Address: 'Davit Farm', Farm 2527 Cashmere Rd, Widgelli

How long have you worked on this garden?

I have worked on the garden since January of 1983, when I was first married and moved to the farm and started with a blank canvas, just a few Acacia pendula’s. I started by defining my perimeter, which has stayed the same and so started work from the outside in. I think this approach allows you to get your proportions and spatiality right from the start. 

What style of garden is it?

All I ever wanted was to have a rambling, park-like farm garden, low in maintenance and with beautiful vistas. A magical sort of environment where children could imagine fairies. I don't grow anything particularly difficult, mainly roses and tough things like crepe myrtles, agapanthus and oleanders.

What has inspired you? 

When I was a little girl I always wanted to live in the middle of The Circle. I have found inspiration for my garden everywhere, from visits to gardens in Europe to driving in MacArthur Street. There is unfortunately inspiration everywhere. My husband, Lawrence, can recognise the signs and says "not another good idea".

What do you get out of the garden?

You get so much out of gardening. There is the joy of hard physical work, of creating something, of nurturing it, and then enjoying the aesthetic reward. It just keeps on giving. I have particularly enjoyed doing all my dry stone work, it's just so immediately satisfying. I have created more work for myself by planting hedges, but the return on investment is enormous.

What’s your favourite part of the garden and why?

At the moment it's the front of the house with purple wisteria and pink blossom, in a few weeks time it will be the Monet dam with all the iris out, and after that it will be the yellow rose garden. The white trunk forest with the chain sculpture is also pretty special to me.

What do you enjoy most about the Festival of Gardens and why?

What I love most about the Festival of Gardens is seeing so many lovely people and familiar faces, what I dislike most is trying to walk around the garden with all of them, three acres, it's exhausting. I have been opening my garden for about 20 years because it's such a good thing for the town. It brings so many people and consequently so much money into Griffith and I am privileged to have the water and space  and should share that.