Irene and Lui Taateo moved to Bundaberg from NSW in 2018 to start their diverse garden and it was no easy feat building from the ground up.
“There were no gardens when we moved here, just a few fruit trees in the orchard,” Irene said.
“It was a really good blank canvas for us to plan our tropical, cactus and vegetable gardens and add a lot more fruit trees.”
Bundaberg has provided a stable climate for the couple, who consider it to be the perfect choice of location.
“We wanted a more tropical and all-year better climate so we could grow all our favourite trees, mangoes, avocados, pineapples, hibiscus, frangipani, just to name a few,” Irene said.
“Lui and I were both born in tropical islands, miles apart though, so Bundaberg seemed like the perfect choice.”
The gardens flourish with the assistance of a different kind of garden helper.
“We constantly fertilise our garden with alpaca, donkey, and pony manure,” Irene said.
“We have an alpaca, ponies and donkeys and we like to call them our garden helpers, they are good mowers but also help fertilise the gardens,” she said.
Just as sunshine always follows rain, any challenges faced in the garden are overcome without the fear of trying again.
“With recent rain everything is greener, and nothing beats rain to make the garden beautiful,” Irene said.
“We never give up. If one of our plants die, we will get a pup or a cutting from somewhere else in the garden and try that.
“There’s always a plant in flower or a new surprise every day, plus we now have lots of native bees, butterflies, birds, tree frogs and geckos in our garden,” she said.
A shared love for gardening between the two has landed them in Bundaberg for many years to come.
“We also love our garden as it’s a common interest and hobby for us, something we can do and create together,” Irene said.
“It’s a labour of love; we have always made a beautiful garden together then we end up selling and moving on.
“Hopefully not this time, we will be here for many years to come.
“Bundaberg is a lovely community and has lots of beautiful gardens and inspiration.”
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