Lila’s winning magical garden

By Miranda Luby
LILA Pye couldn’t think of anything more enjoyable than looking out at her garden and just watching it grow.
In fact, she said, you’d be surprised how quickly it does grow and how exciting it is to watch.
It was just 18 months ago that Lila moved into her small cottage-like home in Lakeside, but her garden is already the envy of the neighbourhood.
Last year she entered the Lakeside garden competition and won best new garden and best garden over all.
“Everyone who comes around can’t believe how pretty it looks after such a short time,” Lila said proudly.
She should be proud. The 71-year-old designed and planted the entire garden herself.
“I lugged three metres deep of top soil, one metre deep of mulch and a lot of stones up the little hill I planted on,” she said.
She only finished her garden recently with some Frais Myrtle. It now has a colourful array of plants and flowers such as magnolias, cardinias, camellias, roses and red maples.
Lila’s garden is not just made up of flora though. There is a birdbath and water feature as well as little concrete statues that have spotlights shining on them at night.
One of her favourite features in the garden is her wind chimes, which she loves to sit and listen to. She calls the serene sound they make ‘free noise’ because it’s generated by nature.
Lila’s garden is a magical and mystical place for her grandchildren who are always looking around to see what they can find.
“They hunt for fairies, frogs and mushrooms,” she said.
“I’m not sure if they’ve found any yet though.”
Although Lila could make anyone’s garden look amazing, she doesn’t like to give too much advice.
“Each person’s garden is personal and should be their own,” she said.
“I would hate to give my own advice then have them not like the result.”
Lila would recommend gardening to anyone who has a stressful life.
“Gardening is the best way to take your mind off things,” she said.
With such positive feedback about her personal little paradise, Lila plans to keep on gardening for a long time to come.