Shape your garden with an artist's sensibility

Colleen is an advocate of “slow gardening”, not lazy gardening, but a more mindful approach that recognises the garden as an evolving relationship rather than an outcome to achieve.

For Colleen, gardening is a partnership, not a conquest.

A garden is shaped slowly through seasons, memories, discoveries and the gentle hand of its maker.

Colleen and her family live within their garden on a rural property in the hills near Orange, NSW.

The garden is informal, evolving and deeply connected to the landscape — shaped by sweeping curves, seasonal planting and a desire to tread lightly on the land.

Created using simple no-dig principles, the garden reflects a slower way of living. Plants are chosen for habitat, resilience and seasonal character, with many gifted, shared or grown from seed — each carrying a story of its own.

Within the garden live ornamental grasses, roses, vegetables, heritage plants, chooks, donkeys, sheep and the much-loved collection of family dogs — all part of the living ecosystem that makes the garden what it is.

The Artful Garden is an unhurried path to a garden made with heart, art, and story — one that guides you to shape your garden with clarity and intention, while deepening your connection along the way.

Uniquely, The Artful Garden explores garden making through the lens of an artist, storyteller and garden designer, inviting you to experience and craft your garden from a fresh creative perspective.