Daylesford Organics farmers Kate Ulman and Brendon Eisner live on 50 acres of forest and orchards that make up their farm in regional Victoria, with their three kids, Indigo, Jarrah and Pepper.

In the heart of their block is an incredible garden, comprising a kitchen garden right outside their doorstep, and a larger, flower, veggie and berry garden on top of a hill at the Musk Vale property.

These picturesque grounds are straight from the pages of a country living magazine, with abundant rows of brightly coloured dahlias, perennial plants, and an amazing sunroom nearby – complete with lush indoor vines! We recently stopped by for a visit.

Just as many of us are embarking on a four-day long weekend, Julia Busuttil Nishimura has whipped up these delicious Semla buns – just in time for Easter!

Best served the day they come out of the oven, Semla is a mouth-watering Swedish-Finnish almond and cream-filled bun (yum!) often enjoyed around Easter (and beyond).

For those of you who aren’t big on almond filling, fear not, as jam is the ideal substitute!

It’s hard to believe artist and garden designer Ralph Bristow only started working on this flourishing garden in regional Victoria three years ago.

Tucked away on a six-acre block in Barwite, near Mansfield, the neglected paddock has been transformed by Ralph into a spectacular botanical wonderland filled with Indigenous trees, biannuals, bulbs and shrubs, plus a vegetable patch and a perennial garden!

The colourful landscape changes magnificently with the seasons – witnessed from his strawbale family home. Take a closer look at The Barwitian Garden in all its autumn beauty, before it features in the annual Open Gardens Victoria program later this month.

Julia Busuttil Nishimura creates the perfect lunchtime salad; one that is crunchy, creamy, fresh, and, of course, full of flavour. We’re talking about her cucumber, freekeh and poached chicken salad with yoghurt tahini.

This little beauty is the perfect weekday lunch that will keep you going until dinner time. And, even better, it’s totally customisable. Vegetarian? Swap out the chicken for boiled eggs! Don’t have freekeh? No problem! Simply substitute with your favourite grain. No matter how you make it – this salad is a winner!

It’s a landscape designer’s dream to be offered a large site and the freedom to create any garden of their choosing.

This very scenario resulted in this Black Rock garden by Andrew Panton Design, which combines overflowing foliage, formal hedging, and tropical beach elements relevant to its bayside Melbourne location. 

Designed with year-round interest firmly in mind, the garden is divided into sections highlighting perennials that bloom throughout the seasons.

Put the kettle on! This mouth-watering cake from Julia Busuttil Nishimura is the perfect afternoon treat.

Deceptively simple to make, yet with all the frills to impress your friends, this not-too-sweet cake is an instant crowd-pleaser. It even keeps well for the next day (if it lasts that long!)

If life had turned out the way Andy Kepitis initially planned, he’d be spending his days in front of a computer working as an accountant – not tending to cacti and succulents in his backyard!

It wasn’t until studying at university that Andy discovered his love for plants, leading him down an entirely different career path, to found kep Horticulture. 

We caught up with Andy in his Northcote garden to learn about his horticulture practice, garden philosophy, and the value in loving what you do. 

Hot summer days call for no-fuss, zero-heat meals able to be whipped up in a matter of minutes. 

This sando recipe is exactly that – a real crowd pleaser requiring little more than fresh herbs, ready-cooked prawns, and pillowy soft white bread. 

It’s Australian summer in a dish!

Landscape architect Liz Herbert from Openwork describes a “healing garden” as a plant-dominated environment designed to meet the physical, psychological, social, and spatial needs of users. Whilst these spaces are often linked to hospitals, nursing homes and other health-related environments, Melbourne’s newest healing garden sits within the grounds of Heide Museum of Modern Art! 

Designed by Openwork, this beautiful new garden combines elements of conventional therapy and healing, with productive and edible gardens, and spaces intended for art and play.

Located on the site of Heide co-founder Sunday Reed’s first kitchen garden (later repositioned), this new environment reflects the late art patron’s keen interest in the symbolic and medicinal properties of plants, as well as Heide’s growing desire to provide restorative spaces for visitors of all ages and abilities.

Lots of us were levelling up in the kitchen last year, whether out of boredom or necessity. And whether you’re SO done with cooking at home, or eager to test out some new skills over the summer break, these are our five most popular recipes of the past year, revisited!

We’re talking three types of savoury galettes, a layered lemon and raspberry cake and more. If that doesn’t taste like a holiday, we don’t know what does!