Gardens

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A common misconception with apartment living is that you have to give up having a garden. The beauty of modern developments today is that many developers employ award-winning landscape architecture firms to design world-class outdoor living spaces for residents to enjoy. 

We took a look at 5 of Australia's most beautiful gardens on the market right now.

#1 <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/plaza-garden-apartments-burwood-brickworks-78-middleborough-road-burwood-east">BURWOOD BRICKWORKS</a>, VIC

Developer: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/frasers-property">Frasers Property</a>

Landscape Architect: GROUP GSA, OCCULUS

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/burwood-1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Frasers Property"><img alt="Credit: Frasers Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/burwood-1.jpg?itok=R8cUdqti" style="width: 580px; height: 319px;" title="Credit: Frasers Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Frasers Property</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/burwood-2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Frasers Property"><img alt="Credit: Frasers Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/burwood-2.jpg?itok=XiPSaA5J" style="width: 580px; height: 326px;" title="Credit: Frasers Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Frasers Property</figcaption></figure>Burwood Brickworks is the exciting new development planned for Melbourne, which is also <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/burwood-brickworks-set-to-become-the-worlds-most-sustainable-retail-development">set to become the world’s most sustainable retail development</a>. For those who plan to buy one of the 700 off-the-plan homes within the precinct, they will be able to enjoy 2.5 hectares of open space and parklands, featuring sprawling lawns, native trees, expansive boardwalks and even a rooftop urban farm.

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#2 <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/no1-bryson-1-bryson-avenue-brighton">NO. 1 BRYSON</a>, VIC

Developer: Circa Property Group

Landscape Architect: CBG Architects

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/no1bryson-1.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Circa Property Group"><img alt="Credit: Circa Property Group" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/no1bryson-1.jpeg?itok=GpOiY_Fs" style="width: 580px; height: 327px;" title="Credit: Circa Property Group"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Circa Property Group</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/no1bryson-2.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Circa Property Group"><img alt="Credit: Circa Property Group" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/no1bryson-2.jpeg?itok=bohZCSfh" style="width: 580px; height: 327px;" title="Credit: Circa Property Group"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Circa Property Group</figcaption></figure>No.1 Bryson is a luxury collection of eight boutique apartments in Brighton, Melbourne. The development features delicate creeper vines, lush mature trees, manicured lawn and shaded seating area complete with a brazier. A dynamic range of shrubs, hedges and tall trees provide optimum privacy, shelter and create a restful environment for residents to enjoy year-round.

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#3 <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/riverlight-320-macarthur-avenue-hamilton">RIVERLIGHT</a>, QLD

Developer: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/frasers-property">Frasers Property</a>

Landscape Architect: Lat27

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/riverlight-1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Frasers Property"><img alt="Credit: Frasers Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/riverlight-1.png?itok=bj4jTcEA" style="width: 580px; height: 388px;" title="Credit: Frasers Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Frasers Property</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/riverlight-2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Frasers Property"><img alt="Credit: Frasers Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/riverlight-2.png?itok=7mZAP7AW" style="width: 580px; height: 329px;" title="Credit: Frasers Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Frasers Property</figcaption></figure>Riverlight apartments are situated within the Hamilton Reach precinct in Queensland, which has been designed with a sustainable focus and to reflect the area's natural surroundings. The grounds of Riverlight feature a fantastic selection of raised moss beds, creating a quirky and unique aesthetic, as well as plenty illuminated concrete garden beds which double as seating areas. The development also draws inspiration from its coastal setting with tall palm trees, shingle pathways, wooden boardwalks and decorative pier pilings.

