Ilfracombe nursery just waits

Ilfracombe's Garden Nursery is the latest casualty of the drought that won't go away.

Although Diane Mill and husband John always hand watered every plant on their quarter-acre plot, when the Longreach Regional Council brought in level-three water restrictions at the end of January, the couple decided a fire sale and temporary closure of their business was necessary.

"It was a heartbreaking decision," Diane said. "We've been in Ilfracombe since 2002 and opened the nursery in 2006, and that was like giving birth.

"I've always loved gardening and I'd drawn up a plan for a nursery. It went from strength to strength.

"I wanted our house yard to complement the nursery, but to see the state of it now - I had a beautiful rose garden but the roos have totally destroyed it.

"We've never had an excess water bill but we can't be seen to be operating a business like this at such a time.

"There's only one place around here that I know of that's got water in their dam."

Di said the ongoing drought had been a real test for herself and John.

They had put all their savings into starting the business and didn't want to throw the towel in, as much for the community as for themselves.

The nursery "absolutely contributed" to the local economy when operating at full capacity, with a truck fully loaded as a mini-nursery and on the road for eight months of the year supporting rodeos, shows and fetes throughout the west.

"We shop local and are very big on keeping the dollar in our communities to keep small business operating," Di added. "Visitors to our nursery would come and have breakfast at the shop or lunch at the pub too."

They struggled to keep the business alive last summer but it hurt later on in the year as they had no personal reserves left. Di estimates it had been costing her $630 a week to keep the nursery going as the customer base dwindled.

Even now, with no plants left, people are urging her to hang in there and wait for rain, such is the value of a garden to western Queenslanders.

Di's business was like a 'balm' to many in 2014.

As well as responding to distress calls from grazing businesses with plants they wanted to go to a good home as they ran out of water, the nursery went all out with a heartfelt display for Westech in Barcaldine.

"I decided my theme was letting go, living in the now, accepting what we have and being happy with that," Di said. "We had many who shed a tear that day. Everyone got my theme and that was all I wanted to achieve.

"Times have been tough for a lot of people. I wanted everyone to forget about their troubles just for a short time."

Just as graziers will face huge bills to restock their properties when it rains, Di said she would have large expenses to restock the nursery.

She has paid all creditors with the proceeds of the drought sale and is praying for rain so everyone in the west can get up and running again.

"It's been draining, but we can't change the elements. We just have to run with it and see where it takes us."