Garden Glory

Organic and sustainable practices have been combined within an established garden

- Victoria Kleeberg

We moved to Bowral, NSW some 16 years ago. The house is typical of those in the area and the block of land is just on half an acre, which is quite large considering how close it is to town.

The original garden contained some well-established trees and many substantial camellias when we arrived, plus a lovely curved stone wall in the centre of the back garden.

THE INSPIRATION

 I have tried to garden along the design principles of the famous Edna Walling, so I built a stone path that follows the wall and flows between a stand of silver birch I planted and later under planted with daffodils. This, combined with masses of bluebells and hellebores under the linden tree (Tilia cordata), the winding paths laid with sawdust through the woodland garden and the very pretty daisies that flower through the lawn, has proved to be just right for that area of the garden.

KITCHEN GARDEN

Even within the formality of our garden, the true mark of it is our commitment to sustainability. This is most obvious in our front yard where I have created the kitchen garden just a step away from the kitchen door. This area was the least-developed part of the property with only two huge gum trees and little lawn. The privet hedge divides the front garden in half and offers wonderful western shelter for the veggie garden, as does the established camellia hedge on the south side, which doubles as the front fence.