A horse paddock on the outskirts of Bermagui has been single-handedly transformed into a park-like garden.
Towering pines and apple gums oversee a mix of predominantly exotic trees, shrubs and perennials that June Burgess has planted.
She has had very little help along the way except from her husband Jim wielding a chainsaw to clear the two-hectare site of excess gum and pine trees.
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The keen gardener said she had learnt a few things over the 35 years she has put into the beautiful space.
For example, "people said you need natives because you are on the coast, but they didn't last", Ms Burgess said.
Wandering through the tranquil, flowing garden it is difficult to believe that she didn't have a vision for it.
"Someone gave me foxgloves so there is a planting of them in one section," she said.
Local history
June and Jim Burgess moved to Bermagui from Traralgon in Victoria's La Trobe Valley in 1973.
"We saw the village store was for sale and bought it from Abe and Mollie Jaggers," Ms Burgess said.
It was something of an impulse decision because they were having a house built in Victoria at the time.
When the house was built they sold it within 10 days.
The couple ran the village store for eight years, during which time they converted a nearby haberdashery store into a bakery, now the site of Eurolicious.
Mr Burgess' next venture was commercial fishing while Ms Burgess ran a gift shop and old wares store in Tilba Tilba in the late 1990s.
Time for a new custodian
When Mr Burgess became ill, they sold half the block.
With his passing in 2018, Ms Burgess has decided to move into town, leaving behind the one hectare (2.5acres) property with its enchanting garden and well-constructed, generously proportioned home.
The high-ceilinged house with ceiling roses, dado rails, cornices and bay windows was built in 1992 to a standard that had all but disappeared decades earlier.
The bay windows have window seats, perfect for viewing the garden as it changes with the seasons.
The garden has been the venue for several family weddings and has been visited by many Japanese tourists.
"A hotel in Merimbula used to bring coaches of tourists and I would serve them morning or afternoon tea or lunch," Ms Burgess said.
It was not unusual for her to have cockatiel Jacko on her shoulder talking to the surprised visitors.
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