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Charlie Albone’s 2020 front-yard makeover used three coordinated moves rather than an expensive rebuild: a tired lawn became a planted bed, a failing hedge was replaced, and the entrance was sharpened with darker porch paint, a clean driveway and a more architectural letterbox. The source gives the work sequence and materials, but no total project price, plant list or site details, so the most useful way to copy it is as a flexible method rather than a fixed planting recipe.
What the makeover actually changed
Better Homes & Gardens Australia published the makeover on November 4, 2020. Its curb-appeal strategy is simple: spend effort where visitors see it first, remove weak elements and make the entry read as one composition.
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1. A lawn section became a garden bed
Instead of maintaining a patch of unconvincing grass, Albone outlined a new bed, removed the turf and roots, improved the soil with compost, and planted in layers. Taller plants belong toward the rear so the bed has height without hiding the house or path. Watering the holes and the plants, backfilling carefully and adding mulch complete the conversion.
2. The struggling hedge was replaced
The old hedge and the turf around it were removed. The soil was aerated and amended before new hedging plants were set out 50–80 centimetres apart. That spacing is the article’s specific planting measurement; the correct final distance for your plants still depends on their mature width and the look you want.
3. Three visible finishing touches tied the frontage together
- The porch was painted a deeper, richer grey.
- The driveway was pressure-cleaned; the article notes that hiring a pressure washer is the cost involved in this step.
- The existing letterbox was replaced with a more architectural design.
None of these changes requires moving the house, rebuilding the path or replacing every plant. Together they make the entrance look intentional from the street.
Materials and tools for the three parts
Use the following checklist before you start. It reproduces the physical supplies named in the source and separates them by task.
| Area | Supplies named by Better Homes & Gardens Australia | What each group does |
|---|---|---|
| New garden bed | Plants, compost, mulch, grass-marking paint, square-edged spade, metal rake, garden fork, post-hole digger and buckets | Marks the outline, lifts turf, prepares soil, plants and finishes the surface |
| Hedge replacement | Hedging plants, compost, mulch, square-edged spade, garden fork, metal rake, tape measure, post-hole digger and buckets | Measures even spacing, improves the planting strip and establishes the new hedge |
| Finishing touches | Porch paint, a hired pressure washer and a replacement letterbox | Refreshes painted surfaces, removes driveway grime and updates the focal detail at the entry |
The article does not identify brands, plant species, quantities or local suppliers. Buy quantities only after measuring the bed and hedge run, and select plants for your own sun, soil, climate, water supply and mature size.
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How to turn a lawn patch into a planted bed
This is the most disruptive part of the makeover, so mark the shape carefully before cutting anything. A broad curve can soften a rigid frontage, while a straight edge can suit a formal house; the source provides the method, not a required outline.
- Mark the boundary. Use grass-marking paint to draw the proposed edge on the lawn. View it from the street and from the front door before committing. Adjust the line until it leaves a practical mowing edge and does not obstruct paths, drainage or utilities.
- Cut and lift the turf. A square-edged spade gives a clean cut. Remove the grass and as many roots as possible while keeping as much existing soil as you can. Keeping usable topsoil limits the amount of new material you must bring in.
- Rake out survivors. Run a metal rake across the exposed area and collect remaining runners and roots. Persistent grass left in the bed can compete with new plants and reappear through mulch.
- Loosen the soil. Turn the soil with a garden fork rather than pulverising it. Work deeply enough to remove compaction, but avoid mixing distinctly different soil layers unnecessarily.
- Add compost. Spread compost over the prepared bed and work it into the upper soil. Compost improves the planting medium, but it is not a substitute for checking drainage or correcting a site-specific soil problem.
- Set out plants before digging. Put taller plants toward the rear and shorter plants toward the front or edges. Leave enough room for mature spread; the source does not provide a species list, so use each plant’s nursery label rather than guessing.
- Water the holes and plants. Water each planting hole before placing a plant, then water the plant after it is set in. Moistening both the root zone and surrounding soil helps eliminate dry pockets.
- Backfill and firm. Return soil around the root ball, firming gently so the plant is stable without compacting the bed. Keep the plant at the same depth it occupied in its container unless its label says otherwise.
- Mulch last. Apply mulch across the exposed soil for a finished appearance and to reduce evaporation. Keep mulch off stems and trunks so the base stays ventilated.
How to replace the hedge
A hedge is read as one line from the street, so preparation and consistent spacing matter more than buying the largest plants available.
- Remove the weak hedge and nearby turf. Clear old stems, roots and grass so the new plants do not inherit the competition or compaction that contributed to the poor result.
- Aerate the strip. Use a garden fork to open compacted soil. Work along the entire run rather than improving only the spots where individual plants will sit.
- Amend with compost. Incorporate compost into the planting strip. If the area stays wet or dries rapidly, confirm that your chosen plants tolerate those conditions before planting.
- Measure the line. Use a tape measure and mark positions 50–80 cm apart, the spacing stated in the 2020 article. Treat that as a starting range, not a universal law: narrow, upright plants can be closer, while broad plants need more room.
- Dig and water each position. A post-hole digger can speed repetitive holes. Water the hole, place the plant at the correct depth and water the root ball.
- Backfill, settle and mulch. Firm soil around each plant, water again to settle it, then mulch the strip. A continuous, even mulch layer helps the new hedge establish as a group.
