A call to the outdoors

Food and fun are a must for this lush, green garden

Growing produce and connecting with nature are the inspiration for this abundant kitchen garden. Featuring a large lawn for sports (and cartwheels!), a stone pizza oven and a thriving veggie garden, this beautiful backyard is fit for all ages and needs.

"This family had a passion for growing their own produce and connecting with nature, as well as having fun in the garden. So the garden needed to encourage a life outside for the complete family," says Steve Warner, principal landscape designer at OUTHOUSE Design. To create this fun outdoor space for the whole family, Steve had to inject energy and structure into the once-tired garden that had "good bones".

"We needed to create a space for the family to come together, while still having activity zones and, of course, a trampoline!" says Steve. "A garden for all ages and needs has its challenges, so seeking input from all to ensure everyone's needs were delivered was crucial."

These needs were vast and included creating a lawn that was large enough to play; space in the right microclimate for food production; an outdoor pizza and fireplace; a storage shed; and a garden design that was not only pretty, but also productive.

Heading into the garden, the circular feature lawn with a recycled brick edge creates a visually strong green hub for all sorts of activities. Its shape allows for deep garden borders and connecting pathway/stepping stones. Each key activity or destination point radiates from the centre, making connection as easy as possible.