A ppearances can be deceptive, so you’d never know from the lush oasis Gayle and Dennis Scott have built around their home that they’ve literally carved it out of a rocky paddock.
“The site was bare except for a few box trees,” Dennis says as he surveys the sprawling garden that includes parkland expanses, shaded beds, a vegie garden, iris pond, tennis court, loads of rock features, a small vineyard and a large dam with a viewing platform for enjoying rare moments of downtime. “We needed a crowbar and a pick to plant every tree. But, gradually, we’ve built up the soil and now there’s 18 inches [45cm] of it in most parts.”
Gayle and Dennis knew each other as children growing up in the Gippsland region. Dennis studied teaching,…