulated to give your potted plants all the nutrition they need

The ready-to-use liquid fertiliser makes light work of feeding all your indoor and container plants

It has never been easier to grow in any space and spring is the perfect time to transform your home. You can easily brighten up a balcony with stunning blooms or begin your next health journey with a potted vegie garden, and when you start with the right products, you’ll bring out the best in all you grow.

The first step in nurturing healthy potted plants is creating the right conditions. Place them in suitably sized pots that allow for growth, filled with quality potting mix and positioned to suit their needs – whether it’s basking in the sun or keeping cool in the shade.

The key to keeping your plants thriving all season is a dose of liquid love. Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed has been developed for potted plants all around the home and is odourless, nonstaining and designed for use straight from the bottle - there’s no need for a watering can, mixing or mess! Simply pour a capful onto moist soil around the base of plants every fortnight, or whenever they need an extra boost. Each capful is formulated with the perfect nutrients for your plants and is enriched with a dose of seaweed, which improves overall plant health.

Different plants have different nutritional requirements, so be sure to feed them what they crave. Scotts

Gardenias & Azaleas is boosted with potassium and iron for more beautiful blooms, while Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Tomatoes & Herbs is packed with everything you need for a tasty harvest. We often forget to feed our most colourful companions so try Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Flowering Plants and watch your planters and hanging pots put on a spectacular floral display. To cater for a crowd, Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed All Purpose will keep all plants, including the fussy ones, loving life.

1 Scotts Osmocote ‘Pour+Feed’ tomato & herb fertiliser, $19.98/2.5L, I/N: 0378644. 2 Scotts Osmocote ‘Pour+Feed’ rose, gardenia & azalea fertiliser, $19.98/2.5L, I/N: 0378642. 3 Scotts Osmocote ‘Pour+Feed’ all purpose fertiliser, $19.98/2.5L, I/N: 0378643. 4 Scotts Osmocote ‘Pour+Feed’ flowering plants fertiliser, $19.98/2.5L, I/N: 0378641.

EnviroSafe Fly Traps attract a range of pests such as house flies, blowflies and flesh flies

No chemical pesticides means no harmful toxins around your family, pets or home

Once pests are in, there’s no escape!

With the weather warming up, it’s time to dust off the barbecue and dine alfresco with family and friends. Unfortunately, where there’s food, there are often flies – those uninvited guests to outdoor gatherings who never know when it’s time to leave. Not only are flies a bother, they’re also unsightly and unhygienic, swarming between bin areas and the meal table. With an EnviroSafe fly trap, you can reclaim your airspace and enjoy fly-free outdoor entertaining, gardening and games with loved ones.

The EnviroSafe fly trap is a cinch to set up. Simply add water and hang it somewhere sunny and out of the wind, perhaps in your pet area, vegie garden or wherever else flies like to hang out. With an impressive 300 square metres of coverage, one trap can keep an average backyard fly-free. If you’re on a larger rural property or farm, consider hanging the jumbo size next to chook sheds, stables or cattle yards.

EnviroSafe’s Eco-Bait is made of food-grade materials, so is non-toxic and pesticide-free. That means it’s safe for people and pets, yet irresistible to a range of Australian flies. For even more convenience, Eco-Bait refills are sold separately, so when the fly trap is full, just tip the contents into your compost, replace the Eco-Bait and you’re all set.

The trap has been engineered using UV-stabilised material to withstand the harsh Aussie sun and last for season after season. Each trap is locally assembled by social enterprises that provide meaningful and continued employment to people living with an intellectual disability. Best of all, the traps are Australian made and 100 per cent recyclable, making them people safe, pet safe and planet safe.

1 EnviroSafe fly trap, $10.25, I/N: 4475914. 2 EnviroSafe ‘Jumbo’ fly trap, $19.98, I/N: 2961357. 3 EnviroSafe fly trap refills, $8.94/pack of 3, I/N: 4475922. 4 EnviroSafe fly traps, $17.90/pack of 2, I/N: 3010370. 5 EnviroSafe ‘Jumbo’ fly trap refills, $12.90/pack of 3, I/N: 2961358.

To find out more and see the full range of EnviroSafe products, visit envirosafeaustralia.com.au