This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

'Dream Gardens' Is A New Show Helping You Get Real About Your Outdoor Space

You don't need to spend a fortune, either.

As much as we like to daydream about weekends spent tending to our huge, luscious garden, for many of us the reality looks much more like a small, slightly sad basil plant.

Whether it's due to being stuck in an inner city rental with a balcony for a garden, or because you are just too busy to maintain additional living things, sadly a dream garden is a pipe dream for many.

A new show, however, wants to change your mind.

ABC's 'Dream Gardens' is an eight-part series hosted by landscape designer, Michael McCoy.

From shifting design visions and budget blowouts to battling unhelpful weather, McCoy follows both the garden design evolution and personal journey of a different Aussie family each week.

The series begins with a rural Queensland couple's journey to transform a rock hard paddock into an ambitious and extensive kitchen garden so that they can live out their 'grow it, eat it, live it' dream.

"We all habitually underestimate the power of our outdoor spaces to genuinely transform our lives," McCoy told The Huffington Post Australia.

Australian landscape designer, Michael McCoy, is the host of new ABC series, 'Dream Gardens.'
ABC
Australian landscape designer, Michael McCoy, is the host of new ABC series, 'Dream Gardens.'

With some families having already spent a fortune in the past on a garden they are less than happy with, McCoy said emotions ran high.

"They were all expecting the world, but it's safe to say they were all delighted beyond expectation."

We learn that one of the biggest challenges garden designers face is clients having an overly romantic dream for their outdoor space.

"People are quite realistic about what they hope to achieve in their homes, but the moment they go outdoors all sensibilities go out the door and they have the wildest, craziest dreams," McCoy said.

As the designer, McCoy explains it's his role to be a whole lot more pragmatic.

Gardens that require zero to low maintenance is the request McCoy hears most often but he hopes the show teaches people that interaction might actually be what we're craving.

"It's essential that a designer creates a garden that is a match to the resources that are going to be available to keep it in perpetuity, but in saying that, sometimes it's simply about making someone feel confident enough that they are capable," McCoy said.

Here's a sneak peek of the first episode.

'Dream Gardens' premieres on Thursday, February 9 at 8pm on ABC and iView.

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