(Photography: The Block/Channel 9/9 Now)
Everyone has their own idea of the perfect backyard. Some dream of a luxurious outdoor living space for entertaining family and friends, while others seek a quiet space to grow their own vegetables, and deepen their connection to nature. On The Block, the teams tried to make their backyards do it all. With swimming pools, saunas, fire pits and even pickleball courts, alongside native gardens, greenhouses and luxurious entertaining zones, these are hardly your typical country backyards. But did trying to please everyone really result in pleasing no one? Here’s why these busy backyards might have been the wrong choice.
Robby and Mat’s backyard had plenty of great features, including a beautiful 25-year-old tree, raised garden beds and a swimming pool with a clever shade cover. What the garden didn’t need, however, was an oversized fireplace with factory-like chimneys blocking the view of the pool.
Marty immediately brought up the fireplace as a safety issue, explaining “from the deck and from a family perspective, not being able to see the kids in the pool is a concern and I think people will recognise that when they come here.”
Despite the security camera positioned over the pool, most parents would rather keep an eye on their children in person than through a phone screen. The fireplace is also said to be the biggest in the region, which feels unnessarily large and a little showy for a country backyard.
Britt and Taz’s garden was full of great features but the overall effect felt too busy. The arbours particularly, didn’t seem to add anything but visual noise to the garden. While they will look beautiful once the star jasmine grows, the amount of them feels too overwhelming for a calm space.
The huge creek taking up half the lawn area was also a divisive choice, with Marty explaining that “It could be the only thing that turns a buyer off.” Shaynna disagreed, explaining that her grandkids would love it and that it was “a childhood dream.”
While children might love the creek, unfenced open water feels like a dangerous feature to have in a backyard – especially so far down the back where parents might not be able to see their children.
Han and Can’s garden felt more ornamental than practical, with large boulders and a huge Japanese arbour. A large amount of space was given to the pavers leading down the pool, which felt somewhat wasteful.
“It has a lot of rock, a lot of pavers. It’s hard for kids to run around, they can trip,” Marty commented on the area. “It has a harsher feel.”
The busyness extended to the pool area, where Shaynna and Marty both commented on the checkerboard tile boarding the pool. Marty said that it would be better if it was just plain and that “the fourth material is just too much.”
The gardens that won us over were the ones that felt more paired back and relaxed. With roughly 80% of the plantings being native species, Emma and Ben’s garden felt like an extension of the surrounding environment. Even the bricks around the pool were carefully chosen to match the mulch, giving the entire area a cohesive look.
The smaller fire pit worked in their favour, allowing the space to blend into the rest of the garden and reducing visual fragmentation. All of the judges loved the space, with Marty saying “this screams Daylesford.”
Out of all the backyards, Sonny and Alicia’s was the most understated, and that’s exactly why it works so well. There’s plenty of lawn for the kids to run around on and an abundance of space for functions. While the pool fence stands out, once the plants grow in, it will virtually disappear. Compared to the other backyards, it feels more laid back and suited to country life.
The judges described the space as “simple and solid” with Darren explaining that it’s “a good proper Aussie backyard.”
All The Block room reveal images were originally published by Channel 9/9Now on nine.com.au.
Inside House 6: Team Home Beautiful’s backyard and pool
This year, Home Beautiful is playing along with The Block and creating our very own (virtual) House 6. For our backyard and pool design, we drew inspiration from the Mediteranean-inspired backyard of a Sunshine Coast home. In this backyard, a simple palette heroes the grand curves and clean lines of the elegant pool area and pool house, while the white and timber poolside furniture blends into the overall palette, creating a luxurious and cohesive look.
Inspiration
Our mood board
Shop the products
- Garden Glory pool ring, $199 from Freedom
- Boree sun lounger, $1,444 (usually $1,699) from Freedom
- Boree daybed, $2,549 (usually $2,999) from Freedom
- Sundial umbrella, $2,399 from Basil Bangs
- Tucson 100 rust fire pit, $525 from Milkcan
- Round firewood storage, $389 from Milkcan
- Trentham planter, $149 from Freedom
- Shellstone limestone brushed and tumbled pavers, $155.66 per sqm from Amber Tiles
- Verde Spanish PVC dot mounted glass pool mosaic, $42 per sqm from Tile Factory Outlet
- Laurens navy stripe bolster pillow, $129 from Business & Pleasure
- Imola bar trolley, $959 from Freedom
Room reveal
For our backyard and pool, we wanted to embrace the contemporary luxury vibe of the Sunshine Coast backyard with a little Daylesford touch. To do so, we added a cosy firepit with a built in bench seat for those colder winter evenings. We also added some native plantings, soft lawn and fun fairy lights for an extra magical touch.
In case you missed it…
Week 4: Main bedroom & walk-in wardrobe
Week 5: Living and dining rooms
Week 9: Laundry, Mudroom, Butler’s pantry, Powder room, Garage
Week 10: Alfresco terrace, Stratco shed
House 6: When Home Beautiful joins The Block
Everything we know about The Block 2025
5 fun facts you didn’t know about The Block 2025 teams
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