Do not judge the hedge by immediate fullness. Plants need time to establish and branch; crowding them to create an instant screen can produce competition and maintenance problems later.
Making the painting and entry work count
Porch paint
The makeover specifies a deeper, richer grey, but not a paint brand, product type or colour code. Choose an exterior coating rated for the porch material and your weather exposure. Before painting, remove dirt and loose coating, allow the surface to dry, protect adjacent masonry and flooring, and follow the product label for primer, recoat time and number of coats. Test a small area in the porch’s actual light: a grey that looks rich in a shop can read much darker beneath a roof or much cooler beside existing brick.
Painting is most efficient after messy earthworks are complete but before the replacement letterbox is fitted. That sequence reduces the chance of splashing fresh paint on new hardware and lets the final colour guide your choice of letterbox finish.
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Pressure-cleaning the driveway
The source treats hiring a pressure washer as the cost of this improvement. Sweep loose grit first, protect doors and planting, and keep the nozzle moving so a concentrated jet does not etch concrete or strip a coating. Work from the highest point toward the street and allow the surface to dry before deciding whether any stains need a second pass.
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Replacing the letterbox
An architectural letterbox acts as a small focal point at eye level. Check the existing post, mounting surface and mail-delivery requirements before ordering a replacement. Install it after the surrounding painting is complete, and make sure the opening and height remain convenient for the postal worker.
How to choose plants when no species list is provided
The makeover article intentionally gives a method rather than a universal plant palette. A plant that thrives in one Australian suburb can fail in another because of sun, frost, humidity, soil structure or water restrictions. At a nursery, take measurements and answer these questions before buying:
- How many hours of direct sun reach the bed and hedge?
- Does water drain quickly, remain damp or collect after rain?
- What is the soil texture and pH, and has the area been compacted by foot traffic or vehicles?
- How tall and wide may the plants become without covering windows, paths or sightlines?
- How much pruning and irrigation can you maintain?
- Are there local restrictions on invasive, toxic or high-water plants?
Use mature dimensions, not the plant’s size in the nursery pot, when calculating the number of plants and the spacing. For the hedge, compare the label’s mature width with the article’s 50–80 cm range and adjust the layout before digging.
What “on a budget” means in this project
The exact-title Better Homes & Gardens Australia article does not publish a total project cost or an itemized budget. It also does not state the quantity of compost, mulch, plants or paint. Therefore, there is no defensible dollar figure to attach to this makeover.
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A separate article, published by the same publisher on June 11, 2021, uses an “under $3,000” headline for a different staged project that includes driveway, patio-tile and path upgrades. That figure should not be transferred to Albone’s front-yard makeover.
You can still control spending with a written takeoff:
- Measure the proposed bed in square metres and the hedge length in metres.
- Ask the nursery or landscape supplier how many bags or bulk units of compost and mulch cover those areas at the recommended depth.
- Count plants from their mature spacing, then add only a modest allowance for replacements if your site is exposed.
- List paint, preparation materials, the letterbox and pressure-washer hire separately so optional finishing work is visible.
- Complete the bed and hedge first; defer the letterbox or paint if the total exceeds what you can comfortably spend.
Keeping existing soil, doing the turf removal yourself and hiring a pressure washer only for the cleaning window are ways to limit outlay without pretending that materials are free. Local tool-hire services and nurseries can quote the items that vary by region.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical order of work
Follow this sequence to avoid damaging finished areas:
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →- Photograph the frontage and measure the lawn, hedge line, porch and letterbox position.
- Choose plants for the site and confirm mature dimensions before buying.
- Mark and remove the lawn, then prepare and plant the new bed.
- Remove the old hedge, amend the strip, measure 50–80 cm positions and plant the replacement.
- Water thoroughly and mulch both planting areas.
- Pressure-clean the driveway and let it dry.
- Prepare and paint the porch in the selected deeper grey.
- Fit the architectural letterbox and inspect the whole frontage from the street.
Common mistakes and straightforward fixes
Planting by pot size
Symptom: the bed looks crowded immediately. Fix: reset plants using mature width and height, with taller plants at the rear as the source recommends.
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Leaving grass roots under the bed
Symptom: runners appear through the mulch. Fix: rake repeatedly after lifting turf and remove visible roots before adding compost.
Skipping soil preparation
Symptom: new plants wilt despite watering or the hedge grows unevenly. Fix: aerate with a fork and incorporate compost across the full planting area, not only in individual holes.
Mulching against stems
Symptom: the base stays damp or decays. Fix: pull mulch back from stems while keeping the rest of the soil covered.
Pressure-washing too aggressively
Symptom: pale stripes, etching or damage near edges. Fix: increase distance, keep the nozzle moving and test an inconspicuous patch first.
Choosing paint by colour alone
Symptom: the porch grey clashes with the house. Fix: sample in place and evaluate it in morning, midday and evening light before buying enough for the full job.
The result to aim for
The strength of this makeover is coordination, not a single expensive feature. A clearly edged bed replaces weak lawn, a properly prepared hedge restores structure, and the painted porch, clean driveway and architectural letterbox make the approach feel maintained. Use the documented sequence, the named tools and the 50–80 cm hedge-spacing starting point, then adapt plant selection, quantities and paint specification to your property. That gives you the same design logic without claiming a price, species list or site conditions the original article never supplied.
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