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#4 <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/projects/the-langston-tower-12-22-langston-place-epping">THE LANGSTON TOWER</a>, NSW 

Developer: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/cbus-property">Cbus Property</a>

Landscape Architect: Arcadia

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/langstontower-1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Cbus Property"><img alt="Credit: Cbus Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/langstontower-1.png?itok=nSUyG0cq" style="width: 580px; height: 306px;" title="Credit: Cbus Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Cbus Property</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/langstontower-2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Cbus Property"><img alt="Credit: Cbus Property" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/langstontower-2.png?itok=k0Jx9z4p" style="width: 580px; height: 342px;" title="Credit: Cbus Property"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Cbus Property</figcaption></figure>The Langston Tower in Epping, New South Wales features multiple beautifully curated areas of greenery with plenty of designated zones for residents to connect. The aesthetic combines a stunning fusion of an English garden (bright blue an purple wildflowers, raised garden beds, delicate vines and flowering trees) with beach-style succulents and natural wooden decking.

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#5 <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/one-248-flinders-street-adelaide">ONE</a>, SA 

Developer: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/guavalime">Guavalime</a>

Landscape Architect: Loucas Zahos

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/one_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Guavalime"><img alt="Credit: Guavalime" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/one_1.jpg?itok=lSrGerNX" style="width: 580px; height: 812px;" title="Credit: Guavalime"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Guavalime</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/one_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Guavalime"><img alt="Credit: Guavalime" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/one_2.jpg?itok=bvf99XQx" style="width: 580px; height: 359px;" title="Credit: Guavalime"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Guavalime</figcaption></figure>ONE apartments are located at 248 Flinders Street in Adelaide and feature a stunning rooftop garden with panoramic views extending out across the city. The urban oasis features soft ferns which border the periphery of the deck and vertical greenery to create a lush forest effect, while mature trees in wooden planter boxes act as a centrepiece as well as a place to sit and relax amongst nature.

Lead image: No.1 Bryson
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Olivia Round

5 of Australia's top apartment gardens

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The Mews, the luxury garden estate in Burradoo, has sold after a recent market adjustment.
The home on 1.2 hectares, which sought $3.9 million when listed at the beginning of this year, recently saw a price drop to $3.6 million before its recent sale.
The Mews last traded for $3.9 million in 2003 when bought by the McAllery family when they bought from Lord and Lady Merritt. It was master built by the award-winning Alvaro Homes.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/11/22/Mews1.jpg" alt="">
Multiple living spaces and terraces look across the established landscaped garden and water features.
The gardens include expanses of lawn, ponds, weeping cherries and bed upon bed of roses and camellias. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/11/22/Mews3.jpg" alt="">
An all-weather pavilion features an indoor heated swimming pool and spa.
 
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Burradoo country garden estate The Mews sells

