’The harsh seaside environment of their first home never really lent itself to a lush, green garden but when they moved inland slightly a few years ago it was time to get the Balinese pots out of storage and give it a go.

The backyard of their new home had good bones, with five large Queen palm trees, bangalows and a giant bird of paradise plant, so the renovation was configured around these.

With the beach no longer on their doorstep, Jenny and Garth wanted to ensure a fun, entertaining environment for their grandchildren - so the first task was to install a swimming pool.

Because there was no vehicle access to the yard, the dirt from the hole had to be transported via conveyor belt up the side of the house and out to the road.

The 7m by 3m saltwater, heated pool was then lifted into place via crane over the top of the house.

"That was the easy part," says Jenny.

The pool is fenced with frameless glass panels and cyclone wire, which is both architecturally appealing and has the added safety benefit of see-through visibility to keep an eye on the grandchildren.

Garth had previously covered the existing wooden fence with bamboo panels, setting the backdrop for a Balinese flavour.

Between the pool and the back fence Jenny and Garth have kept the existing large plantings and planted three-tier hedging, including griselinia, Mexican orange blossom and clipped teucrium.

The planting sits behind a low, bond-stacked polished block concrete wall with Balinese pots at either end kept in place with internal steel rods. Various small Balinese statues peek from foliage in other parts of the garden.

Garth had some macrocarpa planter boxes built, which he assembled around the base of the palm trees, to add stability and visual balance. These are under-planted with orange and yellow vireyas, hibiscus, tropical white impatiens, sugar palms and gardenia.

The couple have tried to keep the orange and yellow colour scheme throughout their garden, with a touch of blue added by the pool, a large cantilevered sun umbrella and blue uplights that illuminate the palm trees at night.

Pride of place on the fence in the yard is a retro 1960s Dunlop longboard that Jenny’s mother rescued from a neighbour’s rubbish bin in Auckland many years ago and has been in the family ever since.

"It’s a classic board and a part of our family history. Surfers have offered to buy it but I will never sell it. If it falls apart over time, due to exposure to the elements, so be it. It’s better than languishing in the garage unseen," says Jenny.

The outdoor furniture is predominantly white, with sun loungers and chairs with colourful scatter cushions around the pool, and cafe-style chairs around an aluminium-framed table with a wooden top.

Along the side of their house Jenny and Garth have installed an outdoor shower and fish filleting station.

"In summer we rarely shower indoors and the grandies don’t have to traipse through the house all wet," says Jenny.

A courtyard with a small lawn area with raised planter boxes sits on the north-easterly side of the house, offering an alternative seating and barbecue area when the westerly wind makes its presence felt. It also serves as a sunny breakfast spot.

Both Jenny and Garth tend to the garden although neither are "real gardeners," she says.

"We fly by the seat of our pants really. We know what we like and we wanted a tropical vibe."

The thing that Jenny enjoys most about her garden is she can walk straight out of her house into the garden. In her previous home the living area was upstairs overlooking the garden.

"Even though we had a garden we couldn’t enjoy it like we enjoy this one. It’s nice to be able to walk in and out, and our family, who live close by, love the pool. En masse we create a delightful ruckus for the neighbours!"

Jenny recommends www.houzz.com.au and magazines such as ’House and Garden’ for design inspiration in the garden.

Having a "handy hubby" is a bonus too.

"With Garth’s engineering background he can turn his skills to almost anything. He is the artistic one, with foresight and vision."

River stones and weed mat are two things that Jenny recommends avoiding in the garden.

"Weed mat is my pet hate - weeds grow on top of it over time anyway."

She also recommends using compost and sheep pellets when planting, and using plenty of water.

"Our water rates are high but we have the greenest lawn in the street."

Jenny is happy with her new garden but says it is still a work in progress. "It’s still a young garden so it’s got a way to go yet to become as lush as we envisaged.

"This season we’ve added about 30 hibiscus, which will eventually come into their own. We’re just starting to get some lovely blooms."