Having marvelled at European home and gardens during her years of travelling, Shepparton's Carmel Arena unveiled her own Victorian-style masterpiece to the region on the weekend.
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Just 10 minutes north of Mooroopna, visitors found themselves in unfamiliar territory as Yackatoon Gardens transported guests to another world.
Having only brown paddocks to work with, Ms Arena painstakingly transformed the once dire dairy into a majestic evergreen 6.47-hectare English-style garden.
Ms Arena took over the drought-stricken property in 2003 and said her inspiration and vision outweighed her renovation worries.
“I began renovating the homestead in Victorian styling and I decided it needed a lovely garden,” Ms Arena said.
“I decided to do a complete contrast to the bush because I had seen so many beautiful gardens overseas and decided to go formal.
“Because it was a cow paddock, I had to do a lot of work with the main foundations of the garden like developing the dam, placing power underground, building the road.
“It started off as just a garden, but as time went along it just went bigger and bigger and its still growing,” she said.
People can stroll through the property’s rolling lawns, towering hedges and 50 m wisteria tunnel, enjoying the breathtaking lake and manicured blooming garden beds featuring water fountains every weekend until December 15.
Ms Arena works in the garden full-time and also employees a gardener.
“It’s huge, it takes a whole day just to mow the lawns on a ride on lawn mower and they need to be done every three to four days,” Ms Arena said.
“We also have to get a cherry picker to trim the hedges because they are just too high.
“The maintenance seems to increase as the garden develops and becomes more perfect,” she said.
The old milking shed was also unrecognisable as the smell of sweet scones waft through the walls of the new Old Dairy Tea Rooms and Cafe.
Looking over the lake, visitors could continue the English fantasy in the refurbished rooms by indulging in home-made cakes, tea and coffee.
Having people constantly ask her for a sneak peeks, Ms Arena was encouraged by her two daughters to let the public admire her hard work.
“I hope people come and enjoy themselves over a tea and draw inspiration on some of my ideas,” Ms Arena said.
“The garden is also open for weddings, photographic shoots and events and we are looking to develop garden stays in the future as well,” she said.
Visitors can also take a piece of Yackatoon home as the onsite nursery offers home grown seedlings and potted plants.
Entry to the gardens costs $10 and guided tours are also run over the two days.
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