All good things must come to an end, however, and on July 31, Mrs Clark celebrated her retirement as curator of the garden, located in the grounds of the Katherine Museum.

After curating the garden for the past 12 years, there is not an inch of the lush landscape not close to her heart.

“What we were trying to achieve is interesting spaces – it's not just about the plants – we wanted to include creative elements like sculptures as well,” Mrs Clark explained.

“The gardens aren't finished yet, but it's a matter of finding the right plants.

“There's a mix of local and international plants, as well as bush tucker and medicinal plants.”

Mrs Clark said she was particularly proud of the children's garden and said the vision was to make it a fun place to visit, but also to demonstrate how things grow.

Since the garden started, more than 90 businesses have supported the gardens – both financially and with their time, machinery and labour.

“We wouldn't have gotten anywhere had it not been for all the support,” Mrs Clark said.

She also wished to acknowledge the generous support of the Department of Correctional Services and the many community groups that helped transform the garden into its current eye-catching incarnation.

“I would say every community group in Katherine has been involved at some stage over the past 12 years and that's what it's all about – to provide a garden for the entire community to love and enjoy,” Mrs Clark said.

Katherine Museum manager Simmone Croft said the garden was a living icon for Katherine and a space for the community to enjoy for many years to come.

“What Lis has done for the whole community is an extraordinary achievement, and one we are highly grateful for,” Mrs Croft said.

Patrons of the garden can also look forward to a new book to document the garden and its history, which Mrs Clark said she hoped would be ready by the end of the year.