Behind the traditional ironwork front fence, the Clarke Garden is pretty and flowery, crammed with colourful roses and perennials with a box hedge lining the path leading to the door.  The semi-formal style is perfectly in tune with the design of the elegant stone house.

Lawn and garden beds surround a swimming pool and entertainment area in the back garden. On the boundaries hedges and trees create a backdrop to a series of large clipped domes of rosemary interspersed with frothy clumps of seaside daisy which cascade over and soften the stone walls that retain the slight slope of the land. Crepe myrtles, roses, westringia, russelia and perennials add bright splashes of colour.

Three massive old river red gums tower over the side garden and here a path winds through a mix of natives and hardy climate compatible plants, past a tiny pond and sitting area.  Two very large water tanks are screened with Banksia roses and the protected area between them and an outbuilding provides the perfect micro climate for camellias, begonias and other shade-lovers. A range of vegetables, herbs and various fruit trees fill every space, some in raised beds or containers to avoid the root competition from the gums and others in the soil which over the years has been improved with plenty of organic matter from the several compost bays in the back corner.

A family-friendly, flower-filled, organically maintained large suburban garden that has it all – interest, colour, pleasant sitting spots, and plenty of productive plants.