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Studies indicate spending time in nature brings physical, mental and social benefits. These include stress reduction, improved mood, accelerated healing, attention restoration, productivity and heightened imagination and creativity.
Increased urbanisation has made it more difficult to connect with nature. And members of lower socioeconomic and minority ethnic groups, people over 65 and those living with disability are less likely to visit green spaces. This could be due to inaccessible facilities and safety fears.
A gardening program for disadvantaged groups, running in New South Wales since 1999, has aimed to overcome the inequity in access to green spaces. Called Community Greening, the program has reached almost 100,000 participants and established 627 community and youth-led gardens across the state.
Our independent evaluation explored the program’s impact on new participants and communities in social housing by tracking six new garden sites in 2017. Around 85% of participants told us the program had a positive effect on their health and 91% said it benefited their community. And 73% said they were exercising more and 61% were eating better. One participant said engaging in the program even helped them quit smoking.
These insights have advanced our understanding of how community gardening improves the mental and physical health of Australians living in social housing communities in our cities.
Our study
Trends towards urbanisation and loss of green space have sparked concerns about population health and well-being. This has led to a growing body of research on the impact of community gardens on children and adults.
The Community Greening program is supported by the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in partnership with Housing New South Wales. Anecdotal feedback gathered by the botanic garden over the past two decades has shown gardening improves well-being and cohesion, fosters a sense of belonging, reduces stress and enhances life skills.
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Community Greening provides gardens for people in social housing.
Based on this understanding, Community Greening aims to:
<ul>
<li>improve physical and mental health</li>
<li>reduce anti-social behaviour</li>
<li>build community cohesion</li>
<li>tackle economic disadvantage</li>
<li>promote understanding of native food plants</li>
<li>conserve the environment</li>
<li>provide skills training to enable future employment opportunities</li>
<li>share expert knowledge of the garden.</li>
</ul>
Our research investigated these outcomes in participants, and whether they changed during the course of the program. We collected data using questionnaires over seven months (before and after participation). We also conducted focus group interviews with participants and open-ended questionnaires with staff working at the community sites.
Of the 23 people who completed both questionnaires before and afterwards, 14 were female and nine were male. They had an average age of 59, ranging from 29-83. Fifteen participants were born in Australia while the rest came from Fiji, Iran, Poland, New Zealand, Philippines, Chile, Afghanistan and Mauritius. One participant identified as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and five people (22%) reported English was not their first language.
Initially, 27% reported they had never gardened prior to the program. At the post-test questionnaire, the frequency of attendance improved for many of them. Over 40% gardened once a week and 22% every day.
Gardening benefits
Overall, we found participants felt a sense of agency, community pride and achievement. The gardening program helped encourage change and community development. Some were happy to learn a new hobby.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228673/original/file-20180721-142405-1snyawc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Community Greening participants found a lot of benefits to gardening. Research infographic/Screenshot, Author provided
Gardening also served as an opportunity to socialise with neighbours. In previous years within some social housing communities, it was commonplace for residents to simply stay inside their units without interacting with anyone.
Many participants said they saw a marked improvement in their health and well-being. One participant remarked:
"I suffer with a lot of health problems, and a lot of times I’ve been sitting at home, been depressed and not been happy about my illness, and since I’ve become more involved with the garden it helped me to not worry about my health so much like I used to and it actually improved my eating habits. It has changed my life positively. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself anymore…"
Some described the gardening experience as calming and cathartic – especially those who suffered from depression and anxiety. Some spoke of the positive aspect of having something to do each day and their feelings of achievement.
Another participant said:
"Going outside gives me not only physical exercise, but it provides a certain amount of joy in that you’re seeing the benefit of your hard work coming through in healthy plants. Whether it’s vegetables or a conifer, you’re seeing it grow and you’re seeing the benefit…"
Additional improvements in social health included a genuine enthusiasm for working in a team, with increased co-operation and social cohesion between staff and tenants. The housing managers and social workers work alongside tenants helping to foster trust, co-operation, social collaboration and healthy relationships.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96707/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">More importantly, this research has provided validation that Community Greening has aligned with contemporary social-housing priorities. These include supporting health and well-being, nurturing a sense of community, enhancing safety and developing a sense of place.
Tonia Gray, Associate Professor, Centre for Educational Research, Western Sydney University
Danielle Tracey, Associate Professor, Adult and Postgraduate Education, Western Sydney University
Kumara Ward, Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, Western Sydney University
Son Truong, Senior Lecturer, Secondary Education, Western Sydney University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/gardening-improves-the-health-of-social-housing-residents-and-provides-a-sense-of-purpose-96707">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Gardening improves the health of social housing residents and provides a sense of purpose

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CBRE Agribusiness has been appointed to sell The Greenery Garden Centre in Heidelberg.
It is being billed as Melbourne’s leading nursery brand and destination garden centre since 1976.
Located 11km from the Melbourne CBD, in the city’s growing eastern corridor, The Greenery Garden Centre is a dedicated greening specialist, providing a range of products and services, including plants, sand and soil, outdoor furniture, ornaments, homewares, water features and other accessories. 
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The property, at 4 Banksia Street, comprises a 2.33ha landholding situated along the banks of the Yarra River.
CBRE Agribusiness agents Duncan McCulloch and James Beer have been appointed to handle the sale of both the freehold and the business.  
“The opportunity comprises a large scale freehold landholding and profitable business with a strong trading performance and a long-standing and dedicated customer base,” they suggest.  
The Greenery Garden Centre is being sold as a going concern.
CBRE expect to receive strong interest from both domestic and international industry participants. 
 
