Garden Design with Jamie Durie App Review

If you are an HGTV fan, odds are that you have seen The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie. An accomplished and passionate horticulturalist and landscape designer, Jamie Durie has been designing gardens and outdoor spaces for years. A native Australian, he has traveled the world to design gardens and speak on behalf of many environmental causes, including work with Al Gore as a Climate Project Presenter.

Jamie is an advocate of designing so that your house and garden flow organically with one another. He also suggests choosing plants and flowers that are low maintenance, but high impact, like the Supertunia Vista (pictured above). As he says, “These are not your grandmother’s petunias.” They are a dense ground cover, which makes them perfect for those of us who like to keep weeding to a minimum. This type of plant may just be the answer to my front hill conundrum.

Curious to learn more from Jamie, I checked out the new app, Garden Design with Jamie Durie ($2.99 at the iTunes App Store). In reviewing his app, I loved the tips section, which covered topics like greywater use, composting, and involving the kids in gardening. It also has features in which you can upload pictures of your own garden and see other gardens, and the “Plants” section lets you use your location to determine which plants would be bested suited for your area. You can also save plants that you like into the “My Garden” section and keep an idea book with detailed information on water and light needs and landscape use suggestions. It is a very comprehensive app, and I am looking forward to using it to help design my flower beds this summer.

In addition to learning from the app, I was able to ask Jamie Durie some gardening questions. Here are the top five questions that I had for him and his answers.

1) If someone is just starting a garden, what is your #1 tip for not feeling overwhelmed with the new project?

Redesigning your garden can be a daunting task. Before anything else the most important thing is to identify what you want to use your garden for. Do you like to entertain? Do you need to have a space for kids to play in? Perhaps you would prefer your garden to be a place of relaxation. Depending on the size of your garden you may be able to have multiple spaces for different purposes.

Even if you only have a small balcony or veranda to work with it is still important to consider this step. How you want to use your garden will affect what type of plants you use, the style of furnishings and the overall feel of the space. Once you’ve decided on this just work on bite sized parts of the overall design, breaking it up into the lounging space, the dining space, etc….

So, now on to the drawing board. Think about the plan of your house. There are walls, corridors and rooms. You should think about your garden in the same way. It too should have walls and corridors and rooms. Of course, the materials you use to create it will be slightly different. We all know that certain rooms require certain furniture. A bedroom needs a bed, a dresser, lamps and bed linen. Similarly, an outdoor dining room needs a table, chairs, lighting and perhaps a heater. Although plants are a big part of any garden, there are many other elements to consider as you plan your perfect garden. Mapping out your garden as you would your house helps to make the whole process less daunting.

2) What should folks consider when choosing plants for their backyard spaces? Should they stick with native plants or explore all options for their zone?

I would always recommend using natives first.  Check with your local nursery that you have not overlooked the plants that are native to your particular area as these would be the right choice for the environment, for us humans and our furry friends, not to mention the greater health of our planet.

3) You recommended using ground covers as accents like using rugs in a home. Which ones, in addition to the Supertunia Petunias, offer the most bang for the buck and are easiest to take care of in case of drought conditions?  

I do like the Supertunia Petunias as they come in great colors, are low maintenance and water wise. They work well with grasses like carex and dwarf pennisetum.  Rubus calycinoides and sedum ‘jellybean’ other great companion plants.

 4) What sets your app apart from other gardening apps?

My iPhone App, Garden Design with Jamie Durie,  has a Plant Finder, you can upload pictures of your garden and share them with others, you can learn about my garden design philosophies, and see some of my favorite and most notable garden designs.  The App has great inspiration and handy design hints tool and helps you in creating your ideal outdoor room.

5) I read in your bio that you have worked with Al Gore and the Dalai Lama on environmental issues. Which charities are you working with now and how can folks help out those charities?

I work with FSC Forestry Stewardship Certification, Global Green, Planet Ark, Plan International and am an advocate for preserving our natural surroundings and environmental future.  I think everyone can help by spending their money wisely; using their purchasing power to effect change for the better.  Also, help green urban environments by planting gardens if you have your own space to do so.  Otherwise, think about  starting a community garden with friends and neighbours.  I’m currently part of an exciting community garden project in LA called Little Green Fingers.

Clearly, Jamie Durie has a wealth of knowledge to share and his sustainability mindset and philosophy of having your garden be an extension of your home are great ones to follow. I definitely think the app is worth grabbing for this and future gardening seasons. With the snow coming today, I’ll be happy to hunker down on the couch with it and see what ideas I can include in our garden plan for 2013.

How would you use the app to help you make your garden dreams a reality?