Better Homes & Gardens: Nov 3

Friday’s Better Homes and Gardens will feature a garden feature designed by Jason Hodges for the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington Racecourse.

You can see it built from start to finish this Friday night.

Channel Seven’s flagship lifestyle show Better Homes and Gardens has been invited to create a garden showpiece on the grounds of Flemington Racecourse at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival, bringing racegoers the most inspirational garden design of the year.

Built across more than 100m2 of lawn, Better Homes’ multi-award winning landscaper Jason Hodges, has designed the grand garden to take in the colours and festivities of the carnival.

The garden features a raised lawn with seating pads, a deck with bench seating, ramped walkway and double formal columns topped with feature plants. Eye catching flowers will be changed daily, corresponding to the flowers specific to each race day.

All great garden designs require three categories of plants – structural, feature and bedding. On the structural plants, Jason has chosen syzygium and gardenias. “Both species offer good structural greens to build on, yet are also both very attractive plants on their own,” says Jason. Six spectacular conical pruned buxus will feature throughout the garden adding formality and elegance. The bedding plants will add a burst of colour with a mix of burnt orange and cerise snapdragons along with a mix of orange and cerise nemesia.

Jason won’t be alone on this maiden project. Fellow presenters interior designer Tara Dennis and builder Adam Dovile are also on task to deliver racegoers a blissful experience.

A large mural designed and created by Tara offers the perfect background for visitors to strike an Insta-worthy pose in their best attire. Tara is also creating a stunning flower garland that will rest on a horse statue featured inside the garden.

Adam is tasked with building a beautiful deck skirting the garden to allow a bird’s eye view over The Nursery. And to top it off, Adam is making a swing for those who need to rest their feet, take time out and smell the flowers.

Throughout the carnival, Seven’s stable of celebrities will be stopping by the garden, including cast members of Home and Away.

Friday, November 3 at 7pm on Seven.