 
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Heidelberg's The Greenery listed for sale

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Set on 70 acres over three titles in the Blue Mountains, a Mount Wilson three bedroom house on a garden estate with valley views has been listed for sale. 
The 14 Church Lane offering was listed by Brenton Gadsby from BradfieldCleary Double Bay.
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<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-mount+wilson-128327470" target="_blank">Located at 8-14 Church Lane</a>, Mount Wilson, it comes with two lots with an 'Alice in Wonderland' style garden and one bush block. 
The gardens include a separate cedarwood Tea House.
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The house features three bedrooms, vast living areas, outdoor terraces and four car garage.
It offers a range of exciting possibilities for a multitude of uses - as a private family estate or for commercial enterprises.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/5/31/mount%20wilson%204.jpg" alt="">
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Mount Wilson garden estate with valley views hits the market

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The weather is getting warmer, and gardens are coming alive with bees, flies, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.
For some of us it is exciting to see these strange and wonderful creatures return. For others, it’s a sign to contact the local pest control company or go to the supermarket to stock up on sprays.
But while some bugs do us very few favours – like <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worst-year-for-mosquitoes-ever-heres-how-we-find-out-68433" target="_blank">mozzies</a>, snails and cockroaches – killing all insects and bugs isn’t always necessary or effective. It can also damage ecosystems and our own health.
There are times when insecticides are needed (especially when pest populations are surging or the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-kept-disease-spreading-asian-tiger-mozzies-away-from-the-australian-mainland-72873" target="_blank">risk of disease is high</a>) but you don’t have to reach for the spray every time. Here are five good reasons to avoid pesticides wherever possible, and live and let live.
<h2>1. Encourage the bees and butterflies, enjoy more fruits and flowers</h2>
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191979/original/file-20171026-28083-92nvqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Hover fly. dakluza/flickr
Flowers and fruits are the focal points of even the smallest gardens, and many of our favourites rely on visits from insect pollinators. We all know about the benefits of European honey bees (Apis mellifera), but how about our “home grown” pollinators – our <a href="http://www.aussiebee.com.au/beesinyourarea" target="_blank">native bees</a>, hover flies, beetles, moths and butterflies. <a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/pollination" target="_blank">All these species contribute to the pollination</a> of our native plants and fruits and veggies.
You can encourage these helpful pollinators by growing plants that flower at different times of the year (especially natives) and looking into sugar-water feeders or <a href="https://www.growveg.com.au/guides/insect-hotels-encourage-beneficial-insects-into-your-garden/" target="_blank">insect hotels</a>.
<h2>2. Delight your decomposers, they’re like mini bulldozers</h2>
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/191978/original/file-20171026-28071-1310clk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Slaters improve your soil quality. Alan Kwok
To break down leaf litter and other organic waste you need decomposers. Worms, beetles and slaters will munch through decaying vegetation, releasing nutrients into the soil that can be used by plants.
The problem is that urban soils are frequently disturbed and can contain high levels of heavy metals that <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749111005719" target="_blank">affects decomposer communities</a>. If there are fewer “bugs” in the soil, decomposition is slower – so we need to conserve our underground allies.
You can help them out with compost heaps and worm farms that can be dug into the ground. It’s also good to keep some areas of your lawn un-mowed, and to create areas of leaf litter. Keeping your garden well-watered will also help your underground ecosystems, but be mindful of water restrictions and encouraging mosquitoes.
<h2>3. An army of beneficial bugs can eat your pests</h2>
Mantises and dragonflies are just some of the hundreds of fascinating and beautiful bugs we are lucky to see around our homes. Many of these wonderful creatures are predators of mozzies, house flies and cockroaches, yet people are using broad-spectrum insecticides which kill these beneficial bugs alongside the pests.
It may sound counterproductive to stop using pesticides in order to control pests around the home, but that’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7302/abs/nature09183" target="_blank">exactly what organic farmers do</a>. By reducing pesticides you allow populations of natural enemies to thrive.
Many farmers <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ento.45.1.175" target="_blank">grow specific plants to encourage beneficial insects</a>, which has been shown to reduce the damage to their crops.
