Hidden away behind a high fence is Irmina’s creative, colourful and eclectic garden! Once resembling a ‘concrete jungle’, over the years, with hard work and determination, she has worked at breaking up and removing many of the hard surfaces, replacing them with a diverse mix of plants, some ornamental, others productive, and planted wherever there is a space.
Much of the discarded concrete, along with other found or recycled materials and quirky, pre-loved objects, has been reused in the garden, along with garden art and crafts created by Irmina. A path laid with old bricks and pieces of concrete has gaps filled with the tiny, ground-hugging Dymondia, and is bordered with the showy foliage of a variety of succulents that thrive in the sunny position.
Trees, including a majestic ironbark gum, create shady sitting spots amongst the foliage and flowers, but it is the productive garden that gives Irmina the greatest joy. In addition to vegetables and herbs, there are sweet peas, nasturtiums, alyssum, poppies, and marigolds, which not only add colour but also attract pollinating insects. Fruit trees grow both in the ground and in containers – several citrus trees are thriving in old metal rubbish bins, and throughout the garden, there is a collection of brightly painted containers and pots.
Irmina gardens using organic principles, she is resourceful, and nothing is wasted! Rainwater is collected in several tanks, and most vegetables and annuals are raised from seed or grown from cuttings.
