The rear garden is likely to be substantially larger than the front garden and may need to accommodate several different elements. When you design a rear garden, consider how the old and the new will fit together.
Retain original or old elements
Original or old built elements on your property may include:
- paths
- stone walls
- edged garden beds
- old shade houses
- clotheslines
- tank stands.
Before clearing the rear yard or old garden, record:
- the locations of built elements and paths
- their condition
- their potential for retention and adaptation.
Consider these in the design of any house extensions and in garden planning. You may be able to restore or adapt them for renewed use, even if only partially. These provide authenticity, links to the past and an interesting, close relationship between the house and garden.
Integrating new additions
Even if your historical house has had no modern extensions or renovations and few are planned, you'll probably still want to change the old garden layout. Rear yards today have different uses compared to when they were established decades ago. For example, you may need to remove lawns, gardens or trees to accommodate a new garage, water tank, covered outdoor living area or swimming pool. It's best to keep the design around these modern additions contemporary but simple.
Your new garden design will appear most in accord with the house if you keep much of the overall structure, simplicity and plant character of traditional gardens from the house period. Consider the form, scale, proportions and character of the house and its relationship to the rear garden. For example, Italianate rendered walls, decorative metal pool fences, high Victorian or Asian-inspired reproduction gazebos and ornate fountains will not integrate happily with a timber-and-corrugated-iron 19th or 20th century cottage.
Carports and garages
Carports or garages can be a major intrusion in an old garden. For information about placement and design of these structures in an older home, read our guidelines on heritage carports and garages.
Value the existing mature trees and garden plants
When you plan your garden, first conduct a detailed review of the existing trees, shrubs and small plants. There are often potential garden treasures to be revealed. Trees can be carefully pruned and canopies thinned to uplift them and allow more light, or to form a shaded space beneath for paving and a seat. If you can't fully restore an overgrown, leggy shrub (Image 5), you may be able to turn it into a sculptured small tree or accent in the garden. Camellias, hibiscus, cotoneasters and crepe myrtles are some of the plants you can retain in this way.
If your boundary hedges are overgrown and sparse near the ground you can prune them to grow bushy again, or you can refresh the soil and under-plant. Transplant shrubs, ferns, lilies, bulbs, succulents and roses from places needed for building extensions. Save good garden soil.
These measures can help you keep the traditional structure and plant character that suits the house style. They'll also help you retain a garden that appears appropriately established and is full of character and history.
Small garden structures
A fernery or bush house in the rear garden was fairly common throughout the early 20th century. In the Toowoomba Region, larger gardens often had small conservatories or aviaries. You can includes these structures in your renovated garden to reflect its traditional character.
If you want to include a small garden retreat, garden storage with work table, or children's cubbyhouse, you can design them to reflect a traditional garden pavilion. Rather than using a prefabricated metal shed, ensure new buildings use a design, scale and materials sympathetic to the era of the house. Integrate new structures by having vines scrambling over them and by establishing a shrubbery setting.
An arbour or arch can be a delightful garden accent. Vines with scented flowers or climbing roses can shade a seat, define the passage between two garden areas, or make a pathway a garden's special feature (Images 6a, 6b and 6c).
Aviaries, pigeon lofts and dovecotes were popular in early 20th century gardens but fell out of favour later. For an early 20th century house, you could include an aviary-like structure with an alternative use as a seating arbour or vine-covered structure.
The garage was commonly in the backyard until the 1970s. It was usually a modest timber structure and may have contained a small home workshop. These old garages can still be seen in some Toowoomba Region backyards and are a great historical garden asset.
Kitchen garden
Herb and vegetable gardens are increasingly desired in the rear garden, just as they were from settlement times to the mid-20th century. A historically appropriate kitchen garden should have a simple rectangular form. It could include climbing frames and fruit trees. Place your compost bins in a convenient but inconspicuous location.
Chook yard and roost
Chooks were frequently kept in the rear yard of early houses. In larger properties, a fenced area was often located at the rear of the yard, using two of the boundary fences. A timber-framed, mesh-enclosed chook yard was often added as a lean-to on the storage shed, the tank stand or garage. A simple structure and rectangular layout is the most appropriate for a character garden.
Clotheslines
The earlier clothesline system of long lines between timber poles (Images 7a and 7b) is visually simple and fits into a renovated garden, reflecting traditional style. A rotary clothesline, also known as a Hills hoist (Image 7c) is practical and also traditional. These were first introduced in the 1920s but became popular after World War II. Try to retain or restore the old fixture, or install a new one.
Water tanks
Through the first half of the 20th century, water tanks were fairly common at the rear or side of houses in towns. Historical documents or photos of your house, or even remnants of the tank stand, can indicate the original location. In regional towns, such as Pittsworth, the old tanks are sometimes still present. Sheds, rooms and laundries were sometimes built in under the tank stand. Retain these historical features.
If the original location of the tank stand is no longer suitable, place an above-ground tank to one side of the property so views and northern/winter aspects are not blocked. A traditional tank in lined corrugated steel or stainless steel will suit a character house and won't need to be screened from the garden or house. Consider adding a vine-covered trellis or hedge planting to screen modern plastic or concrete tanks.
Tank water will help you establish new plants, a kitchen garden and fruit trees. A sizeable tank allows for some deep watering and watering the lawn. Tank water can also be used to flush toilets and for washing machines. Find out more about installing rainwater tanks.
Windmills and bores
Bores are now rare in Toowoomba but are still found in regional towns, such as Pittsworth, for garden watering. Sometimes they have a windmill. This is a distinct feature and you should try to retain it, even if it's no longer used.