This form of pest control in growing in popularity because spraying can result in insecticide resistance. Fortunately, it’s easy to encourage these bugs: they go where their prey is. If you have a good range of insects in your yard, these helpful predators are probably also present.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193118/original/file-20171102-26426-1kkfe0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Jumping spiders are great at eating flies and other pests. Craig Franke
<h2>4. Your garden will support more wildlife, both big and small</h2>
Spraying with broad-spectrum pesticides will kill off more than just insects and spiders – you’re also going after the animals that eat them. The more insects are around, the more birds, <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-bats-eat-mozzies-or-moths-the-clue-is-in-the-poo-19400" target="_blank">mammals</a>, reptiles and frogs will thrive in your backyard.
Baiting for snails, for example, will deter the blue-tongue lizards that eat them, so cage your vegetables to protect them instead. Keeping your garden well-watered, and including waterbaths, will also encourage a balanced ecosystem (but change the waterbaths regularly).
<h2>5. You and your family be happier and healthier</h2>
Engaging with nature <a href="https://theconversation.com/green-for-wellbeing-science-tells-us-how-to-design-urban-spaces-that-heal-us-82437" target="_blank">increases well-being</a> and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.pnas.org/content/112/26/7937" target="_blank">stimulates learning in children</a>. Insects are a fantastic way to engage with nature, and where better to do this than in your own back yard! Observing and experimenting on insects is a wonderful <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ento.42.1.269" target="_blank">teaching tool</a> for everything from life cycles to the scientific method. It will also teach your kids to value nature and live sustainably.
It’s also a hard truth that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1519137/?page=1" target="_blank">domestic pesticides present a significant risk of poisoning</a>, especially for small children.
In reality, the risk of exposing your children to the pesticides far outweighs the nuisance of having a few bugs around. Instead, integrated pest management, which combines non-chemical techniques like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241688/" target="_blank">cleaning of food residues, removal of potential nutrients, and sealing cracks and crevices</a>, is safer for your family and your garden ecosystems.
<h2>Think globally, act locally</h2>
Your backyard has a surprising impact on the broader health of your neighbourhood, and gardens can make <a href="https://kar.kent.ac.uk/28303/1/Davies_et_al._Biological_Conservation_2009.pdf" target="_blank">significant contributions to local biodiversity</a>. Insects are an important part of ecosystem conservation, and encouraging them will improve the health of your local environment (and probably your health and well-being too).
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85673/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">In the end, insects and spiders are not out to get you. For the sake of our kids and our environment, you should give them a chance.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lizzy-lowe-92423" target="_blank">Lizzy Lowe</a>, Postdoctoral researcher, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174" target="_blank">Macquarie University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736" target="_blank">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Lecturer and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-umbers-416078" target="_blank">Kate Umbers</a>, Lecturer in Zoology, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092" target="_blank">Western Sydney University</a>.
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-not-to-spray-the-bugs-in-your-garden-this-summer-85673" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Five reasons not to spray the bugs in your garden this summer

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A Walpole Street, Kew home set in lush gardens designed by Rick Eckersley has been listed for December 2 auction.
T<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-kew-126865150" target="_blank">he 84 Walpole Street offering</a> has $3.7 million to $4 million price expectations.
The home once featured in House &amp; Garden.
The four-bedroom tuck-point brick 1928 home retains period detailing and contemporary renovation.
Marshall White’s James Tostevin has the property,
The house which sits on extensive bluestone foundations is said to have been built for the Mayor of Kew.
It has views to the Northern and Dandenong Ranges. 
The comparable property details are given as: 
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<col>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
1 21 Swinton Av KEW 
</td>
<td>
$4,200,000
</td>
<td>
  05/2017
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
2 37 Wellington St KEW
</td>
<td>
$4,000,000
</td>
<td>
  08/2017
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
3 29 Oak St HAWTHORN         
</td>
<td>
$3,900,000
</td>
<td>
  05/2017
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Rick Eckersley gardens in Kew home set for auction

