THIS IS LIVING!

A game of boules or a dip in the pool... this Brisbane backyard offers the family an abundance of choice

The leafy outdoor spaces that wrap around this Queenslander home in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra provide the family with multiple ways to make the most of the subtropical climate. They can enjoy a game of boules, take a dip in the swimming pool, fire up the pizza oven or sit in the shade of the veranda.

Before Hortum Landscaping set to work, under the guiding hands of directors Hugh Hoffman and Todd Burguez, the garden was overgrown and the spaces without form or purpose, so a massive tidy up was the first step on the path to what was a major transformation. "Unfortunately, this entailed the removal of a mature poinciana tree which was in the middle of where the pool was to go and a lot of bamboo plants from along the back boundary," says Todd.

The next step was digging into the ground at the side of the house to install a boules court and planter beds. "For the planter beds we used hardwood sleepers for the posts and horizontals, installed 100mm socked ag-pipe and 20mm gravel for drainage and then backfilled the beds with garden soil in preparation for planting," says Todd.