Garden wonder in Willunga
Situated in prime grape-growing country, Willunga’s fertile soils are a gardener’s paradise. So it’s no surprise that it’s right here where SALIFE meets a couple who wasted no time in creating a dream home garden and discovered a supportive community of like-minded green thumbs.
With a front yard bursting at the seams with roses and prolific blooms, overflowing the quaint picket fence as if to reach out to passers-by, there’s certainly no mistaking the address of Claire’s Garden at Willunga.
The front gate, framed by a rose-covered arbour, opens to reveal a garden bed full of vibrant annuals, and a path that leads around to a formal arrangement of white roses, and a large meadow garden.
It’s this enchanting sight that often stops people in their tracks to admire the front garden and even strike up a conversation with owners Claire Witham and Paul Francis, if they happen to be in their favourite spot under the front verandah.
This is where SALIFE finds the couple on a mild afternoon. Claire explains that she and Paul purchased the property in 2019. With both approaching retirement at the time, Claire wanted space to create her dream garden, while Paul had to be close to the beach.
Pictured in the rose garden of their Willunga back yard, Paul Francis and Claire Witham have created a fabulous garden in just a few years.
“We started talking about what retirement would look like. I wanted to get my hands in the dirt, grow food and grow flowers and be outside. I just find it to be totally good for my soul,” says Claire.
“We lived in Port Noarlunga, and the Willunga area kept coming up in our search. We found this property which would give us the ability to easily walk around to the main street and it gave me a big block that was relatively flat. There’s a great community and then there was the potential of the home.”
The pair both retired in 2022. Claire had worked in arts management and senior roles in the Commonwealth government, while Paul worked in environmental management.
Paul explains that by the time they retired, they had already begun work on renovating and extending the house and planting the garden. “The house was in good nick thanks to the previous owner, and we just thought we could do a bit more with it,” says Paul.
“We changed the windows, put in French doors all round, and built a verandah and an extension that added 50 per cent to the size of the house. We used many local tradesmen, and we often bump into them in the main street, which has been an experience we’ve really enjoyed.”
The 1900 square metre property provided a large blank canvas. Claire was eager to dive straight in, but Paul encouraged her to draw up a detailed garden plan.
Roses are a passion of Claire’s
As Claire explains: “Having a plan helped me work out the order of each project, so I could concentrate my energy on one area at a time. There was something that attracted us to this garden, so we decided to work with what was already here.”
Paul admits he’s no green thumb but helps with the heavy lifting and moral support. “I’m here for looks and light entertainment,” he laughs. “I move the wheelbarrow around, mow the lawns and dig holes. I love the garden, but working on the garden is Claire’s forte.”
Claire continues: “When Paul and I have moved homes, I like to think we’ve left the gardens in much better shape than when we’ve arrived there. For me, gardening has been a passion for at least 40 years.”
Taking the path down the side of the house to the backyard, it becomes clear that the prolific front garden is just the tip of the iceberg. A lush swathe of lawn is bordered by gardens on all sides, with an elegant rose garden down the western side where three steel arbours create a focal point.
Claire took ideas from many open gardens that she and Paul had visited, but she found Sophie Thomson’s Mount Barker property particularly inspiring.
“I love that although she had a sloping block, she hadn’t used retaining walls and the structure was created using plants and paths. I like that gentle approach, and I’ve tried to use that approach,” says Claire.
“I love country gardens, which are more relaxed, and you’re able to wander through them and find little glades or garden rooms where you can sit. I want to keep creating that here with little paths for the grandchildren to go exploring. I also love the idea of abundance, as if a garden can’t contain itself, and the flowers are just about falling over the fence.”
The rose garden is the showpiece of the garden
For a long time, Claire had experienced debilitating back pain, which limited her ability to garden. But since retiring from her office job and spending more time in the garden, her mobility is better than ever. “I’m much less sedentary than I used to be. Working in the garden has absolutely improved my overall fitness and wellbeing,” she reflects.
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Claire also found the project to be important for her transition into retirement. “I just got out in the garden every day. It’s meditative, even if it’s just trimming and pottering about. It is my happy place, and I can spend all day out there, that’s for sure.”
Claire’s ability to anticipate how things will grow and change has helped her plan for the future. “Once the trees grow and you get shade, then some of the plants underneath the trees mightn’t fare as well, and you must change things. That’s the beauty of it, and if you saw that as a failure, then that would be sad. It’s a constant evolution,” she says.
Barely five years since starting the project, the couple hosted their first public Open Gardens SA event in October 2024. Paul explains that the daughter of a woman who grew up in the house visited the open garden. “We showed her what we did to the house, and she just loved it. She was in tears as she walked around. That was a highlight for me,” says Paul.
Out the front there is a cottage garden full of colourful blooms and even a meadow garden
Claire loves her roses, but she is also keen on geraniums – particularly the hardy geraniums which make excellent groundcover. There are also poppies that have self-sown and flourished prolifically in spring.
Since moving to Willunga, the couple has connected with an active local gardening community.
“There are a lot of keen gardeners in Willunga. Everywhere you go in the township, there are big old blocks like this, and generally they are owned by people who like gardening,” says Claire.
“It tends to be slightly milder here than in Adelaide, just by one or two degrees and, being at the bottom of the hill, we often get localised rainfall. It gets cool enough to grow things like cherries, but we still get the hot days too.”
Claire spends hours in the garden every day and attributes gardening to an increase in her physical health and mobility.
From the back patio, the garden weaves through to a shaded tropical space dominated by monstera and elephant ears. This area, under the shade of plum and olive trees, is dubbed The Secret Garden and is thriving with shade plants such as camellias, a daphne and viburnums.
Claire and Paul have had great success with their large meadow garden, which has drawn a positive response from gardeners far and wide.
“People walk around the township all the time and they stop and talk about it and tell us how much they love it. We have conversations with people about it all the time,” says Claire.
Lilly pilly hedging is planted alongside the meadow garden, so that when it grows tall it will create walls of hedging around the garden, and screen off the garage from the street. Claire has also planted a few perennials such as butterfly bush, to create some interest during the quiet time in winter.
“Eventually it’ll become a walled meadow garden, surrounded by hedges. It’s about having that long-term plan, and then being patient,” says Claire.
For this couple, the satisfaction and joy in what they have achieved has surpassed the expectations they initially had and what they thought they’d be able to create.
“It’s a joy seeing it come together. I know what I want it to look like eventually, but it’s got a way to grow. You need to have patience, hang in there and give it a bit of time.”
This article first appeared in the April 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.
