November 2nd 2020

We had incredibly high expectations for Harry and Tash because their layout means they don’t have a traditional back yard like the others, but do have the largest front garden. To create a family space anywhere, they had to make their front garden work as their back yard. Their white and green palette was lovely, but to me the layout was confused. Too many focal points with no connection and too much wasted space. Planning a front garden is like planning a lounge – creating small pockets of focus that work cohesively with each other. 

Joint winners Sarah and George made their front garden all about the era. They kept things simple, with a nod to the heritage of the home with that classic 1940s brickwork – a step back in time. My childhood home had an arbor with wisteria growing over it so that created an emotional connection and sense of romance. You can tell their garden is going to be sensational come auction, with the trees in bloom and space for kids to play. Their garden sets the stage for the rest of their home, and feels like an invitation to explore. 

Overall,, Daniel and Jade’s garden had a beautiful feel as you walked through the gate. Their colour palette made the architectural features of their 1930s home pop and created a soothing old world feel – my favourite palette of the day. I loved their little verandah, and their catwalk pathway to the front door (but I would have loved it more if they’d had time to box in the exposed sides). While simple, I felt there was a haphazardness to their plant selection that didn’t connect to the era of their home. 

Luke and Jasmine presented a beautifully simple palette of pavers and plants, creating a great link between the interior and exterior of their home with lots of white and subtle colour highlights. I’m excited to see how their plane trees look come auction time when they’re in full foliage. They had some challenges with the execution of their painting due to the heavy rain, but the only thing that really stumped us was their choice of water feature – a modern piece with no connection to the 1910 era of their home. A modern version of a bird bath would have been perfect in its place.

Jimmy and Tam greeted us with a classic ‘50s. Palm Springs tableau. From ‘The Junction’ sign to ‘Darren Palmer’ (how lucky were they to be gifted that palm tree??) to the breeze block walls, there was much to love. The balcony area creates a nice private space off the master bedroom, and I smiled when I saw they’d used that controversial bathroom paint (tinted differently) on their front door. They included a lot of high-priced cacti in the garden, but they could have planted more. There’s a consistency throughout Jimmy and Tam’s house, and now their garden. It feels iconic and niche, and there are a lot of people in the market for niche.