The Australian dream of owning your own home is slipping through many people’s fingers with the rising cost of living and worsening housing crisis.
And, for those lucky enough to get on the property ladder, the image of white picket fences and rolling backyards is far from reality. Instead, frustrations are rising as Aussies are forced to live within millimetres of one another, left with little or no privacy.
However, one gardener told Yahoo News he has the perfect “trick” to help reclaim some privacy. A fast-growing hedge, and in particular a native species aptly named Goodbye Neighbours.
“That’s the real name,” Sydney nursery owner Tim Pickles told Yahoo News. “It’s an Australian native that grows extraordinarily quickly… Most people have limited space, and that’s why we want to plant them. People want privacy so their neighbours can’t see them.”
Have you had a problem with Australia’s high-density living? Contact sophie.coghill@yahooinc.com with your story
Gardener Tim Pickles is urging Australian homeowners to plant a native plant to solve a common neighbour gripe. Source: Facebook/Tims Garden Centre Campbelltown NSW
Goodbye Neighbours is a low-maintenance, fast-growing lilly pilly capable of growing up to two metres a year in some conditions. Tim said they’re a welcome balm, capable of soothing the red-hot frustration often witnessed in Aussies visiting his nursery and are desperately seeking a solution to their neighbour dilemma.
“People openly say they’re having problems with their neighbours, or they’ve had a fight,” Tim explained.
“More of us have small gardens. There’s a very narrow space at the back of houses, and you just need a wall of foliage so that when you look outside, you’re not looking at the house next door or neighbours aren’t looking in. It gives you peace of mind, and you feel safe because of the privacy.”
Australian homes are being built closer and closer together. Source: Supplied & Reddit/al4n4h
Pruning can help ‘privacy plants’ grow five times faster
Goodbye Neighbours can reach heights of six metres, easily cut and shaped to the homeowner’s liking. And, unlike popular belief, pruning can actually make the plants grow faster if residents are desperate for a timely solution.
“People don’t prune their hedges because they want them to grow fast, but it actually works the opposite way. Dormant buds wake up and grow when you prune them,” Tim explained. “If you prune them, they grow fine times faster.”
The plants are “hardy” and can thrive with lots of water, meaning even those among us who don’t have the best record of keeping plants alive can help them flourish.
And for those people who want a hedge but don’t have the room, another option is Chinese Star Jasmine that can be grown and attached to a fence. Other popular hedging options are the fragrant Murraya or the drought-tolerant Resilience.
Australian housing landscape changing before our eyes
The housing crisis continues to rear its ugly head and has a real-life impact on Australians, with there simply not being enough properties to house the growing number of people living in the country.
Last year, the federal government announced it would need to build 1.2 million new homes before 2029 to meet demand, and a recent report by the National Housing Accord estimated only 938,000 would be completed, leaving a deficit of around 262,000.
This demand also doesn’t account for the sustained eagerness among Aussies who want to live in cities and close to amenities — meaning homes are being built closer and closer together, and urban sprawl intensifies. This, in turn, is changing the Australian housing landscape, with apartment complexes and duplexes becoming more prevalent than detached homes in recent years.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Comments are closed.