OPEN GARDENS SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. Autumn Newsletter 2018 Autumn Open Gardens March 3-4 Jan’s Garden, Hahndorf March 10-11 Frosty Flats, Birdwood March 24-25 Trevelyan Street Garden, Wayville April 7 Succulent Wreath Workshop, Mitcham Autumn colour in the garden April 21-22 Following the scorching heat of a South Australian Summer, Casuarina, Mylor Autumn is always a very welcome season for gardeners. Cooler days with (hopefully) some early season breaking rain April 28-29 is a blessing for our gardens – and who doesn’t love the sweet Brae Gairden, Strathalbyn smell of rain after a dry spell. Open Gardens SA is opening Serenity, Strathalbyn some really wonderful gardens for you to visit during Autumn – and the colours of Autumn rival the exuberance of Spring in See the developing program on page 10 and on our website: many ways. We have said it before, but it remains so true – http://opengardensa.org.au/ our generous gardeners are the backbone of our organisation as without their commitment there would be no private gardens to visit. We hope to see you in an open garden soon. Inside this Issue: Results from 2017 Spring Season The Re-Building of a Garden – ‘Glenalta’ Meet your OGSA Committee – Lyndie Carracher Follow OGSA on Facebook Open Gardens SA AGM – Early Notice of Meeting and Instagram OGSA Publicity and Media Officer Special Event – Succulent Wreath Workshop Opening my garden ‘Frosty Flats’ – a first-hand experience! Plant Profile: In The Grip Of The Grape Autumn program of Open Gardens SA Theatre in the Garden – A Scandalous Success! 1 OPEN GARDENS SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. AUTUMN 2018 Results from our 2017 Spring Season We are delighted to share the fantastic results to date of Open Gardens SA. As part of the 2017 Spring program we offered over 30 private gardens for the public to visit. More than 14,000 people visited these amazing gardens – and often enjoyed the added pleasure of a light lunch or When Geoff and Robyn Devonshire Tea while visiting. This activity assisted in raising approx. Stewart purchased Glenalta in $90,000 which has been generously donated to a wide range of charities. 1987 the gardens were at a Open Gardens SA has now welcomed more than 65,000 visitors through pretty low ebb. Previous the garden gates since our beginning in 2015, and the charity dollars owners had other priorities for donated are estimated to exceed $400,000. the place and skilled labour A highly successful program of open gardens we can all be very proud was extremely hard to find. of! Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this amazing Men returning home after level of success. WW2 had no interest in going into low paid gardening positions; they had bigger plans for themselves and their young The Re-Building of a Garden - Glenalta families. A nurseryman’s life By Trevor Nottle (Photos: Di Michalk) may have been hard but at least you were your own boss. At Glenalta is a historic garden set on a 32ha property of pasture and rural this time too, most women paddocks in the Adelaide Hills. The garden of about 1ha is dominated were not as keen about by deciduous trees planted more than 100 years ago. It is heritage- gardening for themselves as listed because it’s one of the few remaining intact examples in South later became popular through Australia of a 1920s garden. Premier John Downer established the the writings of Edna Walling in property after he spotted a row of Lombardy poplars along a creek in popular women’s weekly 1863; they are now 40m tall. His son JF Downer further developed the magazines. So the big Hills garden in the 1920s, and then it expanded under Henry Rymill, who gardens such as those at owned it until 1972. Glenalta suffered in the doldrums as families sought to rebuild their lives after peace was declared. Available money was directed into establishing new business enterprises and expanding old ones; almost none could be spared for remaking long neglected gardens. Like many other big Hills gardens, those of Glenalta have experienced periods of neglect, damage and change over the 153 years since it first began. It has seen periods of prosperity and hard times; times when The boom in minerals the garden flourished and expanded, times when it was left to its own exploration and mining in the devices to survive as best it could. Different owners have had different 1970’s provided the impetus objectives for it as an escape from the summer heat of the city, to a for establishing new streams of place for riding to hunt in winter and as a setting for business and wealth and raised the general political wheeling and dealing year round. level of optimism in the SA community. Against this 2 OPEN GARDENS SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. AUTUMN 