Suzanne is a self-proclaimed plant addict, and her little oasis, “Serendipity,” in Kooweerup is being opened for just one day. A spectacular array of colour and fragrance, the open garden is for a high cause of giving back after her personal miracle.
“I’ve always said you’ve got to have passions in your life. I reckon it keeps you living,” she said.
When Suzanne de Pelsenaire first moved to Kooweerup almost 20 years ago, there were more plants stocked in the truck than furniture.
“I live out here,” she says, standing on her verandah and pointing into her house. “I just go in there to sleep.”
Formerly a Healesville resident, she gave up the mountains for the swamp. The one thing she can’t give up is her garden.
About 2,000 pots were transferred between the properties in 2006.
“I’m an addict, I’m a total addict, and I have friends who are addicts as well. Garden addicts, plant addicts.”
Her gardening passion is hereditary. Her grandmother had a cottage in Blackburn where Suzanne was invited to develop her own.
Her parents were avid gardeners too, and it came with a philosophy.
“You grow ten of anything, eight to give away, two to keep for yourself. So an heir and a spare.”
“So many people say to me, ‘We can never forget you because half our garden is from you,’ which is a lovely way to be remembered.”
The Kooweerup house is a century old. She was introduced to the town by her daughter, who lives in Pakenham.
It only took one visit to know she had to buy the third-of-an-acre property. It was perfect for her gardening endeavours.
She had so many potted plants coming out of the removalist truck that her new neighbours assumed she was starting her own nursery.
The different plants are far too numerous to list. There is such variety that each season brings its own unique bloom.
In 2013, Suzanne decided to open her oasis to the public for just one day in spring.
As an active member of the local Lions Club, she had many locals flock to her open day.
The initiative was about much more than showcasing her garden. She was inspired to give back.
Later in life, Suzanne developed severe hearing issues.
A passionate radiologist for 50 years, her later career was affected as she came close to complete deafness.
She felt like a “second-class person” as she had to rely on others to communicate.
However, she received her own “personal miracle” with a cochlear implant in 2008, which dramatically improved her hearing.
“After much rehab and brain retraining, which you have to do, one day you realise, that’s a real sound, that sounds like what I remember.
“I was reborn, essentially.”
Her surgery happened in October, which is fittingly when she opens her garden, as the larger purpose of the day is to service a debt she believes can never be repaid.
The first open days supported the Bionics Institute, with funds raised from entry fees and plant sales.
Today, the cause has changed because Suzanne received another miracle.
In 2020, she received MoMo, her pleasant foxhound helper.
MoMo is no ordinary dog. She is a trained hearing assistant, alert to the various noises her superior canine ears can pick up. She helps with important sounds that Suzanne’s hearing may not detect.
MoMo comes from Lions Hearing Dogs, a specialised organisation based in South Australia and initiated by the Lions movement, which provides this vital service to many like Suzanne.
Since MoMo arrived in 2020, the two have been inseparable companions, especially through the lockdowns.
“She’s the light of my life.”
Now, Suzanne raises funds for Lions Hearing Dogs as a thank you to MoMo and to support the many dogs like her and their crucial service.
Training a single hearing dog can cost up to $40,000, but Lions Hearing Dogs provides these companions free of charge to those sponsored by their local Lions Club.
The open garden will be held on Saturday 25 October from 10 am to 4 pm at 23 Salmon Street, Kooweerup.
Entry is $5 and plants will be on offer. All proceeds go to Lions Hearing Dogs.
