GORGEOUS GEORGIAN

Take a step back in time for a Grand Tour of this fresh, new garden that takes an elegant bow to history

1 When renovating your own home and garden, bear in mind the aim of the owners of Rosedale Farm – to retain the heritage and integrity of the property while giving it a new lease on life that reflects modern needs and innovations.

Gardens are generally not about instant gratification – they take their own time to grow, bloom and produce fruit. So how do you create a divine spread over 3.6ha (from an initial half hectare) in just five years?

When the owners bought the run-down Rosedale Farm – a once-grand Georgian mansion set in a former sheep farm outside Orange in NSW – they hatched a plan. Interior stylist Steve Cordony focused on refurbing the home from the ground up while his partner, Michael Booth, concentrated on the garden. Initially, there were only five trees on the estate after centuries of land clearing. Now there are more than 28,000 plants and trees, laid out in Georgian style to reflect the beautiful homestead. Here’s how they did it.

PLAN A TRIP

What Rosedale Farm

Where 671 Ophir Rd, Orange, NSW, about 4hours’ drive west of Sydney

When Farmstays available from April 2022, COVID-19 restrictions permitting

Cost POA

More info rosedalefarm.net.au and on Instagram @rosedale_farm

2 Wide verandahs are an Australian tradition – letting clematis scramble up their support posts is universal.

3 The old saying is to plant your clematis so its ‘feet’ are in the shade and its ‘head’ is in the sun. That is, keep the roots cool and the tendrils will reach out for the light.