At home at Tallowood
A life shaped by patience, creativity and the rhythms of the garden, Barb Somervaille has spent decades cultivating both art and landscape on her property Tallowood. As an artist, gardener and the creative force behind Country Garden Snippets, Barb’s work sits somewhere between painter, florist and storyteller - drawing deeply from the colours, textures and seasons of the land around her.
Published 11 May 2026
Photography: Daniel Somervaille
Set amongst wide paddocks and winding garden beds, Barb
Somervaille’s home feels less like a finished garden and more like a living canvas - one that has slowly evolved over years of observation, patience and creativity.
An artist by training and a gardener by instinct, Barb has spent decades shaping the landscape around her home, Tallowood, into a sprawling, informal garden that reflects both the beauty and
unpredictability of the Australian countryside. Roses spill over fences, perennial borders soften pathways, and every corner feels as though it has been allowed to grow into its own character.
But the garden is only one expression of Barb’s creativity.
Through her venture Country Garden Snippets, Barb invites visitors into this world - hosting workshops and creative gatherings that combine flowers, art and the quiet pleasure of making something by hand. What began as a deeply personal creative outlet has gradually grown into a space where others can experience the same sense of calm and inspiration that Barb finds in the garden each day.
For Barb, creativity has never been about perfection or grand gestures. It’s about noticing the small things: the way a rose opens after rain, the unexpected colours in a seasonal bouquet, or the simple satisfaction of working with your hands.
In many ways, her garden mirrors that philosophy - layered, evolving, and always gently becoming.
You and Andrew began with bare land here in
Ravensbourne. What did the property look like when you first arrived, and what made you fall in love with it?
It was love at first sight. I’d written specifics over many years of longing to live out of town: Beautiful mature trees, two full dams, a view and fabulous soil. When we drove into the property we just knew “this was it”. The space and peace felt like a special haven. The spot where we built the house was already clear and covered with kikuyu. We didn’t even have to plant the lawn. It was a blank slate to create the garden I’d been dreaming about.
You homeschooled eight children while slowly creating this garden. Looking back, how did those years of family life shape the way the garden grew?
Slowly is the word. We moved into the bare shell of our newly built home just before our sixth baby was born, so energy and time was limited. Money was limited too as we wanted to live debt free, so we did a little at a time as we saved. We gave our attention to establishing the fruit and veggie garden early on. It was a novelty to grow so much of our own fresh food. The area behind our shed was planted as an enormous veggie garden in the first couple of years and we had more than a dozen fruit trees.
We grew abundant rows of strawberries and made fresh ice-cream and jam. Andrew was the king of growing carrots from seed and sweet potatoes took over the herb garden. Even with a big family, you only need one or two zucchini plants. We slowly changed from veggies to more flowers and the orchard was removed two years ago. Gardens change as they mature and how we use the garden does too.
We moved to Ravensbourne for a more holistic lifestyle as a family. Beavering away together outside was hard but very satisfying. The children built bike tracks, bridges and cubbies and then a treehouse. It was so hard to be patient, but that process made us appreciate and value what we created together. It’s not my garden - Tallowood belongs to us all.
What inspires you?
Exploring new places stimulates fresh inspiration for my own garden and creativity. I always carry a little notebook to jot down plant names from other gardens or nurseries. I love road trips to see cool climate open gardens and enjoy a ‘dose of pretty’ visiting independent gift and homeware stores, particularly in the southern states. Beautiful books and magazines can spark a big idea for a concept from one photo.
What advice would you pass on to others about
finding their passion?
When we host workshops on of things I love seeing most, is people relaxing and appreciating the peace of Tallowood as they experience the opportunity to slow down and really look at what they see. To notice the details in the flowers as we select them to sketch and to appreciate texture and fragrance.
Give yourself permission to explore, experiment and play to try new things without high expectations. Build on the foundation of what you keep circling back to. Invest in workshops to expand your knowledge and be inspired with fresh ideas.
Your garden feels relaxed and romantic rather than overly formal. How would you describe your personal style as a gardener?
I am not a perfectionist which makes it easier to relax and let the garden be a little ruffly around the edges. I love the bush, but my style is definitely for a romantic, soft, blowsy English atmosphere inside the fence. Fragrance is very important to me. Roses really ought to be scented! I love a little intrigue to invite you to wander and meander through different spaces with some interesting structural features that provide an understated framework.
Your garden sits at the centre of many things in your life - creating, painting, flower arranging and the workshops you run. Where did that love first begin?
Walking around the streets of East Toowoomba with our first baby in the pram and peeking over fences introduced me to some lovely gardens. One in particular spilled over with beautiful old roses and rambling cottage style plants that captured my imagination. The camellias were also lovely.
Later, studying horticulture built on the foundation of what I already loved and gave me confidence to establish my own ideas and love of plants. Perennials are a wonderful way to fill garden spaces which I came to value more as I underplanted the shady areas working at Gabbinbar with Japanese anemones, hellebores, hydrangeas and violets that will take on a life of their own.
I like loose structure - there is an area that was a great success with tiny box hedges surrounding beds filled with snowflakes. It is lovely to appreciate the beauty of each season and the variety of the heroes that shine throughout the year bringing interest in different areas.
Your garden is woven with meandering paths and quiet corners. Do those spaces emerge naturally over time, or do you design them intentionally?
The garden talked to me as it evolved over the years. Initially I walked around in circles scratching my head wondering how to translate ideas to reality, but the garden expanded naturally as I got the feel of the space and needed to find a home for the lovely treasures I collected on road trips.
I learnt to trust my instincts but also realised it’s not the end of the world if something dies, doesn’t work or needs moving. Roses keep getting overgrown by shade, so I am trying to be restrained in a new area to let them have space in the sunny spots.
What are some of the biggest lessons the garden has taught you over the years?
To trust the process as the garden becomes established - and not to plant things too close together just to fill the space. Don’t buy one of everything either; it took me ages to learn to be more cohesive.
Gardening teaches you patience. You prepare the soil well, plant the bones of the garden and then give it time. Visiting real gardens helped me understand plants in context and accept the conditions I have rather than fighting them.
There are so many lessons I’ve learnt the hard way. Plants sometimes need to be moved to find their happy place, and things don’t always work the first time. But if you persevere, follow your instincts and enjoy the process, the garden gradually reveals itself.
A lot like life, really.
