Jean Evans’ Roleystone garden has endured many years of labour and love to create the beautiful landscape everyone sees today.
The one-acre property dubbed “Tranquil Waters” was open to the public throughout the Queen’s birthday long weekend offering garden enthusiasts the chance to learn from a fellow successful green thumb.
Filled with more than 300 camellias, 100 roses, about 40 fruit trees and Australian natives and a stunning magnolia tree offering a delightful perfume, the property offers something for everyone in every nook and cranny.
Ms Evans said the open day, which was held in conjunction with not-for-profit organisation Open Gardens West Coast, was a huge success.
“We had over 300 people through the gardens on the Saturday and Sunday and even had a group of gardening enthusiasts from the eastern states through to Araluen,” she said.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather as everything seemed to spring out in flower for the day.”
Ms Evans, now 76, has had help from former horticulturalist Chris Oliver for the past three years to create the garden masterpiece.
She said she developed the gardening itch from a very early age as her mother was a gardener and her father was a farmer.
“I developed the passion for camellias when I lived in Victoria,” she said.
“When I came to Western Australia I decided I needed to learn how to grow them and was also told that Roleystone was the best place around.”
Ms Evans said the visitor’s book was filled with comments of appreciation and the talks and floral demonstrations were also a delight.
Photographs – Richard Polden.
