The lush, overflowing suburban oasis is almost becoming an endangered species in these days of low maintenance “outdoor spaces”.
Words: John Van Klaveren
Pictures: Reg Ryan
Lawns have been replaced by coloured gravel and pebbles – or the artificial variety – while small circles of mulch allow the odd shrub to poke through.
Not so for Mal and Gwen Anderson who continue to see their plant lover’s garden Aroha evolve around their stately home.
The Newtown rare treat was a former nursery, providing a wonderful soil base for the collection of the garden’s foliage, texture, colour and form.
The former annexe to Stinton’s Nursery was once owned by the Windmill family before the Higgins clan bought it and built the red brick and white stucco house.
Formal entry to the garden is from a lych gate and along a lush cobbled walkway of hellebores, bulbs and shrubberies.
The lych was traditionally a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English churchyard.
The property’s series of garden rooms feature choice shrubs and conifers anchored by repeat plantings of acid-yellow euphorbias, colourful salvias, perfumed philadelphus, viburnums, sambucas and glorious roses.
The garden also has a lovely collection of fruit trees including lime, lemon, cherry quince pears and persimmon.
Gwen started with Australian natives but now prefers an ever-changing English-style garden instead.
“We did lose so much during the drought, which taught us to toughen up a bit,” Gwen admits.
“Now if it dies, it goes.
More in the latest Geelong Coast Magazine – in newsagents now.
