A world renowned garden and nursery outside Ballarat is for sale, three decades after its owners transformed the property.
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Gardener David Glenn and artist Criss Canning made the "huge" decision to sell Lambley Gardens and Nursery, which includes an 1860s bluestone homestead, nursery and dry climate gardens at Ascot.
The gardens have been a benchmark of sustainable gardening across the world and were lovingly created from scratch when Mr Glenn and his wife Ms Canning bought the property more than 30 years ago.
Ms Canning said it had been a huge decision to sell the 34-acre property, but Mr Glenn had had several bouts of illness over the past five months and he would retire.
"That has prompted the decision to leave. Over the years we have always said we could never leave here but at 76 and 80 (years old) the writing is on the wall a bit," Ms Canning said.
"Running the nursery has, of course, been a passion for David but there has to be a bit of a reality check that it's time to slow down."
Ms Canning paid tribute to her husband for his dedication and commitment to horticulture.
"I feel very proud of Mr Glenn - my husband David Glenn - and the acknowledgement he is getting to his enormous contribution to horticulture in Australia," she said.
"It's been quite a long journey, getting the house back to being looking really beautiful and the gardens going from paddocks and stubble to what you see today. I think the really big part of the joy for us has been the customers and visitors to the gardens over the years."
The couple are moving closer to Ballarat where Ms Canning will continue to work and Mr Glenn will create a new small garden, write his memoir for his 12 grandchildren and continue his love of fishing.
Mr Glenn and Ms Canning feel very fortunate to have experienced their journey at Ascot.
It is a place that has offered so many people a beautiful, peaceful place to just come and enjoy the beauty of the garden.
- Criss Canning
"It's been a lot of things to a lot of people, I think."
The couple hopes the right buyer will come along and keep operating the successful nursery and retain the staff.
Over the years, Lambley Gardens and Nursery has attracted film crews, featured in magazines and has a strong social media presence. Ms Canning's inspiration for her still life paintings comes from the gardens, even having flowers grown especially for her to paint.
Buxton Ballarat is selling the property at 395 Lesters Road via expressions of interest, which close at 2pm on March 10.
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