2018 background interest in buying and rejuvenating old Hills homes and Tree plantings were made to gardens grew quite markedly. Glenalta was one of the 19th C estates further screen the house from that benefitted from that positive feeling. Carey Gully Road and the dam was constructed and planted. While work on the house was done to modernise services and décor things were taken somewhat more slowly in the garden. First steps were to remake the driveways and path systems that had been damaged by flooding and the growth of tree roots. Drainage systems also needed much remaking to carry away excess water that pooled where it was not wanted, further damaging the gravelled surfaces or swamping garden beds and lawns. Structural aspects of the garden also had to be repaired or rebuilt. Many stone walls had collapsed It was during preparations for allowing earth to spill onto paths and into the creek, elsewhere surface excavating the dam that a rooting trees has lifted and made dangerous areas of paving. The 19th whole ‘lost’ garden was C irrigation system – bore, reservoir and distribution pipes were uncovered when tonnes of silt inoperative, rusted out, buckled and blocked, so an extensive and mud were dug out along programme of renewal was necessary. At every stage expert advice the creek line at the point and professional services were used and advantage taken to install new where the woodland gives way technologies and delivery systems. to pasture. Some of the With the basic surviving plants – several kinds essentials in place a of bamboo and mahonia larger and longer suggested the existence of a term programme of Japanese garden possibly made renewal and in the Edwardian era when extension was such things became very undertaken in the popular. gardens of the estate. Arborists, Resisting any feelings to be horticulturalists and 100% authentic and being heritage garden consultants reviewed the garden as it was and gave equally concerned not to go advice concerning trees, shrubs, plants and design features that could overboard with any new fads be resurrected and those that required removal and redoing. Many Robyn, in particular, exercised senescent trees were cut down and replacements planted. A vast her by now well-practised wisteria sitting atop a shattered and rotten pergola was gently lifted up, artist’s eye to ensure that the the pergola rebuilt and the brittle branches of the vine set back in place magic of the garden was – a momentous task when the size and age of the plant is considered. maintained and enhanced. The The Secret Garden was uncovered from a thick tangle of dead growth, sense of enclosure and privacy fallen branches, opportunistic blackberries, ivies, honeysuckle and was kept paramount but there other invasive woody weeds. Great sheets of periwinkle and garlic is also plenty of delight in weed (Allium triquetrum) were treated with flowery incident, colour, selective herbicides. The creek was perfume and texture. Shade is realigned, dredged and the walls rebuilt so of primary importance as is that it flowed well and flood mitigation was autumn colour and a possible. marvellous spring display. New garden areas were developed too. The This amazing garden has been tennis court and pavilion were installed. A open to the public on a number swimming pool was built and later a of occasions and last opened in conservatory was added to the house. A 2016. Whether it will open perennial border was made and several pieces again is unknown, however of hedging planted. A garden of David should the garden open Austin roses was put in. The driveway was sometime into the future, it enhanced with an avenue of Candlebark would definitely be an gums (Eucalyptus rubida) – a local endemic. opportunity not to be missed. 3 OPEN GARDENS SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. AUTUMN 2018 Meet your OGSA Committee Members – We have a wonderful supportive and cooperative Lyndie Carracher. committee who have rescued Reflecting on my childhood, the concept of Open Gardens I realise that gardens and for the enjoyment of thousands gardening have been a huge of garden lovers throughout the part of my life. My maternal state. grandmother was an organic gardener and very keen It has been hard work, a lot of composter, and she had a fun, and the public have been “never waste anything” very appreciative – and the attitude. I remember she put wonderful thing about visiting out used orange halves with gardens is the amazing, salt to kill the snails & slugs. generous people you meet along the way. Throughout the whole year she always had something to pick and eat. We grandchildren climbed the fruit and citrus trees or cut the rich th purple currant grapes. The front garden was mulched and had picking OGSA AGM – 19 flowers for a pretty posy for a sick friend.