A Serendipitous Discovery in Safety Bay
A chance encounter at the Kalamunda Garden Festival led to an inspiring visit to the Safety Bay garden of Michaela Driessen. What began as a casual conversation blossomed into an invitation to explore a vibrant and thoughtfully designed outdoor space.
A Welcoming and Productive Front Garden
The front garden immediately greets visitors with raised vegetable beds overflowing with healthy produce, complemented by artfully arranged succulents. Michaela, who is self-educated in horticulture and guided by permaculture principles, has created a joyful blend of structure and abundance.
Potted frangipanis fill the air with their sweet scent, while fruit trees and composting stations highlight a deep commitment to sustainable practices. Michaela possesses an eye for the unusual, successfully cultivating a fast-growing, yellow-flowering loofah vine from seed. A towering banana grove provides shade, and a raised triangular concrete planter housing a mature olive tree and herbs adds an architectural element, softened by an assortment of potted succulents in various containers.
Fostering Wildlife and Learning
Along the northern end of the garden, a habitat pond teems with life, home to hundreds of tiny motorbike frogs often seen mid-jump. Michaela and her partner Dan attended a workshop led by Johnny Prefumo, known as The Frog Doctor, to learn how to best care for this natural habitat that came with their property. They have since nurtured it into an inviting environment for local wildlife.
From Indoor Beginnings to Outdoor Passion
Michaela's plant journey started during the pandemic with indoor plants. "Elephant ear alocasia was my first plant — it flowered and I thought, 'oh my goodness, this is amazing'," she recalls with a laugh. "Did you know they flower and smell like sweet vanilla?" This initial sense of wonder ignited a passion that grew into an impressively curated indoor collection, expanding to plants hanging above a handcrafted long table.
The benches, crafted by Dan from ancient pine, sit conveniently near a pizza oven, making the space perfect for family gatherings. Dan serves as the resident handyman, providing practical support for Michaela's gardening ideas.
Education and Innovation in Horticulture
An enthusiastic gardener, Michaela is about to begin TAFE studies in horticulture. She is particularly fascinated by the NASA air-purifying study, which has influenced her indoor planting choices. Her home is filled with a diverse array of indoor plants, creating a seamless transition from the outdoor garden.
Michaela recommends Green Thumb by Craig Miller-Randle, crediting the book for helping maintain the health of her plants. She also creates her own potting mix, tailored to the specific requirements of each plant—a system that clearly yields excellent results.
Community Engagement and Generosity
What started as volunteering and supporting the local P&C with a plant stall fundraiser has evolved into plant sales via Marketplace. Michaela takes cuttings, pots them, and sells them, explaining, "I can't compost them when I know they will grow." She ensures only healthy specimens are sold, viewing this as another way to connect with her community.
Michaela also volunteers with an organisation called Youth on Fire, providing fresh food support to those in need. She extends her generosity by posting excess produce on her Facebook page for locals to collect from her home. Additionally, she participates in a local group called Plant It Forward, where gardeners meet in each other's gardens to share knowledge, plants, and cuttings.
A Garden Rooted in Heart and Community
This chance meeting has revealed not just a garden, but a gardener with a very big heart. Michaela Driessen's Safety Bay oasis is deeply rooted in generosity, community spirit, and personal growth, demonstrating how gardening can foster connections and sustainability.
