Sue and Steve Proeve spent 3 years living and travelling in the UK and Europe and these influences are evident in their approach to garden design. Ledbury is named after an English village we visited in Herefordshire during our time overseas, and ideas developed about building our own home on small acreage back in Australia.Wherever we travelled we were inspired by the beautiful gardens and buildings, from castles to old barns and specialist gardens such as ‘“The Gardens of Heligan’ in Cornwall. After buying the property in July 1999, we took building and garden design courses and travelled interstate to further our knowledge and skills. Sue completed a Diploma of Garden Design at TAFE (Urrbrae.S.A.) in 2004. Practicality, aesthetics and attention to detail were important elements in the design of our garden and poured earth house. We designed the property using permaculture principles and we are independent of water and electricity. Our vegetable garden is in the ‘Potager’ style where flowers, herbs, fruit trees and vegetables happily coexist. We have included sculptures/structures throughout the garden/property to create added interest. The materials used in the garden are predominantly recycled and sourced locally – timber, fencing, gates, steel, bricks and stone. Our attention to detail was greatly influenced by the gardens and villas in France and Italy.