IN Gardens

We usually associate a garden with the colour green, but is your garden green enough to help the planet? We asked one expert what you can do to help green your garden and still make it feel like a haven.


When you consider giving your garden, courtyard or outdoor area a face-lift or a boost, it’s worth taking some time to consider making the project green, waterwise and as eco-friendly as possible.


ABC TV Gardening Australia presenter, environmental scientist and landscape designer Josh Byrne knows that with a little thought and pre-planning your new space can be gorgeous and environmentally considerate. No matter how small, you can always add some greening touches.


If you’re starting from scratch or redesigning and renovating your garden or outdoor space, Josh suggests the first thing to do is consider how the design complements the thermal comfort and energy performance of the house and surrounding areas.


“Be conscious of what materials are used – that is, where they are sourced from and how long they will last,” Josh says. “Other key sustainability goals that should be addressed include water efficiency, local food production and wildlife habitat. It’s a matter of identifying the sustainability objectives early on in the design process and being clear on the desired aesthetic and functional outcomes. Like anything, it just requires a little thought and effort.


"Just because you are going for a garden which ticks plenty of eco friendly boxes, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be maintenance-free. At the same time though, it doesn’t have to suck up all your leisure hours. Decide how much time you want to spend taking care of your space and plan around that.


“Some garden elements, such as vegetable gardens, do require regular maintenance but they are also extremely productive, so there’s a return from the resources that are expended. The size and intensity of food gardens should be scaled according to your needs, expectations and capacity. Higher maintenance activities should be balanced with low maintenance areas so the net result is manageable.”


One of the things very close to Josh’s heart is the home veggie and herb patch and he definitely recommends one if you want to green your garden.


“Growing veggies and herbs is so rewarding, with significant taste and health benefits. Even if space or time is limited, seasonal herbs and picking greens can be incorporated into feature planters or pots. There are also lots of clever and stylish ways to incorporate fruit trees into gardens, such as the use of trellises and productive screening hedges.”


While you’re doing all this Josh suggests the three big no no’s to watch out for are:

• Blanket irrigating, as opposed to hydro-zoning the garden, based on the specific water requirements of plants.

• Dominating the garden with hard landscaping at the expense of planted areas, which help to cool the home and outdoor living areas, whilst allowin rainfall to infiltrate the soil and increase biodiversity.

• Using timber products that aren’t certified by a recognised accreditation scheme, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Lastly, what’s one smart trick which is simple but can make a garden look a million dollars and still be environmentally friendly?


The answer is mulch. Use quality mulches and gravel surface treatments.


“If done well, this can really lift a garden by providing a neat finish that sets off plantings. Gravel areas around feature plants can be used to reduce irrigated areas, whilst mulched garden beds will help with moisture retention and reduce weeds.”


www.joshbyrne.com.au

IN Applecross

What’s in a suburb? According to two Applecross locals, it’s their life-long connection to the area which makes it the ideal place to live and work in.

There’s something special about working in the area you grew up in. You know all the nooks and crannies, the best places to hang out and you can’t go past a quietly satisfied sense of belonging.

For Paul Evensen, associate director of Realmark Applecross and Mark Correia, owner of cafe C15 Espresso, Applecross is that place.

“I live and run a business here,” Paul says. “A lot of people go away but end up coming back because they miss the area and are familiar with it. I love being in this part of the city because it’s so accessible.”

Paul sends his kids to a local school and presents a monthly book prize to a local student for being a quiet achiever not only at his kids' school but also the one he attended as a child.

“I’ll often see people around here I went to school with and some of them have kids at school with my kids, so there’s a lot of familiarity. There’s just that instant connection and I think that makes a difference doing business here.”

Mark Correia and his twin Jason own C15 Espresso, a cafe in the busy Kearns Crescent eatery area, recently dubbed the Claremont of the south. The brothers grew up in nearby Attadale but have been living in Applecross for the last eight years. The brothers have been in business together for most of their lives and started C15 eight years ago.

“The river is one of my favourite places,” says Mark, who also loves meeting friends at The Raffles for meals. “I’ve also seen the place grow and it has come such a long way from where it was before. It’s a really pretty part of town.

“All my friends live around here and a lot of my neighbours have grown up here as well. Plus having a business in the area, I think there’s something great about all those links.”

Mark and Paul’s local connection has meant Paul hosts a chat about local real estate every Thursday from 9 – 10am at C15.

“It’s free and I’m trying to break down that barrier people sometimes feel with real estate agents while at the same time promoting the local area and its activities,” says Paul.

You see, it really is all about being local.

Realmark’s Applecross office has relocated to 11a Riseley Street adjacent to C15 cafe. Telephone: 9428 2888. C15 is at 15 Riseley Street. Opening hours are Tuesday – Saturday 7am – 10pm, Sunday 7am to 8pm and Monday 7am – 8.30pm. Telephone: 9316 4242.

Carbon Tax - how can you benefit?

The Carbon Tax legislation has now been passed through the lower house of Federal Parliament. An historic event without doubt.

But amidst all of the debate around energy efficiency and greenhouse emissions, it’s worthwhile considering how the Carbon Tax would affect the property market.

Residential energy use is on the rise with the ever increasing availability and development of gadgets and technology. While a number of household appliances are being made to be more efficient, energy consumption per person has increased as has the size of the average Australian home which is now in the largest range world-wide.

Furthermore, energy costs are rising beyond what most think is affordable, no wonder homeowners and buyers are becoming increasingly mindful of a home’s energy efficiency rating and how the carbon tax will affect them.

There is no doubt that the introduction of carbon tax will have an inevitable impact on the property market both in terms of consumer preferences and affordability. Once it is implemented next year, it will progressively have a significant impact on consumer activity and people need to be prepared for this.

It will affect household spending and buyer preferential demand for particular types of houses as buyers gradually become a lot more aware of how energy efficient a home is. This will become a distinct buying feature to be ranked and marketed.

Energy efficiency may become, for some, one of the most important features when considering a property. It could very well overshadow other features which currently dominate the decision making process. Things like ocean views, swimming pools, air-conditioning and heating systems, or that dedicated entertainment theatre room may come under different consideration and level of importance in the buying selection.

It is likely that renovations and building new homes will also become more expensive for people as the price of materials increase and building codes change. Thus, buyers will be attracted to established homes instead, which will consequently bump up the prices of this market segment. This will in turn impact on the ongoing challenge of housing affordability in Western Australia.

It’s not just the buying of property that it will affect; it’s the ongoing cost of living and many people may choose to buy a new property that better suits their carbon tax adjusted lifestyle in the future.

People need to start thinking about the type of property that will suit their lifestyle post the introduction of the carbon tax, because it will have an effect and people need to accept this.

Developers and sellers who are in tune with this structural change in Australian society and in particular the property market, who take a proactive and positive approach could create a competitive advantage and improve sale or rental returns. We as real estate agents need to think further than selling ‘bedrooms and bathrooms’ and develop a more sophisticated understanding of the product whilst shifting the focus towards this emerging buyer selection criteria.