Lothlorien in Tawonga South, three kilometres from Mt Beauty, is one of those types of properties. Just listed for auction with Brian Phegan, the one-acre property has featured in Australian Open Gardens and is full of what owners describe as outdoor ‘follies’.

In real estate terms, descriptions such as ‘unique’, ‘full of features’, ‘gardeners dream’ and ‘must be seen to be believed’ might just be spot on here.

Peter and Lorna Brown first bought the property 20 years ago when it was a bare block full of blackberries. A builder was able to bring Lorna’s dream home to reality and she started on the garden, with a husband, she says, that was happy to give her free reign.

It was the change in climate that first lured the Brown’s from the Northern Territory to the foothills of Mt Beauty.

“We loved the cold and it was a very, very pleasant change from the Northern Territory. But unfortunately we’ve reached a stage where things such as arthritis and so on means the cold doesn't like us anymore,” said Lorna.

It is a hard sale for the couple who had hoped they would only leave the property when a ‘wooden box’ was required, and particularly for Lorna who’s life passion has been the garden.

“It really is a gardeners delight,” she said. “I heard on the ABC gardening program one time that there are people who have a stamp collectors attitude in their garden and they simply have to have one of everything – and that's me!

“The beauty of it is that there is always something happening, no matter what the season,” said Lorna.

Some of the garden ‘follies’ include a huge outdoor chess board – complete with teak chess pieces, and extensive dry stone walls which Peter and Lorna built themselves using 130 tonne of granite from Glenrowan. The crown in the jewel though is, perhaps, a magnificent observatory complete with a Meade telescope.

Or for others it could be the glass house with automatic heat controlled ceiling windows, the traditional Italian style pizza oven or the orchard … described as extensive and fully productive and featuring almost everything; four different types of apples, two pears – plus a nashi pear – plums, peaches, fig, persimmon, plumcot, lemons, oranges, mandarin, tangelo, crab apple and peacharine.

So, it has to be said, this property has to be seen to be believed and if your interest has been piqued you can check out more at www.brianphegan.com.au and use search term Tawonga South. The property will be auctioned on April 8 and is open for inspection today at 3pm.