How a creative couple turned a rambly old house into a country garden dream

A huge, towering maple tree welcomes visitors to the bluestone cottage that Criss Canning and her husband, David Glenn, have been living in for 36 years.

In autumn, the grounds become a vision of fallen red leaves.

The owners recognised something special about the area. Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

• Owners: Artist Criss Canning and garden designer David Glenn
• Type of property: An 1860s bluestone
• Address: 395 Lesters Road, Ascot, Victoria
• Price: $2.5 million-$2.7 million
• Private sale

The colour-loving, creative couple – Canning is a still life artist and Glenn is a garden designer – started looking for their perfect home almost 40 years ago, and spent three years searching as far as Tasmania.

When they drove through Ascot, on the outskirts of Ballarat, they recognised something special about the area.

However, their real estate agent said they would be lucky to find a property in the tightly held community of second and third-generation farmers.

Yet it was meant to be when Burnside, an 1860s bluestone surrounded by a 13-hectare estate, became available.

With a 64-megalitre water license and “some of the best volcanic soil in the state”, it allowed them to realise their dream and create the now iconic Lambley Gardens & Nursery.

Criss Canning and David Glenn have been living in their bluestone cottage for 36 years.Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

“We were still in our 40s, and we had a vision of what we wanted,” Canning says.

“There was quite a bit to do. But having said that, the main structure of the building is just wonderful.

“It’s a lovely, rambly old house that has an amazing warmth and a really peaceful feel.”

It took them a long time to get there, however, with tasks including the planting of hedges and lots of trees, and the restoration of the ceilings and fireplaces.

The home has five bedrooms plus a newly renovated kitchen and bathroom.

The cottage was built in the 1860s.Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

“The big, formal sitting room at the front of the house with the bay windows was my studio,” Canning says.

The home has five bedrooms plus a newly renovated kitchen and bathroom.Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

“It’s a beautiful, gracious room with pressed metal ceiling and an open fireplace.”

A light-filled sunroom spills out to the north-facing back garden. Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

At the back of the house, a light-filled sunroom spills out to the north-facing back garden.

“We’ve got a 10-foot table in there, and it’s seen many large happy gatherings,” Canning says.

‘It has truly been a beautiful place to be,’ Canning says of the estate.Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Over the years, the home has been a place for the family to come together, and an adored nursery for plant lovers near and far.

Canning laughs when she remembers that they once found an uninvited bride and groom taking photos in the garden.

Canning has found newlyweds roaming the luscious gardens taking photos. Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

The couple couldn’t bring themselves to ask the newlyweds to leave, so, instead, they watched the photoshoot unfold in front of the 2.7-metre-high pink Clematis and rows of tulips.

Burnside will always be a special place for the pair. After 12 years of living here, Canning discovered her great-great grandmother was born nearby in 1858.

The couple’s own grandchildren have grown up picking cherries, planting seeds, and harvesting food on the land.

“[We have] a lot of precious memories from the times they spent with us,” Canning says.

‘I just know that whoever does purchase the house will have a rich and happy life here.’ Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Despite the memories, the time has come for the couple to hand over Burnside to its next custodians.

“I just know that whoever does purchase the house will have a rich and happy life there, as we have,” Canning says. “It has truly been a beautiful place to be.”

This article was originally published by Domain.com.au. Reproduced with permission.