A tour of MIL's garden: part one.

We are fortunate at the moment to be living in a house which has the loveliest home garden I know: My mother-in-law's space. D and I met nearly 10 years ago, we were not married in this garden, but our reception was it it. If I could turn back time and be rid of the notion that one got married in one garden, and then celebrated in another I would have had the whole event here, but never mind.
The garden is wedge-shaped and approximately 3000m2, or 3/4 acre. It's in the cold part of the Adelaide Hills. The annual average rainfall is about 700mm. It's style is largely informal and cottage but has box hedges to keep everything contained. It's on a slope, but not a steep one. Most plants have been chosen more on the basis of their flowers rather than overall form. It's a lovely garden: in summer it is spectacular and overflowing; in autumn it is serene; in winter it is still and quiet; in spring it is pretty. MIL and C (MIL's partner) planted a lot of autumn flowering plants when it was decided that our April wedding reception was to be here, an incomparable gift.
This is such a large garden that there is far too much to show you in one single post, so this will come to you in parts over the next few weeks. If I get around to it I'll draw up a little plan, but I'm not promising!
Let's walk through the northern part of the garden.
Imagine you are standing at the side door. On either side of you are the previously mentioned pansies in blue pots.

Pansies (you've seen this photo before!)

If you take a couple of steps over the patio you find David Austen roses and tomatoes in pots to the left, and a great overblown purple wisteria (currently in full leaf but the flowers have finished) and a row of yellow bush roses which is our elderly cat's favourite napping place. Poor Cally-Cat, SP has figured this out and harasses her endlessly!

David Austin rose (not upside down)

Potted tomatoes

Cally beneath the roses

From the edge of the patio the lawn stretches in front of you. On the left is a long garden bed, acacias trees overhead (one, sadly, recently gone from old age). In this side bed is lavender, more roses, plumbago, hydrangeas, kangaroo paws and nerines.

Northern garden

On the right is the veggie patch (a four-square pattern), a fragrant Philadelphus, and a tree I can never remember the name of in the middle of the lawn. Further back in the background is a row of ornamental pear trees under planted with purple agapanthus, more roses, nasturtiums, lilies, and a giant raspberry patch.

The lawn

 

Sunny nasturtiums

Raspberry patch halfway through pruning.

Frothy asparagus in the veggie patch

This plant is busy taking over the veggie patch

A few special mentions for some other plants up here:
MIL is a Salvia-Nut, and has planted blues, whites, pinks, purples, and reds all over the garden.

Salvia

There are a couple of magnolias up by the road, even though I missed taking photos of the flowers this year I still think they are wonderful trees and they are on my wish list for my own garden.

Magnolia fruits

And I wish I could remember the name of this shrub! I asked MIL, and she told me, and I thought I must write that down, but, of course, I got distracted and I didn't and now I have no idea. I love the bright pink buds of the flowers to come; the actual flowers are large and a deep purple... will look it up!

Pink buds in the rain

And there ends part one of your tour. Next up: more roses, windflowers, fuchsias....