SUNNYMEADE Garden, Strathbogie was started from a bare paddock 35 years ago.

The garden has been designed and created by the owner Craig Irving with help from his family and especially his late mother Margaret.

Mr Irving has built all the stone walls and structures in the garden.

Early influences in the gardens design were the formal roomed English gardens of Hidcote and Sissinghurst.

Mr Irving loved the look of theses gardens and planted many hedges, having no idea at the time of the upkeep needed once they matured.

During Millennium drought Mr Irving looked to gardens of similar hot dry regions of the world for inspiration, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Plants native to these countries that need little if any irrigation were sourced.

The best varieties of plants available have been selected and many plants have been raised from seed sourced worldwide, many rare and not seen elsewhere in Australia.

The garden has been a journey of evolution and change as Mr Irving's knowledge and tastes have grown.

His overriding passion has been to create beauty in the world and it has been his life's work.

Inspired by history, art, architecture and rare plants skillfully combined to make a living work of art which is a totally unique in this country.

After two years of lockdowns Mr Irving is looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the garden this autumn.

It has been a difficult period as the maintenance of the garden has had to continue.

The garden will be open on March 19 and 20 and April 9 and 10.

Please book at www.trybooking.com/BXNZO or www.sunnymeade.com.au.

Phone 5790 8519.

Sunnymeade garden is at 213 Boundary Hill Road, Kithbrook.