Grafton Art Garden
Although gnomes and other garden ornaments are sometimes frowned upon, they are amazingly popular among all sorts of people. Even well known radio man Doug Mulray has pink flamingos in his garden. During a recent trip to Grafton the Burke’s Backyard team visited a garden that is adventurous, different, and very much like Uncle Doug’s. The owner, Shirley Ferguson, put together her fabulous collection of gnomes, statues, animals, birds and dolls in just under one year.
Shirley constructed the garden with the help of family and friends. They used a layer of gravel over black plastic, hand painted all the brickwork and displayed the ornaments on the gravel. The garden is very popular with the local children, especially during the Jacaranda Festival and at Christmas, when it is lit with fairy lights, candles and hurricane lamps.
Further information
Grafton is between Sydney and Brisbane, slightly inland from the coast. Shirley’s garden is at 37 Cowan Street, South Grafton.
This year Grafton’s Jacaranda Festival will be held between 28 October and 5 November 2000.