The terrace overlooking your own private garden enables you to view the wonderful garden panorama, the wild birds and peacocks, eucalypt trees and gentle sunsets beyond.

Al-Ru Farm is famous for its garden and has been part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme. This garden is the subject of a whole chapter in Susan Irvine’s latest book, Rose Gardens of Australia.

Ruth Irving, the garden creator, combines formal and classical design elements in her romantic garden. Al-Ru Farm has been featured on Burke's Backyard (a major Australian lifestyle TV show), Susan Irvine's book Rose Gardens of Australia and in magazines including Gourmet Traveller and Vogue.

For winter, shocking pink silene was sown to contrast with the lime green euphorbias with a backdrop of pink flowering prunus trees. This vista of pink, lime green and pink with no interference from the roses (as they are still dormant) is cheery against a rainy sky when viewed from the house. Jonquils, followed by daffodils, also contrast with these colours as well as later bluebells with Ajuga reptens.

Spring

In early spring and winter soft pink prunus blossom complements bulbs and drifts of forget-me-nots, silene and euphorbia. By November the garden is a sea of colour with 800 roses, masses of poppies and countless perennials. Of special beauty is the formal white garden surrounding a lawn and entered through a fragrant archway of the rose Devonienses. Wisteria and lavender.

By mid-October early bearded irises are flowering as well as blue Dutch irises.  Malnus eleyi, the dark pink crab apple, looks good and the wisteria on the large arbour has dropped its racemes.

The smell of growing vegetation is in the air and intoxicating. It is an exciting phase for plants.

The woodland garden on the other side of the white rose garden has had an influx of 500 new daffodils and lots of bluebells. This area is now linked to the yellow borders via an arbour made out of old bore casing. A golden hops has been planted to climb over it.

Summer

Roses are in flower with nepeta, daylilies, dianthus, diascia and delphiniums. Pierre de Ronsardt on the small arbour is fabulous. Spring is giving way to summer. Poppies are everywhere including Papavera orientale.

In the outer garden beyond the lily pond, we have created a new long silver border to link the red borders to the white rose garden. This has been planted with artemesia, lilies and lots of edible artichoke. More work will be done on this area.

Autumn

In autumn the trees start to colour and the perennial asters parade stylishly through the garden.