By Meredith Blair
In 2004 with their three daughters and pregnant with their fourth, Nigel and Kath Meier decided to return home to Scone from the Southern Highlands.
“I just remember Scone being such a lovely place to bring up children,” Kath said.
The pair started looking for a place to live and were initially hesitant about a block on Gunsynd Close due to it being elongated, narrow at the front and expanding at the back, thinking it wasn’t going to be big enough for their family.
They fell in love however and decided to make it their forever home.
The past 20 years has seen the Meiers use their background and passion for landscaping to transform what they saw as a blank slate into a slice of paradise, their forever home.
As you walk around the home, you see the various projects that Kath and Nigel have undertaken and hear the stories behind what inspired them.
The roundabout at the front of their home used to have roses in it but was replaced with a pistachio tree and salvias.
The garage has been transformed into a luxury studio apartment which is used as an AirBNB and comes in handy when there are extra guests at home.
On their strip of lawn, the Meiers can often be found playing croquet or bocce.
The Meiers have been inspired by their three trips to Japan and have a little slice of it in their backyard in their Japanese garden.
Construction on the pool area started a year or two after the Meier’s moved in but took five or so years to complete to get a proper pool style garden.
Now, the pool is where most of the summer is spent.
In 2005, Nigel and Kath built a cubby house for their daughters to play in.
A few years ago, since their daughters had grown up, Kath and Nigel were preparing to take the cubby house out when one of their daughters announced that she was pregnant.
“It’s really lovely to see history repeat itself again,” Kath said.
When asked if landscaping at home is stressful, when they already run a landscaping business, Virtual Landscape Design Australia, the couple says that their projects at home inspire them and are part of the fun. The couple says that they’re running out of room for further gardens and have to consider before embarking on further projects.
