It isn't easy to establish and maintain a garden when there is no town water supply, and weather conditions vary from one extreme to the other during the year, however, Peter Norvill has managed to do just that.

The house yard is surrounded by many different types of trees – conifers, poplars, Chinese pistachios, willows, eucalypts, and many more.

There is a beautiful stand of acacias on the creek flat at “Norville” and Peter has planted more poplars, flowering fruit trees, shrubs and conifers around the cottage, cabins and sheds.

There is also a fernery which supports a variety of plants including bromeliads, ferns, treefern, impatiens, syngonium, ribbon grass and begonias, not to mention two conifers which become the nesting place of Willy Wagtails each year. These plants are sheltered from frosts and hot sun by a double layer of shadecloth.

Lawns in the house yard are kept green and lush by watering direct from Warlands Creek.

In 2003, Peter held his Clayton's Open Garden (the Open Garden you have when you’re not wanted in the official Open Garden Scheme) and placed his home and garden on display to the public.

From mid 2000 new gardens were established around "Norville".

It has been decided to plant mainly flowering native shrubs and groundcovers suited to the climatic conditions of Rock Dhu, but also to plant a number of different garden flowers to bloom in Spring and Summer. As the soil is typically basalt clay, the beds have been treated with gypsum and potting mix. Sheep “poo” is used extensively as fertiliser – after all, there is an abundance of it on Rock Dhu.

Sign dedicating the Bridge
Garden to Dr Ingrid Carlton
(sign by Lin Camac)

Bridge Garden gate