Her property is not huge, it's a house and granny flat in the suburbs, yet it's easy to get fully immersed along the meandering path of strategically planted species. She has two different Airbnbs on the property, so visitors regularly get to appreciate the property too.

"I find it really hard to try to explain the low maintenance," she says of her garden.

"I don't know any other garden that's as low maintenance as this one. I've had people come here to stay as guests, and they think it's a lot of work. They don't understand what it is: a vibrant dynamic garden that's changing constantly, but I'm not doing it. I hardly do a thing."

McCarthy's business is called Nature's Magic Garden Designs, so of course her healthy garden is no surprise. In the 1970s she learned about the dangers of using chemicals and pesticides. She's been studying alternatives ever since.

She's also a qualified horticulturalist and secretary of the Newcastle group's Australian plant society.

A lot of the work she does is within the field of permaculture. She describes this as a self sustaining forest system where the gardener or landscaper works to mimic the forest system as much as possible using many native plants.

As McCarthy has worked in her garden she's noticed the wildlife numbers increase. She built a pond, which brought the frogs, and the land backs onto a nature reserve, which brings in water dragons (who sometimes eat the frogs).

She has a number of native species in her garden and some exotics as well for food.

The garden has Davidson plum, lemon myrtle, aloe vera, asparagus and native asparagus, cherry guavas, chili, choko, kaffir lime, kale, midyim berry, mulberries, nasturtium, passionfruit, paw paws, strawberries, native turmeric, Jerusalem artichoke and many more delights.

"Finger lime is like security, it's prickly so I have it next to the window," she says.

One of her first jobs was at the only chemical-free nursery in Newcastle, which also happened to be the only native plant nursery in town, Newcastle Wildflower Nursery. From here she learned why native plants were so important.

"If you use native plants, it's going to be good for the birds. We have trees and birds evolved together for pollination of the plants," she says.

"Doug Tallamy in the US did a study of native versus plants not from the homeland and Melaleuca quinquenervia - our local paperbark tree - was included. It hosts 409 insects as opposed to only eight species in the US where it's been for 120 years as a weed.

"This is a common trend in all native versus exotic plants and is the reason why it is so important to have native plants in home gardens - as stepping stones and habitat for native insects and birds that feed their young with specific insects.

"It's all connected."

Among the wildlife she's spotted are diamond pythons, echidnas, land mullets (the world's largest skink), green tree snakes and feather-tail gliders.

She's seen so many birds as well, ranging from cockatoos to rosellas to brush turkeys to parrots to tawny frogmouths and more.

For anyone who's interested in revitalising their garden, she thinks observations are important as well as studying your microclimate. You need to ask what your plants requirements are for sun, water nutrients, shade and pH.

She recommends thinking carefully about the plants you want in your space.

"My philosophy is everything has to have use in the garden," she says.

"It has to work with low maintenance and preferably be good for the wildlife.

"It has to be native and if it's not, it can't be a weed."

McCarthy raised her daughter here. She's a grandmother as well, so she's able to pass on her wisdom when her grandkids visit.

After being in the business so long, she knows nature's rhythms and systems well and clearly loves sharing her knowledge.

From parsley to possums to parrots, it's pretty close to paradise.

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