JAMIE DURIE
08 Aug 2012
Q&A with TV personality and landscape guru Jamie Durie, who will be a special guest at this year’s Grand Designs Live Home Show.
Q&A with TV personality and landscape guru Jamie Durie, who will be a special guest at this year’s Grand Designs Live Home Show.
What are some of the Grand Designs Live (GDL) features you’re most looking forward to this year?
I like the fact that GDL will be focussing on so many aspects of the home instead of just one – building, interiors, kitchens & bathrooms and of course, especially the outdoors. Also, that there will be experts who specialise in different aspects of design on hand speaking about their area of expertise.
How does GDL compare to other building and home renovation shows?
GDL is a well-rounded show with a very high standard and a good representation of all aspects of home and garden design.
Do you think people are getting better at DIY?
I think people are willing to give some smaller renovation projects a go these days because TV make-over shows and magazines have demystified some of the design and build processes. However, on the whole it has also shown how much expertise and effort goes into the job of renovation and design, so many are even more happy to trust an expert, but they are more aware of the processes and are more savvy and aware of what options there are available.
Any favourite gadgets?
My favourite gadget is a Japanese hand pick – a miniature stainless steel hand-pick used in Japan for tilling the soil. However, I use it for everything from planting to pruning, to weeding. It’s incredibly ergonomic.
How can inner-city dwellers introduce a garden into a small space?
There is nothing like a challenge to get the best out of a designer and working with a small space can be a challenge. You would need the contents of the design to have a minimum footprint on the ground plain but a maximum impact in the vertical visible plain and as such tall narrow plants such as Bamboos and climbers are very useful. Avoiding dark tones allows light to be reflected and makes spaces appear larger. Patterns and textures should be kept simple as busy surfaces appear smaller than clean planes.
It is said if you are limited for room then you should collect for your home only objects which are both beautiful and functional. An advantage of small areas is that a budget is much more valuable applied to a small garden than a vast space. As a result some real treasures are made of small gardens.
Limited space is no limit to creative opportunities or even the way we use our gardens. Clever planning and attention to detail can create a jewel of a small space. Take your inspiration from the sparseness of traditional Japanese gardens, formal cloistered courtyard gardens of Europe or the cool shaded lush courtyards of vernacular homes in the tropics. It is worth making the most of every little bit of outdoor space you have.
What kind of garden features do you think are most important to people?
Destination points or ‘magnets’ that draw people outside to gather around and enjoy such as a conversation setting or outdoor kitchen and dining area, a fire pit etc.
If you could re-create a famous garden in the world which would it be?
I want the job of designing this proposed subterranean garden in New York which will be like the highline but underground and it will be a wonderful asset to New York City - http://www.gizmag.com/new-york-delancey-underground-garden/19962/
How can people create a water-wise garden?
A water deprived garden is unhealthy, disease prone and slow growing but a garden that is designed appropriate to its low water availability is lush, vigorous and happy. There are plenty of plants that thrive in dry conditions and among them specimens that suit all garden styles.
If you haven’t already noticed Aussie plants are well and truly back in vogue again not just here at home but globally as well. Not only do they require less water but they are far more unique, more robust and require a lot less maintenance than their European counter-parts. Not only will you feel more patriotic but you will have a more, sculptural and textural garden with beautiful vibrant range of incredible flowers.
Now don’t get scared because there is an Aussie plant to suit every nook and cranny in the garden. Just like real estate, it’s all about positioning! Start by making a list of all your favourite Aussie plants. It might help to take a walk down the street with your camera and take some snaps of all the plants that inspire you. Your local nursery can help you identify these.
There are some general gardening rules for reducing evaporation. Planting trees and larger shrubs creates a microclimate for other more vulnerable plants to grow with shade and moisture. Mulching plants keeps water in the soil where it’s needed and it is a great way to neaten up the garden and improve the look of plants.
What are your tips for creating an edible garden?
Many of our contemporary vegie gardens would be unrecognisable to the older generations. Integration is the key word when it comes to the modern kitchen garden. Either you create a traditional kitchen garden or alternatively you can integrate edible plants into the garden as a whole, creating an edible landscape.
Edible plants need not be segregated. For example, instead of growing a hedge out of Buxus, replace it with rosemary (for its scent and for great roast lamb!) or sage. Feijoas and Lilly Pillies are wonderful screening plantings and have edible fruit. Some of the best small trees for our suburban gardens are fruiting; orange, lemon, lime, cumquat, olives and bay trees for their fragrant leaves. Deciduous fruiters such as cherries, plums and apples let the sun in during winter, blossom beautifully in spring and offer fruit in summer. Use groundcovers such as mint, thyme and pennywort at the edge of steppers or paths to fill in gaps and soften edges. They come in cultivars which offer variegated leaves or different fragrances when the leaves are crushed.
Explore the wonderful variety in foliage colour and texture with the range of cultivars now available; stunning chillis, ornamental lettuces and chocolate scented mints add a bit of fun. When planning your outdoor kitchen and dining area think about installing a vertical garden wall close by, planted out with assorted herbs. While you cook on the barbeque you can just reach out and pluck fresh herbs straight out of the garden to toss on the sizzling food or use as garnishes for serving.
What are your tips for creating a ‘year-round’ garden that will bloom throughout the seasons?
You could have flowering plants in your garden all year round with careful planning -just plant for all seasons. Here are some examples of plants for each season:
Winter flowering plants – like Hellebores, Snowdrops, Rhododendrons, Daphne odora aureomarginata, Grevilleas, Azaleas etc
Autumn flowering plants – Clivia, Dahlia, Sedum, Aster, Sweet Autumn Clematis, Goldenrod, Russian Sage, Japanese Anemone etc
Summer – Hydrangea paniculata, Oleander, Frangipani, Jacaranda, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus etc
Spring – Jonquils, Begonia, Tulips, Day Lilies, Hyacinths, Magnolia ‘Little Gem’, Dog Wood trees etc.
For more information on the upcoming Grand Designs Live Home Show visit: http://www.outdoordesign.com.au/article/Grand-Designs-Live/1066