Tree change

FROM SUMMER SUNSHINE TO WINTER SNOW, THIS PRIVATE GARDEN IN NSW ENJOYS YEAR-ROUND BEAUTY

- BRITTANY SMITH

This two-hectare private property in NSW's Southern Highlands is a garden made for picking. Whether it's roses in spring or perennials enjoying a second bloom in late summer, the seeds are sown for their eventual fleeting beauty. While cutting flowers for vases means they will fade in time, that doesn't bother plantsman Colin Blanch, who has worked on the garden for 27 years. By the time a flower has died, he's already moved on to the next one. It's by his design the garden has peaks in each season so there's always something to work on, a new bud to enjoy. "We use a technique called successional planting," says Colin. "Each month, there's something of interest, not just a big bang in spring."

Colin first became involved with the garden when his clients in Sydney purchased the property. With established trees and basic gardens, the brief was to improve the bones and create a flowing country garden in an English style. It certainly suits the climate of the area. Roughly 750 metres above sea level, the locale has four distinct seasons so the work required is constantly evolving. "We need plants that can handle frost and low temperatures. I call it putting the garden to sleep," says Colin when asked about winter. "I mulch it, cut all the perennials down and then it starts to wake up again in late August."