By Nicole Precel
FLOURISHING succulents, magnolias surrounded by fruit trees, and all with a pinch of water.
Williamstown’s Valentina Phillips is 62 and her garden is still in full bloom.
She spends at least an hour in her garden a day and was rewarded last week with the 2010 Victoria In Bloom best water wise household garden.
“It’s a lot of work. Doing a bit of weeding and just looking at things that haven’t grown, just see what’s happening in the garden,” she said.
Ms Phillips has also been working at Williamstown Coles supermarket for 15 years and fits in her gardening around that.
“I do find it therapeutic, good for the body and soul. If you feel a bit down, just go out in the garden and potter around, before you know it you’ve done your weeding and you think, ‘wow’,” she said.
While a few of her plants suffered due to drought, she manages to keep her plants sprightly with sugar cane mulch, dynamic lifter, which breaks down the soil and provides vitamins and planting drought-hardy plants.
Ms Phillips uses stones and only has to water her plants every fortnight.
“I have some fruit trees, a blood plum tree, a lemon tree and a Japanese maple, some orchids, I’ve got Chinese bells out the front and some agaves,” she said.
Her love of gardening began about 15 years ago when a friend who was a keen enthusiast sparked her interest.
He died of cancer a few years ago but Ms Phillips said when she was gardening, he is in the back of her mind, giving her advice.
“So many good memories,” she said.
“It keeps me out of trouble.”