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GUEST OBSERVER
The “great Australian dream” of owning your own home is rapidly proving to be an illusion for many in the early 21st century.
In an environment of exceedingly high house prices, groups who don’t have secure, long-term employment are at risk of homelessness, particularly as they age. Single, older women are one such group at increasing risk of being homeless.
While housing policy has neglected this area of concern, recent work is beginning to highlight this gap. Most research has been done in metropolitan areas, but women living in regional Australia merit attention too.
In our study of 47 older women who do not own homes in regional New South Wales nearly all were living on low incomes. Their housing ranged from dingy hotel rooms and makeshift sheds or shacks to rundown flats or housing in regional towns. Only a few lived in reasonable circumstances, including community housing.
We discovered that the women had clear ideas about what sort of housing would suit them as they age. For all of them, stability and security of tenure were priorities. Other aspects of what these women wanted were perhaps more surprising and differed from research findings on older women living in cities.
Why is housing a problem for these women?
In a recent article, we argued that women’s work and family roles in the last century left them economically disadvantaged. Most had interrupted employment histories, lower status and lower-paid jobs than men.
Research shows that women who don’t have a partner generally suffer greater insecurity when they can no longer work, particularly if they don’t own their own homes.
Many single women now have to contend with a rental market in Australia in which the laws tend to be skewed in favour of landlords. Leases are typically short-term and tenants have little security of tenure. An overheated housing market, which encourages speculative investment, makes this insecurity worse.
To make matters worse, the availability of public housing has fallen.
What are their housing priorities?
Our study of older women in the Northern Rivers region of NSW found that only two participants had never had a partner. All but four had borne children.
Their shared desire for stability and security of tenure is understandable, given most had very disrupted housing histories.
Many worried about what would happen to them. Elizabeth said: "It would be just lovely to be somewhere where I know I could stay until I died."
Agnes thought she might end up “in an old school bus on somebody’s property”.
The women also expressed a strong desire for privacy and independence, which many of them called their “own space”. They wanted to come and go as they please. For instance, Anne just wants her “own little space to be private”.
Many women linked their desire for security, privacy and independence to their age and their gender. Jane, for example, associated wanting her own kitchen space with being a woman.
In contrast to some research on this group in cities, our participants insisted they did not wish to share housing with other women. They spoke quite vehemently at times – Susan would rather live in a tent than share housing.
What was surprising was that nearly all the women wanted some sort of garden, even if it was a tiny space. This was almost as important as their need for security and independence.
Finally, the women wanted to have space to accommodate their grandchildren and pets. They saw their role as being able to provide a base for their family and to nurture their grandchildren. This seems to reflect more traditional notions of women’s caring responsibilities, which were more widespread last century when these women were young.
We know that pets play a significant role in fostering mental and emotional health in older people. We also know that describing pets as family members is part of a broader trend in Australia. In our study, one participant minded the “grand-dogs” when her daughter was away.
A few women even said they would rather be homeless that give up their pet, such was their attachment. But, for many, lack of secure tenure and independence meant they were denied this source of emotional security.
The Victorian government has recently announced changes to tenancy laws that will allow renters to keep pets, as well as improve security of tenure. This is a welcome development for Victorians. It must be hoped it spreads to other states.
Preferences have policy implications
Our study emphasises the housing preferences of a regional cohort. Though the desire for secure tenure may be widespread, some preferences such as the expressed need for a garden may reflect regional values.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84780/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">If the housing problems that many single, older women experience are to be solved, housing policymakers need to be informed by research about what makes these women’s lives meaningful and productive.
Yvonne Hartman, Lecturer in Politics and Sociology, Southern Cross University and Sandy Darab, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Southern Cross University
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-single-older-women-want-their-own-little-space-and-garden-to-call-home-for-a-start-84780" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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What single older women want with the great Australian dream

