There is something remarkably calm and beautiful about a garden. Australians alike all dream about creating our own green oasis – whether it’s a tiny postcard-sized patch in the inner city, or hectares of space in a rural setting.
This is where Dream Gardens comes in. A new eight-part television series on the ABC, hosted by leading landscape designer Michael McCoy, taps into aspiring green thumbs everywhere.
As part of the series, each week McCoy travels to a different garden around Australia, talking to their owners and discovering the story behind their dream garden. The camera then watches them try to create the garden, usually with the help of a designer.
“All gardens are dream driven, and a great designer is someone who can turn that dream into a reality by understanding the inspiration and drivers for the client,” says McCoy.
“A great garden design is a team effort, one where the designer and the client work together to make it happen.”
A great landscape designer is someone who can turn their dream into a reality, says McCoy
The first episode follows a couple seeking a tree change, who are determined to live off the land in Toowoomba, Queensland. Michael and Rosi Kenny enlist their son Clint, a local landscape designer, to help them create a dream garden.
Clint designs a self-sustaining kitchen garden for possibly his toughest clients yet – his parents.
Michael, Rosi and Clint Kenny in their Toowooomba kitchen garden
However, he is optimistic about his design, which includes raised vegetable beds, a conservatory, water feature and orchard – it’s all about Michael and Rosi’s desire to live off the land by adopting a “grow it, eat it, live it” philosophy.
“It’s going to draw the whole family together,” Clint says during the show.
“They want to achieve a more self-sufficient lifestyle so I am doing my best to set it up for them.”
“We get along really well, but, yeah, it’s going to be a challenge.”
To cement the familial bonds even further, Clint helps his parents to build the extensive project in between his day job in town. To keep costs down they plan to use recycled and reclaimed materials whenever possible.
It’s a heart-warming journey – from the first space hitting the ground to the inspiring end result – with just a few tears along the way.
And, undoubtedly, it will inspire you to get stuck into your own garden, no matter its size.
Dream Gardens premieres on Thursday, February 9 at 8pm on the ABC.
Are you a keen gardener? Tell us about your backyard in the comments section below.
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