A cold climate garden on display

We were blessed recently with some wonderful country hospitality as we were given the opportunity to share in the delights of another local garden. This property, belonging to Marguerite and Mike shares key similarities with ours - the same climate with its potential for heat, frost and snow as well as an elevated open position, regularly visited by blustery winds. This is cold climate gardening, where every plant tag needs to tell you a plant can cope with wind, frost and potential drought.

It was our mutual friend Rebecca from Goulburn who had put us in touch with each other. On her first visit to Bountiful not long after its purchase, she remarked how much she thought we would love Marguerite and Mike's garden. Thanks Bec! You were so right!

These lovely people (whom we had never actually met prior to rocking up to their beautiful property) spent the afternoon with us, sharing the story of their garden adventure - which like all gardens, is not over yet. However, the garden they have created to date is a thing of beauty, and thriving in the climactic conditions we have come to realise can be more than a little challenging.

After a delightful afternoon tea (with homemade lemon cake - Marguerite, how did you know?), we were amazed to see some photos of how the property looked when the garden was in its earliest stages - and even more amazed to see that the photos were dated December 2015. That encouraged us no end. To think that the garden as it appears today is just over three years old - how much has been accomplished in that short space of time. It gave us enormous hope that whilst our garden is a very long term project, built around a plan that is designed to be put into action in stages as time and finances allow, we will begin to see it coming to life in a much shorter time frame than we thought. What a thrill!

Marguerite and Mike have given permission for me to share some photos of their piece of paradise - including some of their 'before' shots.

The amazing front verandah without a plant in sight

The garden along the verandah is now home to many roses, separated from this section by a pathway 

Pathways prepared, cement slab laid and wall of entertaining area erected. The light coloured curve on the ground in front of the slab will become part of a stone wall.

The entertaining area is now a sheltered and private oasis, with the rock wall in place, and three years of garden growth in evidence.

Enlisting some mechanical assistance to prepare the ground

Apart from the distant views, the tree on the right is the only common element from the early days. The roses that now live in front of the verandah are popping their heads into view as well another new addition, a white timber archway.

We are so grateful for the way in which these lovely people opened their home to us and shared their passion, their wisdom and the fruit of their considerable labour. We have been invited back to pick their brains once again when we are at planting stage, and look forward to one day returning the hospitality and introducing them to Bountiful. 

If there's one thing we do now more than ever before, it's driving on country roads. New vistas await around every corner and we love it. The trip to Marguerite and Mike's home was no exception. It's not West Virginia as John Denver sang about in Take Me Home, Country Roads, but the roads do take me to beautiful places and then home again, and I'm glad. 

Tracey 🚙

With thanks to the official John Denver YouTube channel.