Gladys Harley bought her 2000 square metre property in Moama about eight years ago.
Since then, she has worked hard to create a beautiful garden that successfully captures a feeling of serenity.
In the centre of this relaxing oasis is a pool surrounded by a variety of eco-climates.
Eco-climates are garden ‘rooms’, with each room featuring its own unique design.
The garden is home to an endless amount of vibrantly coloured flowers such as orchids, lavender and roses.
There is also a vegetable patch which is growing sage and parsley and two mystery rockmelons, which Gladys did not plant herself.
“I don’t know how the rockmelon even got there. Maybe it was in some compost or maybe my granddaughter was eating some melon and perhaps dropped a seed. I have no idea.”
Gladys has managed to utilise the space in the garden by growing plants that are high above ground.
She said it was difficult to plant underneath trees and this was what motivated her to start thinking about how she could make use of the space that was off the ground.
“I love wisterias, I love plants that drape and I love hanging baskets under trees.”
She also towers pot plants up on stands to produce a wall, which yet again creates a sense of height to the garden.
“I really feel proud of what I’ve achieved in this garden — it suits me.”
Maintaining the garden has been a learning curve for Gladys, who said it had been a journey of trial and error.
“Sometimes what I thought would grow here, hasn’t,” she said.
“I also initially made the mistake of letting things just evolve. I’ve learnt that you have got to have some sort of structure and continuity. A garden has to tell a story.”
Nowadays, all her plants work harmoniously and seamlessly together.
“It’s not a perfect show garden that is trimmed to perfection. I like the relaxed, informal look of it.”
Gladys enjoys watching people’s eyes light up when they first enter the garden and catch a glimpse of all the wonderful plants growing behind the large surrounding wall.
“They can’t see what’s behind the wall. I catch them with surprise and that gives me great joy, it really does.”
Gladys hopes her garden will be approved over the next few weeks to hold an open garden fundraiser.
In the meantime she will continue to potter around the garden with her dog and cat, who love to roam around the yard as well.
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