Mullaloo resident has garden displayed as part of Open Gardens Australia

The sand around her Koolyanga Road yard would whip her legs as she hung out the washing.

Ms Franke has since attempted to create a sustainable garden many times, and her dream has finally come true.

While facing many challenges, she said poor alkaline soil was the ‘number one enemy’ of coastal strip gardeners.

‘We managed to improve the soil’s constitution to the point where plants actually began growing to their fullest potential,’ she said.

Ms Franke is now hoping to inspire other green thumbs dealing with similar conditions. Her project, Lyn’s Garden, is open this weekend as part of Open Gardens Australia.

‘You can see what grows in my garden and, for people in the area, what grows in a sandy coastal block,’ she said.

‘I’m happy to share what I have done.

‘You don’t always get told the right thing when you go to a nursery.

She said she hopes visitors enjoy her garden and are also inspired to embellish plants with art.

‘It has recently been described as an exotic coastal garden with an eclectic mix of plants and modern sculptures,’ she said.

‘I believe that creating different and interesting spaces, group plantings of variegated leaves and other exotic plants, including magnolias, makes my garden special.’