Leigh Davies is a guy who cares about his family. And not just in a ‘putting-food-on-the-table’ kind of way.
Leigh cares about the environment his family lives in and how they enjoy downtime – away from the distraction and pitfalls of modern, techno-influenced living.
Leigh and Paige Davies and children, aged seven, five and 12 months, are lucky to call this amazing featured property (pictured below) their home. Every single day in this space feels like a holiday. Seriously, imagine how awesome school holidays would be if you lived here?
We’re featuring this stunning backyard, a joint venture with Simon Rosa Landscaping, to commend Leigh for not only investing in bricks and mortar, instant lawn, plants and landscaping, but for investing in people – the most important people in his life: family.
Leigh and Paige’s commitment to raising happy, healthy kids, promote active outdoor living and the benefits of getting kids off screens, is something we applaud here at Coolabah Turf. These guys are the real backyard heroes in our eyes!
This project, which recently featured in the Bendigo Magazine, is pretty awesome and we think the Davies kids must be the luckiest kids in Victoria to have parents willing to invest in their health and well-being by creating the ideal outdoor space to grow and thrive.
The design and investment in this space speaks volumes of the values that are important to Lee and Paige and highlights the importance of time spent in the great outdoors, fresh country air, simple fun and being active.
Sadly, many in the wider community have lost sight of these somewhat-old-fashioned values.
As a community, we think it’s time to ditch the screens for more green space and get out in nature with family and friends.
Screens have become a default position for many families and our kids have forgotten (or have never known) the benefits of spending time in nature.
The statistics around kids, inactivity and too much screen time are pretty alarming and it’s clear that screens of all descriptions have become the new babysitter of choice.
A recent Royal Children’s Hospital blog stated that 50 per cent of toddlers and pre-schoolers are using a screen-based device without supervision with many parents admitting to using technology as a babysitter due to the demands of modern lifestyle.
Alarmingly, figures showed that 85 per cent of parents of young children say they use screens to occupy their kids so they can get things done.
The report also stated almost all Australian teenagers, two-thirds of primary school-aged children and one-third of pre-schoolers now own their own tablet or smartphone.
Whatever happened to encouraging kids to play outside, where there are endless ways to keep boredom at bay for all ages?
Encourage your kids to build a cubby house out of ‘anything’, play ball games and modified sports, play hide and seek, have a picnic on the trampoline, go bike riding, or play with the family pet outside!
A recent Australian Government study revealed a strong link between screen time and physical activity in our kids - or lack thereof.
The report stated that a majority of Australian children are spending more than the recommended two-hour daily limit for screen time (watching television, on computers and playing electronic games).
It stated 4–5-year-olds are spending more than two hours screen time per week-day and by 12–13 years of age, this increases to more than three hours average per week-day and almost four hours on weekends. This equates to 30% of their awake time spent in front of a screen.
It comes as no surprise that the same study found children who engage in physical activities that they enjoy, will tend to spend less time in front of screens. And this physical activity could simply be time spent in the back yard with family or friends.
The great Aussie background is our playground here at Coolabah Turf we are passionate about building healthy communities - one backyard at a time.
We dedicate our time and energy to create awesome backyard spaces for families to enjoy and we've made it our lifelong mission to not only produce the highest quality turf varieties for our customers, but also the most sustainable lawn landscapes that encourage active and healthy lifestyles.
Reconnection to nature is just one benefit of getting your kids out into the backyard, and from this comes a multitude of health benefits, including:
- Increased levels of vitamin D
- Reduction in ADHD symptoms in children
- Improved critical thinking
- Improved emotional and mental health
- Reduced stress levels and enhanced social interactions
Do you need any more reasons to start planning your very own outdoor space and realising the full potential of a backyard for you and your family!
Leigh Davies doesn’t need statistics to know that his new outdoor space is benefiting his family.
The brief for his backyard to landscape designer Simon Rosa was to design a wide-open space for the family to live and grow, and create life-long memories with extended family and friends.
Many of us dream of our kids enjoying the outdoors and freedoms of the childhood we might have experienced, and for Leigh and Paige this has become their reality.
“We are both active people, who didn’t grow up with games or screens, and we wanted our kids to be the same,” Leigh said.
Evidence indicates that the Davies are swimming against the tide when it comes to screen time and society’s over-dependence on technology use.
“A lot of kids are on screens and playing games all the time and we want to make sure our kids are spending time outdoors… they actually don’t know any different”, he said.
This refreshing outlook is a great example of what you can provide for your kids, as an alternative to the latest version of the smartphone or hand-held game device.
The Davies kids do have access to iPads when travelling, and will have a rest day now and then, BUT this does not mean swapping their outdoor space for screens anytime soon.
Simon Rosa Landscaping helped transform the Davies’ 2.5 acre empty and barren yard into a stunning outdoor space, including a private playground, in-ground pool and mini football oval - complete with goal posts.
Simon was excited to bring to life the Davies’ backyard dreams and aspirations.
“It was very exciting to work on a design project to suits the needs of an active and growing family, and one that would benefit them well into the future,” Simon said.
“To work on a project set in a rural environment that incorporated half a footy oval was really exciting… and one that was also about creating a lifestyle.
The benefits of creating a lifestyle property to suit your family, as opposed to just ticking cosmetic boxes, are enormous and Simon reports he is seeing more design briefs with lifestyle at front of mind.
“We are seeing a lot more going this way, with a focus on the benefits of open green spaces on health and well-being,” he said.
Simon and his team love hearing feedback from families who have reaped the benefits of their outdoor space and has a close relationship with homeowners who are willing to not only create projects of this scale, but also commit to the long-term sustainability of their properties.
For Leigh and his family, the benefits of what they have created in their ultimate outdoor space are not lost on them.
“We know we will be enjoying the benefits of this space for many years to come,” Leigh said.
“It’s nice to have a bush outlook and a relaxing outdoor space to enjoy our downtime.
And when asked the best bit, a highlight, Leigh couldn’t decide on one.
“It’s hard to say, there are so many different parts and you can honestly be anywhere in the back yard and enjoy all this space has to offer,” he said.
For those considering a similar instant turf project in their own backyard space, Leigh advises to work closely with your landscaper and suppliers and to ensure you stay true to your brief.
Good advice from someone who knows what’s best for his family.
If you’re keen to get the ball rolling on your own ultimate outdoor space touch base with our Coolabah Team today on 0399 990587 we can put you in contact with a team of experts who can make your backyard dreams a reality.
Images thanks to Leon Schoots and Bendigo Magazine
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