Yard is labour of love for Garden Competition entrant

THERE is surely some magic at work in Julie Roggeveen's garden. In just 18 months, she has created from bare earth, a garden with the maturity of 5 to 10 years.

BLOOMING BEAUTIFUL: To everyone’s delight, Julie Roggeveen is back in the 2019 The Chronicle Garden Competition and she is eager to show off her labour of love.

THERE is surely some magic at work in Julie Roggeveen's garden.

In just 18 months, she has created, from bare earth, a garden with the maturity of five to 10 years.

Mrs Roggeveen's daughter Jenny Skinner says she likes to think the garden thrives because her mother talks to the plants. Mrs Roggeveen, however, thinks her grandson's singing is the key - that and a lot of mulch and manure.

Whatever the reason, this garden is blooming gorgeous all year round with mature trees, rose-covered arbours, shrubberies and a little orchard dripping with fruit.

Julie's one acre garden at Top Camp in Toowoomba is full of mementos and full of love.

A restful place in Julie Roggeveen's garden.

She has installed sculptures, ornaments including her own mosaics and many, many cuttings from the home she shared with her husband Arch at 4 Glencoe Crt, Toowoomba.

Arch and Julie Roggeveen's garden has brought joy to thousands upon thousands of visitors each year in The Chronicle Garden Competition. It also earned a swag of awards including Grand Champion five times over.

In addition to their stunning home garden, Arch also entered the garden at his accountancy practice into The Chronicle Garden Competition which won several awards in the commercial categories.

Mosaics in Julie Roggeveen's delightful garden.

Arch Roggeveen died in March 2015 which was a huge loss to Toowoomba as well as leaving a big gap in the close-knit The Chronicle Garden Competition family.

But Mrs Roggeveen never stopped gardening. It was something she and Arch enjoyed together, and her new garden is a beautiful tribute to him and to their shared talents.

To everyone's delight, Mrs Roggeveen is back in the 2019 The Chronicle Garden Competition and she is eager to show off her labour of love.

Thank you to our major sponsors of The Chronicle Garden Competition, Heritage Bank, Toowoomba Regional Council and University of Southern Queensland.

Originally published as Yard is labour of love for Garden Competition entrant