Searching the world for a better backyard.
BY: JENNIFER WILSON-SPEEDY
Extending your living space into the backyard was one of the biggest outdoor trends last summer, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Building on this trend with an exotic infusion of food and travel—and creating everything from outdoor lounges and kitchens to bathrooms—is horticulturalist Jamie Durie, in The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie (Tuesdays, 8 p.m., HGTV).
“I wanted to get people connected with their own backyards again,” he says.
In each episode, the easy-on-the-eyes Aussie host, a former stripper and Oprah regular, tours gardens around the world, including “some of the most spectacular private gardens you’ll ever see,” and translates the culture and design ideas into a backyard design for a deserving family.
The locales explored in each episode are drawn from the garden’s owner, for example, if a couple honeymooned in Paris, he might tour France and design a Parisienne-inspired garden for them.
After collecting his ideas, and explaining them for the less garden-savvy with some help from illustrated animations, Durie’s team helps him bring the lush outdoor room to life. Then, for the exciting reveal, the owners are treated to a meal, inspired by the same culture as their new garden.
In addition to a pleasant evening, the celebrity chef-assisted meal also “teaches them how to use their own backyard as an extension of the living space,” explains Durie.
“We’ve been kind of conditioned to think our front lawns are our land, but really, we just mow them every week for our neighbours,” he says.
Instead, we should be “clawing back that privacy.”
In fact, Durie tells his staff, “If our clients can’t walk around naked in their own backyard, we’re not doing a good enough job.”
To whip your own backyard into shape, Durie suggests “designing with shapes first and plants later.”
“Don’t get bogged down with plant names,” he adds, noting horticulturists who can help you with the specifics. Instead, focus on how you want to use your space and what inspires you.
Flip through magazines and pull out what you love, then brainstorm ways to adapt it for your needs.
When making your plan, note where the sun rises and sets as well as where the shadows fall. This will help guide you when deciding where to place your living areas and where to create shapes with plants.
“There is a plant to fit every shape or desired outcome that you want, it’s just about doing research,” he says. “There’s a shape, texture or colour for anything you put out there.”
Durie also says he believes in a “responsible mix” of local species and non-invasive exotic plants.
“I certainly try to use native plants where possible, I think that’s a responsible way to garden, if you want the birds and the bees to come back to your garden.”
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