IF Tracey and Stuart Fraser could sum up their family home in one word, it’d probably be “growth”. Since Stuart bought the Ballarat property 25 years ago, the couple have welcomed three daughters, treated the house to a generous entertaining area and extension, and cultivated a stunning garden that’s part of the Ballarat Gardens in Spring event next week (November 10-12).

The Frasers combined their talents to create this welcoming space, garden designer Tracey establishing a formal, European-inspired front garden and a family friendly backyard, shaded by a 50-year-old Evergreen Alder tree and shared with dogs Fred and Iris, and a handful of chickens.

“The backyard is designed for entertaining,” says Tracey. “We use the open fireplace all year, which brings us outside together with friends and family all the time, especially for events such as (AFL) Grand Final day and birthday parties.” The front garden is peppered with various succulents, English box hedges, Mt Fuji trees, garden sculptures and plenty of flowers. “It’s a real summer garden, that’s when it is at its best, when we’re outdoors,” says Tracey, whose favourite aspects of the garden actually sit on the edges of the property.

This article is from the new edition of Your Home magazine. Click on the link to read the entire publication.

The stone wall alongside the side entrance was built by Stuart using volcanic rocks and bluestone. “It’s a good spot to create a microclimate because of the heat bouncing off the surface,” says Tracey. “I can grow things there I normally can’t, such as gardenias.” There are also crape myrtle trees down the side of the property and a forest pansy tree that produces beautiful love-heart shaped leaves.

Facing the wall by the side door is a potted herb garden, where Tracey grows parsley, chives, coriander and edible flowers for salads. Stuart’s craftsmanship continues inside, with a barn door not only hiding the family’s laundry, but becoming a feature of the lounge room in the process.

A decorative nod to Tracey’s love of all things botanical, striking Elle Cashman Design wallpaper adorns the wall behind the fireplace in the formal lounge room and in the sun-drenched side entrance, which is also home to an inviting bench seat that looks out to plenty of greenery. The house is also full of photos of the growing family and a painting of the house pre-renovation, a small reminder of how much has blossomed in the years past.