The great Adelaide backyard revival: how Unley's gardens are becoming the city's new social hubs

On Byron Place in Unley, a sandstone cottage built in 1882 now has a fire pit, an outdoor pizza oven and a bathtub converted into a planter for kangaroo paw and lomandra. Two years ago, the yard was mostly buffalo grass and a Hills hoist. Today, it's the most popular venue on the street for Saturday-night gatherings.

That shift-from private backyard to neighbourhood social hub-is reshaping how Adelaide's inner-south suburbs think about home and garden. And it's not just Unley.

According to data from the Real Estate Institute of South Australia, listings in the City of Unley that mention "outdoor entertaining area" rose 43 per cent between 2020 and 2025. Agents now routinely stage backyards with outdoor sofas, built-in barbecues and retractable awnings. The median house price in Unley hit $1.48 million in May 2026-up 11 per cent year-on-year-and estate agents say the garden is now a deciding factor for buyers.

The native shift and the front-yard comeback

Sales of native plants at the Hackney Road Plant Nursery, a City of Adelaide initiative on Hackney Road opposite the Botanic Gardens, have doubled since 2022. Manager Sally Chen told The Daily Adelaide that customers under 40 now make up 60 per cent of weekend shoppers, many asking for species that attract birds and need little water. "They want a garden that feels like Adelaide-lots of texture, not too thirsty," she said.

The trend has a name among local landscape designers: "the verandah revival." On Goodwood Road, at least five pre-war cottages have had their front verandahs restored in the past 18 months, with owners adding cane furniture, potted succulents and string lights. The idea is borrowed from the city's Mediterranean climate and from suburbs such as Prospect, where front-yard dining has long been common.

Unley Council's annual Sustainable Homes Open Day, held last April, drew 780 visitors-up from 420 in 2020. The event showcased 11 homes, six of which had removed lawn entirely in favour of groundcovers, gravel and raised vegetable beds.

What happens next-and how to start

Landscape designer Annie Rooney, who runs Adelaide-based studio Garden Theory, said the biggest change she sees is the move toward multi-purpose spaces. "People want a spot for yoga in the morning, a place for the kids to dig in the afternoon, and somewhere to host a barbecue at night," she said.

For homeowners looking to follow the trend, the practical advice is simple. Start with the front yard: a single native tree-such as a eucalyptus or acacia-can reduce cooling costs by up to 15 per cent in summer, according to the South Australian Department for Environment and Water. Add a small paved area with a bench. Then tackle the backyard in stages, focusing on zones: one for cooking, one for seating, one for plants.

Garden Theory charges from $2,500 for a consultation and concept plan. A full backyard renovation in Unley typically runs between $18,000 and $35,000, depending on whether you add a pergola or outdoor kitchen. But Rooney said the cheapest change-painting a fence, adding string lights, planting rosemary in a pot-can transform a space in a weekend.

"The backyard used to be the place you mowed and forgot," she said. "Now it's the room you live in."