Chris Kelly 
Serenity Flower Garden 
The Story of How a Passionate Woman Turned a Grassy Paddock into a Beautiful Garden

Over the course of ten years Chris chronicles the creation of her cool-climate garden on the edge of the Blue Mountains in Hartley NSW, from bare paddock to established garden. Through flooding rains and hailstorms, droughts, impending bushfires and heat waves she takes us through the challenges and the successes, peppering the story with detailed growing advice. She describes how with an artist’s eye, hard work, passion and perseverance she designed and cultivated a flourishing environment with a perennial border, orchard, vegie patch, woodland, wisteria arbour, lavender garden, cutting garden, native heath, ponds, deciduous and flowering trees, a fairy garden, rose arbour and a rose garden with over 450 roses. Following the story of the transformation of the garden, the reader witnesses the creation of a beautiful, peaceful garden sanctuary abounding with birds, frogs and other local wildlife.

About the author

Chris Kelly has a deep love of nature, wildlife, birds and plants and is a passionate birdwatcher and gardener. During her career she has worked for over 30 years in the agricultural crop protection industry and is an advocate for sustainable agriculture and biodiversity on farms. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in Chemistry and Biology and has also completed many diplomas and short courses in areas including human resources, counselling, meditation, reflexology, bush flower essences and Reiki. She has one adult daughter and lives on her small acreage, Serenity Flower Garden, in Hartley NSW Australia. Her aim is to create a joyful, healing garden that is a sanctuary not only for the native wildlife, but for family, friends and visitors as well.