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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

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Before & After: Charlie Albone's front garden makeover on a budget

Before & After: Charlie Albone's front garden makeover on a budget

Johanna and Charlie give a backyard a resort-style makeover

Johanna and Charlie give a backyard a resort-style makeover

Charlie updates a shady corner of his garden

Charlie updates a shady corner of his garden

Charlie visits Dale Frank Botanical Gardens

Charlie visits Dale Frank Botanical Gardens

{headline}

{headline}

Before and after: Adam and Melissa's courtyard makeover

Before and after: Adam and Melissa's courtyard makeover

Charlie Albone and Adam Dovile make a fire pit

Charlie Albone and Adam Dovile make a fire pit

Charlie Albone’s guide to succulents

Charlie Albone’s guide to succulents

{headline}

{headline}

Charlie’s community playground makeover

Charlie’s community playground makeover

Charlie Albone’s top tips for planting in summer

Charlie Albone’s top tips for planting in summer

Johanna and Charlie visit the Oye Mi Canto House

Johanna and Charlie visit the Oye Mi Canto House

Charlie Albone visits Mountainview Farm

Charlie Albone visits Mountainview Farm

How to create a native verge garden

How to create a native verge garden

How to grow chillies

How to grow chillies

Johanna and Charlie visit a Palm Springs-inspired home and garden

Johanna and Charlie visit a Palm Springs-inspired home and garden

  1. Home
  2. Garden

A ‘50s front garden is given a makeover

Work with what you already have to easily add character to your home. - by Charlie Albone
  • 05 Feb 2021

ddd

Mid-century brick homes are mainstays of our Australian suburbs. Solid and sturdy, they were built with practicality in mind, the gardens often just an afterthought. But you can build on these basics to create a welcoming front yard full of character.

Give the front fence a new lease on life and replace the boring old concrete path that leads to the house with a stylish serving of crushed granite. Spruce up your entryway and patio and complete your revamp by filling garden beds with a few small trees underplanted by clumping grasses and flowering beauties. 

Project: Garden path

before pic of house

Before: A drab grey concrete wall.

Sue Ferris
after

After: A freshly painted fence - with pickets added - and flowering shrubs which add a riot of colour

Sue Ferris

Gather your supplies

  • Paving and brickie's sand 
  • Cement 
  • Charcoal face bricks 
  • Crushed granite

You'll also need

  • Crowbar
  • Spirit level
  • Shovel
  • Stringlines
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Rubber mallet 
  • Trowel

Here's how

Step 1

step 1

Step 1

Sue Ferris

Use crowbar to break up and remove existing concrete path. Excavate near gate for bricked entry. 

Step 2

stpe 2

Step 2

Sue Ferris

At gate, lay 50mm thick bed of paving sand that is 80mm below the finished height of the path. Mix a bit of cement into the sand so it will harden when wet. Make the sand level then lay face bricks on top, aligned with the outside of the fence. 

Step 3

step 3

Step 3

Sue Ferris

Dig narrow trenches along the sides of your path. Set up stringlines at the outside edges of your path. Blend brickie's sand and cement in the ratio of 5:1 and mix with water in a wheelbarrow. Make the mix so it will hold its shape but will easily give when a brick is pressed into it. Shovel mortar into trench, then lay bricks on edge in mortar. Tap down using a rubber mallet until edge of brick meets the stringline. 

Step 4

step 4

Step 4

Sue Ferris

Every so often, lay a row of bricks across the path to break it up and create interest along the length. When finished, spread mortar on either side of the bricks about 30mm from the top. Splay the mortar away from the bricks with a trowel to create a wide bed. Leave mortar to set.

Step 5

Spread crushed granite between the bricks, making sure it is at least 40mm thick. Stamp down granite with your feet as you go. Finish path by sweeping off the top of the granite flush with the bricks. 

final path

Final look: Add colour and crunch with a granite path edged in charcoal bricks.

Sue Ferris

Add on tech for your home

Even the older homes can be brought into the 21st century with a few nifty add-on smart devices. 

1. Lockly smart deadbolt and latch

tech
Sue Ferris

Never search for your keys again! The touch keypad allows access for family and friends, with up to 18 different codes available. Fingerprint recognition adds an extra layer of security. It can all be controlled remotely using iOS and Android home assistant systems, and via an app that lets you monitor activity and grant access from anywhere. 

2. Eufy 1080P Floodlight

man setting up security lights
Sue Ferris

Motion-activated floodlight and security camera all in one. Record what's on the camera or livestream directly to your phone. Alerts can also be sent and a 100 decibel siren can be sounded to scare off potential intruders. 

3. B-HYVE WIFI Tap Timer

hand holding phone open on app
Sue Ferris

Take the hassle out of watering your garden. Attached to your tap, the WiFi-connected device offers you complete control from your smartphone. Real-time weather updates let you adjust your watering schedule to deliver just the right amount of water to your garden, saving on water and money. 

What we planted

Make a pattern by repeating the placement of different plants.

Foxgloves and agapanthus
Sue Ferris

1. Foxgloves

foxgloves flower
Sue Ferris

2. 'Baby Pete' agapanthus 

agapanthus
Sue Ferris

3. Miscanthus ornamental grass

miscanthus
Sue Ferris

4. Coastal rosemary 

rosemary
Sue Ferris

For more garden projects pick up the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, available now in selected newsagents and supermarkets – or buy online today!

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Charlie Albone
Charlie Albone
Charlie has worked internationally and in Australia for the past 17 years, designing and building gardens that are timeless, inspiring and enjoyable to spend time in. In 2015 and 2016, he was awarded two Silver gilt medals for his own gardens at the world’s most prestigious flower show The Chelsea Flower Show.

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Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

Before & After: Charlie Albone's front garden makeover on a budget

Before & After: Charlie Albone's front garden makeover on a budget

Johanna and Charlie give a backyard a resort-style makeover

Johanna and Charlie give a backyard a resort-style makeover

Charlie updates a shady corner of his garden

Charlie updates a shady corner of his garden

Charlie visits Dale Frank Botanical Gardens

Charlie visits Dale Frank Botanical Gardens

{headline}

{headline}

Before and after: Adam and Melissa's courtyard makeover

Before and after: Adam and Melissa's courtyard makeover

Charlie Albone and Adam Dovile make a fire pit

Charlie Albone and Adam Dovile make a fire pit

Charlie Albone’s guide to succulents

Charlie Albone’s guide to succulents

{headline}

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Charlie’s community playground makeover

Charlie’s community playground makeover

Charlie Albone’s top tips for planting in summer

Charlie Albone’s top tips for planting in summer

Johanna and Charlie visit the Oye Mi Canto House

Johanna and Charlie visit the Oye Mi Canto House

Charlie Albone visits Mountainview Farm

Charlie Albone visits Mountainview Farm

How to create a native verge garden

How to create a native verge garden

How to grow chillies

How to grow chillies

Johanna and Charlie visit a Palm Springs-inspired home and garden

Johanna and Charlie visit a Palm Springs-inspired home and garden

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