Picture: DERRICK DEN HOLLANDER

Well, Phillip Johnson – the winner of the Chelsea Flower Show designed and built ‘Graceburn’, a beautiful garden belonging to my sister and brother-in-law.   This weekend Graceburn is open to the public and part of the revenue raised will be donated to our Make Do Tell project in Nepal.

Location : 10 Graceburn Avenue, Carnegie, Victoria.

We have had many wonderful family events in this glorious and sustainable garden –  we encourage you to come along and see what can be done in a suburban garden with Australian plants as the core component.   Graceburn is remarkable for  recycling,  growing food, great water use,  and for its beauty and the pleasure it has given us all.

During Open Gardens weekend one of Carnegie’s hidden treasures will be on show. Rosemary and James Briggs’s garden was designed by this year’s Chelsea Flower Show winner, Phillip Johnson (centre).

HAVE you ever wished you could visit the Chelsea Flower Show and see what it takes to win best in show?

Tucked away behind a picket fence in Carnegie is the next best thing – a garden designed by 2013 Chelsea Flower Show winner Phillip Johnson.

On October 5 and 6 “Graceburn’’ owners Rosemary and James Briggs will open the Johnson-designed masterpiece for the first time as part of Open Gardens Australia’s spring program.

He designed and created their native wonderland four years ago, long before he landed the big one at Chelsea. And, as an added sweetener, Johnson himself will be at the Brigg’s property during the Open Gardens weekend.

Theirs is a sustainable garden with a billabong, raised vegetable beds, fruit trees and a magnificent manna gum sheltering dianellas, correas, westringias, grasses and more.

Johnson’s elaborate Chelsea garden – admired by the Queen in person – also had his trademark billabong at the heart of its design.

“I wanted to inspire the world about the beauty of Australian landscape design,’’ he said.

“Graceburn”, at 10 Graceburn Ave Carnegie, will be open on Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, 10am-4.30pm, entry $7, children under are 18 free.

from Glen Eira Leader 24 September.