Those were the exact frustrations of Brisbane homeowners Jen and Mark. The couple living in the inner city suburb of Red Hill loved their home but the same couldn’t be said for their backyard. Positioned on a steeply sloping block they struggled to find a landscaping team skilled and willing to tackle the job. That was until they contacted the award-winning team from Outdoor Secrets!

Highly experienced in transforming the ugliest ducklings into inspiring multi-functional outdoor havens, Outdoor Secrets’ Director Nathan Bisshop paid the couple a visit. Stepping down into the backyard was like venturing into an abandoned overgrown lot where the weeds were the only ‘features’ and heavy rain events created a ’garden bed’ of soil and debris at the bottom of the hill. To top it all off, access was a major issue meaning hard manual labour would have to take the place of convenient modern landscape machinery!

After presenting some unique solutions to the couple, they jumped at the opportunity to entrust Nathan and his team to bring their dream garden to life! The ideas were pretty straight-forward, Jen and Mark wanted a lush tropical inspired space to entertain and relax, a fire pit, somewhere to grow their own fresh fruit and veg and they needed some privacy too.

Collaborating with his innovative design team, Nathan presented a plan to Jen and Mark that not only gave them everything they needed within budget, but it masterfully provided solutions to all of the challenges that were simply put in the ‘too hard’ basket by other landscaping teams the couple had spoken to.

Completed on time and on budget, Jen and Mark were left speechless the minute they set their eyes on their breathtaking backyard retreat. Here’s what they came home to!

• A tiered tropical haven set over six levels – this gave the couple unique outdoor rooms that all had a distinct purpose
• Evergreen planting offering year-round colour & privacy and purposeful planting to endure shade tolerance, add privacy, prevent weeds and help control the Bush Turkeys.
• Positioned under the upstairs deck is the top level – this space was transformed from rubble into a private outdoor dining room complete with an inviting table setting. It also houses a storage area which has been tucked away using recycled corrugated steel and timber screening. Spectacular living walls have been created using lush tropical planting and the rainforest feel continues down to level two where a charming pond infuses vibrant life into the space, housing fish and providing a soothing trickling water soundtrack all day long.
• Levels three and five are sprawling canvases of native Wintergreen turf – perfectly level areas to play or simply relax and bask in the summer sun!
• Undoubtedly, the showstopper for Jen & Mark is their custom built fire pit. Located on the fifth level, a handcrafted horseshoe-shaped gabion bench seat wraps around the pit and features timber slates for comfort. Encased with galvanised steel and illuminated with vivid LED strip lighting, oversized river pebbles fill the caging, eluding to the natural beauty found in local Brisbane waterways. Adding theatre to the space, steel meshing intertwined with intricate vines provide an impressive backdrop and thriving privacy.
• The bottom level of the garden is reminiscent of a magical secret hideaway. Natural stone steppers create a charming winding informal path and the space beautifully comes together to frame the multi-tiered garden.

 The Outdoor Secrets team surpassed Jen and Mark’s expectations both visually and functionally. While that was the priority, Nathan was particularly impressed with his team’s ability to exceed the extremely high standards they’re renowned for considering the numerous challenges the project presented.

Regardless of the terrain, location or challenges,  Outdoor Secrets specialise in masterfully creating unique outdoor solutions that look beautiful, use the space intelligently and compliment the natural landscape. It might seem like you have an impossible canvas to work with but a solution does exist! Contact Outdoor Secrets today to reveal yours!