A flourishing space where productivity, beauty, and community grow side by side

For more than thirty years, Robyn Knowles has been devoted to her garden, shaping it into a space that is both productive and beautiful. When she rebuilt her home in 2016, she chose to make the garden her priority. The new house was designed smaller than the original, allowing more room for the abundant outdoor haven she had always envisioned.

With the help of a professional designer, Robyn created a garden that reflects her passions: beautiful trees, colourful borders, and a productive vegetable patch. At its heart are four bespoke raised beds that rarely sit empty. Tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, cauliflower, and countless herbs grow in rotation throughout the year. At the same time, a pumpkin arbour in one corner becomes a spectacular sight in autumn, its heavy fruits hanging overhead like glowing lanterns. Along the fenceline, thirteen espaliered fruit trees—including pears, plums, quinces, and citrus—create both structure and a steady harvest.

Robyn doesn’t let a single square centimetre of her garden sit idle. She is constantly planting, editing, and rethinking to make the most of every space. Rainwater is carefully collected and stored to keep the productive patch thriving, reflecting her thoughtful and sustainable approach to gardening.

Beyond the patch, Robyn has a stunning garden full of flowers that, in addition to being beautiful to look at, attract a multitude of pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and hoverflies flit between lavender, roses, salvias, and bold dahlias, drawn also to her insect hotel—a thoughtful addition that provides shelter and supports the garden’s thriving ecosystem.

What truly sets Robyn’s garden apart is the way it extends beyond her own table. She loves eating her freshly picked produce, cooking with it, and preserving what she can, but the garden is so generous that there is always more. What she doesn’t keep for herself, she shares—an almost daily offering of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs to her grateful neighbours.

Robyn’s garden is her sanctuary, her pantry, and her gift to those around her—a flourishing space where productivity, beauty, and community grow side by side.