A number of well-established trees were uprooted and strewn about, one large tree came down close to her house and water tank, while at the rear of the property a huge claret ash was was obliterated.

Fast forward 12 months and Mrs Weissel said the garden had bounced back much better than she thought it would.

“I’ve now got a garden and flowers that like the sun,” she said.

“Although it is a bit harder on the plants that like the shade.”

Despite the damage, her annual fund-raiser, A Taste of Christmas, where she opens the garden each November for Shoalhaven Employers of Christian Education Teachers went ahead.

“In the days and weeks after the storm I honestly didn’t think we had a chance of having the event,” she said.

“Especially as it wasn’t until about April or May that all the damage was cleaned up.

“But gardens are incredible, with a lot of work and a lot of help it has come back and we raised almost $12,000.”

Even one of her favourite trees a forest pansy, which was badly damaged in the storm has re-shot and is “looking beautiful”.

“It’s pretty amazing how everything is bouncing back. The trees all have new shoots,” she said.