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/70258/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
During summer, when a rainbow lorikeet or kookaburra visited your home, what did you do? Did you offer them a slice of apple, or simply watch until they take flight?
It brings many people joy to provide food and water for birds, to encourage them to stay a while and be given the chance to observe them more closely. But some people are reluctant to interact with birds in this way because they’re worried it might damage the birds’ health. 
In contrast with other countries, little research has been done on the effects of feeding birds in Australia. As a result, there are no established guidelines around how to feed and provide water for local birds. 
That’s why we ran the Australian Bird Feeding and Watering Study. We asked nearly 3,000 people to monitor the birds that visited their feeding areas and birdbaths. We wanted to know if there was a difference in the species that visited different types of gardens.
We examined the numbers and types of birds visiting:
<ul>
<li>birdbaths where no food was provided</li>
<li>birdbaths where food was provided</li>
<li>bird-feeders where birdbaths were provided</li>
<li>places where only food was provided.</li>
</ul>
The early results from the winter stage of the Australian Bird Feeding and Watering Study suggest that if you provide food and water, you will get more birds in your garden. But the species you attract will depend on what exactly your garden has to offer. 
Granivores
Granivores are seed-eating birds. They include species such as parrots, crested pigeons, sulphur-crested cockatoos, crimson rosellas and galahs. 
We noticed a spike in the number of granivores in gardens where both food and birdbaths were provided. But when food was on offer, fewer granivores chose to use the birdbath. We don’t yet know exactly why this is, but it could be because these seed-eaters need less water, or they can get it more easily from other sources than they can food.
Also, most of the bird food sold in shops is seed-based. People who buy these products will naturally attract more seed-eating birds to their garden.
We were, however, surprised to see crested pigeons visiting gardens where food was provided. These birds are only recent urban arrivals, and were previously restricted to semi-arid environments as opposed to the more urban areas where most of our citizen scientists lived. But crested pigeons are very adaptable and now compete fiercely for food and territory with the introduced spotted dove in some Australian gardens.
<h2>Nectarivores</h2>
“Small” nectarivores are nectar-eating birds that weigh less than 20 grams. The main birds in this group are New Holland honeyeaters, eastern spinebills and Lewin’s honeyeaters. 
The early results of our study suggest small nectarivores prefer gardens with birdbaths more than their granivore and insectivore friends. In fact, it seems that these small nectarivores like birdbaths so much, they will choose birdbaths over food when both are provided. 
“Large” nectarivores are nectar-eating birds that weigh more than 20 grams. These species including noisy miners, rainbow lorikeets and red wattlebirds – seem to prioritise food over birdbaths. This may be because they’re looking for a source of protein that they can’t easily find in their natural environment. 
Honeyeaters – such as Lewin’s honeyeaters, blue-faced honeyeaters and noisy miners – will forage on nectar but will eat insects as well. They switch from one to the other, but once they have found their meal they will defend it vigorously from other birds. 
<h2>Insectivores</h2>
Insectivores feed on insects, worms, and other invertebrates. Some insectivore species include superb fairy-wrens, willie wagtails and grey fantails.
Insectivores are most attracted to gardens where both food and water are provided. While superb fairy-wrens were frequently found in gardens where food was provided, willie wagtails and grey fantails preferred to visit gardens where only water is provided. 
<h4> </h4>
Many people have told me how confident fairy-wrens and willie wagtails can become around houses and gardens. These tiny birds can be bold and aggressive, and can work together to get what they want. A mum and dad fairy-wrens will conscript their older children into looking after younger ones – and siblings who refuse to help find food and defend territory may even be kicked out of the family. So these tough breeds have a competitive advantage in their new urban environments, and aren’t afraid to mix with or even chase off bigger birds.
You may be wondering exactly what type of seed to put out to attract which granivore, or which meat attracts a carnivore like a Kookaburra. I’m afraid we can’t yet say for sure, as we are yet to analyse the data on this question. Watch this space.
<h2>Could birds become reliant on humans for food?</h2>
Many people worry that birds will become reliant on humans to provide food for them. But this mightn’t be as big a concern as we once though.
The birds turning up at feeding areas and birdbaths are species that are highly adaptable. Many Australian birds live long lives, and relatively large brains when compared to their European counterparts. Some experts have argued that some Australian birds have evolved a larger brain to cope with feast and famine conditions in the Australian environment.
<h4> </h4>
Many Australian bird species can switch easily between estates and gardens in one area, be semi-nomadic, fully nomadic or seasonally migratory. This ability to adapt and switch between diets makes Australian bird species very resourceful, innovative and adaptable. 
Of course, Australia also has birds that have highly specialised diets or habitats, and they’re the ones usually most threatened or limited to one territory – birds like the regent honeyeater or ground parrot. In this study, we’re concentrating on birds that are adapting to urban areas and turning up at birdbaths and feeding areas in gardens. 
<h2>Building our knowledge of bird feeding behaviour</h2>
We plan to develop guidelines around providing food and water for birds in a way that has the highest conservation value for our feathered friends. But before we can do that, we need more data from you. 
So please take part in the summer stage of the study and pass the word around to others who may wish to be involved.
The summer survey will run for four weeks, beginning on January 30 2017. Visit feedingbirds.org.auto download the complete report on our early findings or to register to take part in our summer study.
Grainne Cleary is researcher, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/grainne-cleary-300485" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Birdbath, food or water? How to attract your favourite birds to your garden

