Photography by JACKIE RUSSELL.

DEVOTED: Lee's daily dead-heading produces months of colour.

GARDENERS can be a tad obsessed by their patch of earth but the resulting beauty makes their single-mindedness a forgivable folly. And, more often than not they are a generous bunch, obligingly sharing their creations with anyone who shows a glimmer of interest.

Therefore it is little wonder that Farm Cove green-fingered guru Lee Marsden invites a multitude of guests into her pristine garden.

Renown for magical Christmas lights, which raise money for Hospice South Auckland, Lee also welcomes youngsters who stop and gaze when walking with nana, to have a closer look at her floral fairyland.

The front of Lee’s property is trimmed and tailored, putting on a manicured display to be enjoyed year round by passers-by. Fragrant gardenias waft on a summer breeze, encouraging people to stop in their tracks rather than rush ahead with their day.

When Lee moved to her home seven years ago, the property was badly overgrown with a white picket fence across the front boundary.

Rather than being overwhelmed, Lee could not wait to start on her “portrait about to be painted”.

“I just love gardening, there’s a peace out here in the garden,” Lee says. “Not that I have many worries now, but if I do I get my hands in the soil and don’t think about anything else.”

Lee got stuck in, mass planting box-hedging and deep-blue lobelia to create formal edges around perennials and traditional shrubberies.

For impact there are conifers standing to attention, a weeping cherry tree and nandinas ablaze with autumn colours.

The pathway to the backyard takes visitors past Lee’s Mexican garden, with an array of cacti, succulents and aloes all thriving in pots. Little can prepare people for the vibrant spectacle awaiting them at the end of the path.

Undeniably enamoured by bold and beautiful annuals, Lee’s backyard display is reminiscent of manicured flowerbeds more commonly seen in glorious public parks south of the Bombays.

Show-stopping orange marigolds contrast with blue and red salvias and lobelia. The bones of the garden are formed with established trees and pretty perennials.

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VIBRANT: Dazzling marigolds contrast with lobelia for a stunning display.

PEEK-A-BOO: Tree stumps make a creative home for birds.

Lee’s outdoor love affair demands unrelenting devotion, with daily dead-heading. She says: “I put the annuals in on November 1 and they’ll go through to April by dead-heading every day.”

Each year Lee plants 1500 marigolds and lobelia, following a design scheme contained in her head. Planting larger potted colour plants ensures they flower simultaneously.

Her attempt at raising annuals from seed was disappointing, with only a 10 per cent strike rate and the flowers were less showy.

To give extra colour and structure, plants such as lavender, calla lilies, succulents, conifers and camellias grow in containers. Lee’s “pot habit” started when she rented a home and planted a lovely garden. The landlord took advantage of the new landscape and promptly sold the property, and Lee’s hard work became someone else’s pleasure.

“This happened twice so I put my garden in pots so I can take it with me when the landlord sells the house,” she explains. “I used to have 550 pots but I’ve cut that down. When they get too big for me to transplant I donate them to Hospice.”

Lee now owns her home but she maintains the pots just in case she develops an urge to move house.

Patience is an essential trait of gardeners and Lee bought most structural plants as tiny seedlings and nurtured them to maturity.

She has waited six years for an Australian frangipani to flower and this year it was under threat of rejection from the backyard if it did not perform. In a lifesaving bid it has put on a pretty fragrant and floral display.

Other trees and shrubs that reach the end of their life are removed by Lee. She is perfectly capable with a chainsaw and spade, although occasionally outside assistance is sought.

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RELAX: Cheeky characters amuse visitors.

POTTY: A Mexican theme adds variety to the landscape.

In an artistic move, she trimmed tree stumps to make display stands for a few of her abundant garden ornaments.

Cheeky characters hang from tree limbs, “children” play peek-a-boo and 93 fairies add a magical touch.

“I didn’t know I had that many fairies but a little girl asked me how many I had. She had counted them and told me I had 93. I didn’t need to know that,” she laughs.

The ornaments must have a cheery disposition and many tell a fantasy stories. Inorganic collections also provide the occasional gem, such as a quaint lamp with a solid concrete base.

Lee was determined to get the treasure home but it took her about 30 minutes to fit it in her car and another half-hour to get it out. A coat of paint and it looks right at home in the garden.

An annual feed, loads of compost and a comprehensive watering system maintain the health of plants.

In autumn Lee removes the marigolds and lobelia and leaves the flower beds dormant for a month. Self-sown primulas quickly pop up creating a pink, white and violet colour change for winter.

As well as opening the garden at Christmas, Lee has also hosted morning teas for garden clubs and a small wedding last summer. The work involved may daunt less enthusiastic gardeners, but Lee manages to juggle weeding, planting and trimming with running a business and volunteering at Hospice.