39 days to go

Treasure posts will herald the entrance to the first part of our garden - you'll know you're there when you come across the beached dinghy spilling its plants onto the sand. Buttery patinas of peeling paint give a fresco backdrop to the feathery flowers of my favourite new plant, the Ptilotus (til-o-tuss). Our Coastal garden will paint a picture of beach life, with sand dune plantings of silvery foliage. The treasure posts will punctuate the wander through; a reminder that laughing, carefree children have been fossicking here.

A beachcomber from way back, my treasures were collected and honoured in important places with the reverence of trophies in my childhood home. I discovered delight in client's children when I started talking about making a place in their gardens for treasures, so these posts have become a constant element in family gardens. Our cruise director for the compilation of the 19 treasure posts in our show garden is the lovely Paula Scott, recruited to the position when volunteered by her husband Anthony, our construction team manager. Over the past 4 months, Paula has collected a tribe of local children willing to relinquish electrical entertainment for a while and led expeditions through woodland and coast land, fossicking for materials (also known as treasure!). Embellished lovingly with glitter paint and strung together in ropes, these treasures will drape over eucalyptus posts as markers in time and journey. A garden can't be a meaningful space without personal connectivity to each person who travels through it and belongs to it.

Treasure ropes from another garden


Paula's creativity allows each child who has participated in this garden a sense of ownership that will be remembered proudly as they guide parents through on opening day. These elements of reality make a show garden special to all who engage in it - it's so magical to watch delight.