“IT’S like this magical, far-away place where the kids can lose themselves and have so much fun playing hide-and-seek.”
John Irwin gives the perfect description for the bamboo forest on he and wife Liz’s one-acre block, where they have lived since 1978 and their grandchildren love to play outside.
Their property is only a short drive from the Mildura CBD – but it could be a world away when you enter the garden oasis which, aside from the bamboo, features well established natives, subtropical plants, a lovely little pond and even fairies to add mystique.
Both John and Liz don’t pretend to be gardening experts. In fact, they are stumped when you ask them about the names of the plants in their garden.
But that is not what gardening is all about.
Liz, the founder of Sunassist and a long-time volunteer in the disability support sector, gives an insight into what the garden means to her.
“I don’t know the names of most of the plants and flowers, and I don’t read any gardening books,” she said.
“I just love being outside in the garden.
“It is my recreation and a happy place for me.
“I can be in the garden for several hours some days and be as happy as Larry.
“And yet, if you asked me to spend that amount of time and energy cleaning the house, well, that’s not happening,” she added with a laugh.
John paid tribute to his wife’s “wonderful” work in the garden.
“What Liz lacks in her lack of knowledge of botanical names, she more than makes up for with an absolute passion for the love and feel of the garden,” he said.
“She’s in love with the garden to the degree that every plant is tended with so much care and devotion.”
The lawyer knows what is expected of him in the garden these days.
“I’m relegated to handling anything that makes a noise: mowing, mulching, chainsaw work and the high-pressure hose,” Mr Irwin said.
“I can be heard, but not seen in the yard,” he added with a laugh.
“Every Saturday and Sunday, I go and get morning coffees for the two of us and we sit and survey what she’s been doing.
“She works so hard in the garden each weekend, but she really loves it. It’s just so wonderful to see.”
For Liz, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day honours last year, gardening is life and death.
“I’ve asked when I’m pushed into a coffin to go out with a pair of secateurs in my hand,” she said in what seemed a serious tone.
John said his favourite part of the garden was the fire pit.
The metal, he said, dated back to the era of the Mildura pioneer Chaffey brothers in the late 19th century.
“This is just another feature that transports you into a different world,” he said.
“We don’t have a purist’s garden. We don’t know all the technical names for all the trees and plants.
“But what we do know is how much it does for the soul and our spirits.”
Do you have a garden – or do you know someone who does – that is worthy of being featured in Sunraysia Daily? Email mtaylor@sunraysiadaily.com.au or call 0404 532 989.
AUTUMN is a great time to get out in your garden.
You can get jobs done without the extreme heat taking a toll.
It’s also a good time to build a garden bed.
You can put in either a raised garden bed or add to your existing garden area.
Raised garden-planter beds are a great feature for any garden.
It’s the perfect place to grow vegies or have it as centrepiece for your garden.
I suggest you use a good-quality soil mix so your plants get all the nutrients they need to grow.
Location of your garden bed is important.
Different levels of sun and shade are required, depending on what you are planting.
– Emma Marks is the owner of Mildura Garden Supplies, Ontario Avenue
