Progress on Bridgetown’s Elysian Fields as garden festival visitors watch annual transformation 

Elysian Fields in Bridgetown was among the 25 gardens for the 25th Festival of Country Gardens Festival, donating their ticket sales to a local organisation helping young people in the region.

Wallace McNamara and Teresa Schofield of 42 Nelson Street live on a two-acre property transformed from blue gums and shrubbery into a thriving garden surrounded by fruit trees, ground covers, deciduous trees, native plants and raised garden beds.

A short walk past the “Taj Mahal” of chicken coops reveals a park-like oasis at the rear of the property, which can hardly be seen from the front.

While the garden has had a complete makeover, a piece of history remains with an old stable where an apple picker used to live in a small shed.

Mr McNamara said when the festival of Country Gardens first requested their garden be featured years ago it was in the primary stages of transforming.

Hesitating at first, Mr McNamara said the organisers told him about the appeal of showcasing a garden in progress.

“She said they (visitors) love to see it (gardens) from the beginning, then they come back,” he said.

“A lot of people came in and they went ‘we’re looking forward to coming back in two years’ time’ and they have.”

A boards at the front and back of the property displays the couple’s works in progress for visitors to keep up with the garden transformation.

Ms Schofield said the boards help give visitors an idea of what the property looked like before.

“I try to take people through and explain things to them,” she said.

“I think they appreciate it, because you can always just come in and wander around the garden not know the history of it 100 per cent and seeing all the different transformations.

“Wallace took all the photos from here and the front, because the front was all gum trees and date palms, and it was shocking.”

Uprooting the old trees and replacing an old white picket fence with a green hedge, the front is now a display of lush green with a walk way through the shaded garden.

Among the additions to the garden is a fruit orchard designed by Mr McNamara as an alternative to placing netting over every tree.

A freshwater spring which runs through the rear of the property was expanded to cover more lawn area and the creek features sculptures of a large elephant and raptor, a big rooster, and a giraffe behind a tree.

A bench near the lily covered spring is where Mr McNamara likes to sit in the afternoon after a day’s work gardening, Ms Schofield said.

Mr McNamara said it was two years ago when he started to notice the progress made — showing the garden to others had helped take note of the achievement.

The pair donated the funds of their garden tickets sales to Blackwood Youth Action, with the team visiting the garden at the weekend.