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Unlike a kitchen or bathroom renovation that depreciates over time, a garden will grow in value as it becomes more established with each passing year, according to Secret Agent’s latest bulletin.
They suggested their top 5 reasons why you should renovate your garden before your kitchen or bathroom.
1. Add up to 18% to your home value
Gardens are highly valued amongst homebuyers.
Inner Melbourne properties with notable landscaped gardens can sell for 18% more than those without, especially if the property is located in a suburb where greenery and space is scarce.
2. Maintain physical health
Being healthy generally means eating well and exercising more. Gardens can help improve both of these aspects.
By dedicating an area of your garden to a veggie patch, you can grow your own organic vegetables.
Gardening is also a good form of exercise as it forces us to ditch the sedentary life on the couch.
The more we move and use our body now, the better quality of life we will maintain as we age. Gardening is especially good for keeping our hands agile and strong.
3. Keep a healthy brain
A longitudinal study on almost 3000 Australian men and woman found that daily gardening reduced the risk of dementia by 36%.
Another study found this risk reduction was as much as 47%.
4. Become happier
Not only does gardening make you relax, it will also brighten your mood. Soil contains a microbe which has been shown to have antidepressant properties in humans.
This bacteria is absorbed into our bloodstream via inhalation or ingestion on vegetables and results in increased levels of serotonin- the feel good hormone.
A lack of serotonin has been linked to increased anxiety, depression and a variety of other mental health issues.
5. The benefits of biophilia
The natural bond humans have with living systems is explained by the biophilia hypothesis, coined by E. O. Wilson.
Connecting with nature sets into motion processes deep within the body that make us mentally and physically stronger.
Numerous studies have shown that hospital patients who see greenery outside their window recover faster than those who face a brick wall.
Due to technology, we are spending more time away from nature than ever before.
Building up a beautiful garden to maintain will allow you to reconnect with nature and receive all of these benefits.
For more information go to: <a href="https://secretagent.com.au/" target="_blank">https://secretagent.com.au/</a>
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