The now 82 year-old started work on it as soon as she moved to Deniliquin from Melbourne.
It has since grown to fill the home’s front yard, down both sides of the home and the rear yard. The front verandah has also been turned into a fernery, also filled with her favourite plants.
Husband Don has laid no claim to the appearance of the noticeable healthy garden, saying his only role is the heavy lifting.
The effort Mrs Bish puts into her garden recently caught the eye of Deniliquin Tidy Towns member Geoff Riley, who nominated her for the October Garden of the Month award.
He was pleased to present the award to her last week, and explore the amazing garden further.
Azaleas of every colour, roses, a banksia rose and geraniums populate the garden by majority, but so many more plants and flowers fill the rest of the gaps.
Ornaments are also scattered around the front yard to add extra intrigue, with elephants being a main feature of the fountain and pergola in particular.
‘‘It’s just me,’’ Mrs Bish said of the elephants theme.
‘‘And as for the plants, most of them are just because I like them.
‘‘Once the plants have been added to the garden they tend to stay there, but I have all these different pots of plants that I change around all the time.
‘‘Most of the plants in the garden have come from (Deniliquin) Mitre 10. I did bring a few from Melbourne with me, and some I picked up at the old Pioneer Garden Centre or from markets.’’
There are two plants in Mrs Bish’s garden that hold a particular significance, and which are placed in prime positions.
In the centre of the front garden is a ‘remember me’ rose planted in honour of her brother Arthur Deakin. From Mildura, he died relatively young after a stroke. When it comes to life in these warmer months, it will produce roses of an orange and yellow hue.
The other is an oriental pearl which sits next to the entrance to the front garden. Mrs Bish purchased the plant and the pot it grows in after her marriage to Mr Bish two years ago.
The effort Mrs Bish has put in her garden is purely for her own enjoyment, but she said being rewarded was a delightful bonus.
And her eyes lit up when she was presented with a $50 Deniliquin Mitre 10 voucher and her Tidy Towns certificate.
The October Garden of the Month highly commended award went to Wilma Gorrie for her Fitzroy St home.
17°C