The Garden

Our garden is one of the principal features of the house.  Our lot-size is only about 1200 square metres (a third of an acre), so it is not large but there are a lot of plants.  The garden is designed to have year-round interest and concentrates largely on perennial shrubs and plants rather than having annuals.  A major feature is the patio which is surrounded with many containers while still allowing one to see the rest of the garden.  There are three ponds: two in the back yard connected by a waterfall/stream and one in the front garden.  There is also an outdoor hot-tub (spa) which we use a lot in the winter.

Since we bought the house (20+ years ago) we have been increasingly plagued by urban deer who have no predators and little fear – and who seem to be constantly hungry for our most valued plants!.  As a result we have had to totally fence in our back garden and to re-configure the front garden (which can’t be fenced) so that most plants are varieties that deer tend not to eat.  We are becoming convinced that there is no such thing as a deer-proof plant!

We enjoy showing off our garden and have had open gardens for gardening clubs, gardening conferences and charitable events.  A few years ago, we were featured on the front page and with a multi page article in Gardens West Magazine.

The gallery below is an eclectic collection of pictures taken in our garden.