A visit to the Hunter Valley Gardens

I was spoilt last week with a 3 day get away with my husband to the Hunter Valley, one of the largest wine growing regions in New South Wales. Full of vineyards, wine tasting, amazing food and great accommodation, we had a marvellous time.
We were actually married there, at the Golden Grape Estate over 25 years ago, and went in search of the vineyard but couldn`t find it! Boy a lot has changed in those years.
Something else that wasn`t there all those years ago is the Beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens, boasting Australia`s largest display gardens. They span about 60 acres with over 8 kms of pathways! Phew, that`s a lot of walking....so we started the day with the little guided train tour to get our bearings and some general info from the guide. Then we headed off on foot to really discover all the hidden treasures.

 Here`s a few interesting facts...
*  Created by Bill and Imelda Roche as a garden to outlast generations that will bring joy to many.
*  Construction began in 1999 and was officially opened in 2003
*  Over 6000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and 1,000,000 ground covers.
*  100 km of underground irrigation piping
*  Over 500,000 annuals planted each year    (oh my back aches just thinking of planting them!)

 So, are you ready to take the virtual tour with us?...here we go ...

                             My excitement was building as we passed the colourful main entrance.
                   I have put off visiting for many years, waiting for more maturity of trees and shrubs.
   
                                       Don't forget to click on each picture for a better look!
                                     

 

 

Roses massed planted around the lakes

 

 

       Imelda Roche`s rose garden is called `A Grandmothers Garden`

The bronze sculptures represent her grandchildren and are known as

`Expressions of love`

 

 

 

 

Massed planting of 8000 roses in a corkscrew design. What colour and scent! 

 

 

 

Bird bath bowls throughout the gardens full of fresh roses. I`m going to do this at home.

 

 

Viewing platform above the `Sunken Garden` which boasts a 10 metre waterfall.

 

 

 

Wide walkways with scenic views

 

 

Fun for children and adults - `The Storybook Garden`

 

 

Jack and Jill

 

 

Gingerbread House

 

Hey Diddle Diddle

 

  

Humpty Dumpty

 

 

Alices Mad Hatters Tea Party

 

 

Gardens boast many topiary visions ` very high maintenance

 

 

`Border Garden` viewed from another high viewing platform.

 

 

Large café surrounded by a lake and wonderful views over a glass of wine with lunch

 

 

Entrance to the `Oriental Garden`

 

 

The red pagoda and bridge are surrounded by water and birdlife 

 

 

The `Formal Garden` with classic European style and a `Wishing Fountain`

  

 

        Original 180 year old Elephant Gates flanked by bronze elephants are the entrance

to the `Indian Mosaic Garden`

 

This garden is surrounded by Curry Leaf trees to excite the senses.

 

 

Chinese Moongate

 

Life size sculptures fill nooks

 

I hope you enjoyed your visual tour and hope you may be able to visit the garden one day

to really appreciate its beauty

 

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot, dry and thirsty....

People who are into gardens, generally love to hear about all kinds of gardening around the world too. Since I have joined the realm of the' Blogger', I now have a more intimate insight into gardens on the other side of the world. I read lots of other gardening blogs and am always fascinated to read about the opposite seasons of what we have. Their seasons are not only opposite to what we are experiencing, but often a lot harsher than ours.

 Whilst I pray (and whinge a fair bit) about the drought we are sick of, and the extreme heat - that we're over! I read about many folks on the other side of the world, tucked up inside, with snow, rain and chill .Short days with no hope of any gardening for months! I wondered what it would be like to have no garden for months, asleep under the snow till Spring . The dedication of the gardeners who move all manner of tender plants into hothouses, covering others with snow protection blankets and placing tender seedlings indoors! Saying farewell to their gardens as they lose leaves and go to sleep for the season under a blanket of cold snow. I realise that I am fortunate to live in a temperate region that varies greatly with four seasons, but still allows me to garden year round. We have harsh conditions in many parts of Australia that certainly try the keenest gardener, and maybe that's why I'm always buggered and English gardeners are ready to garden like the clappers come spring. They're all rested up over winter!

Still, a decent rain, would certainly bring a little joy back into my garden and free up some of the time I spend watering and moving hoses - remember! we are on one and a half acres - no easy feat to keep watered.

This isn't gardening!! It's exhausting, and still looks dry and crappy. I don't bother with many 'pretties' this time of the year, it's hard enough keeping established plants alive. I'm also holding off from giving all my roses ( many,many roses) the summer prune they need - I don't want to scorch the foliage that will be exposed on extremely hot days -February is usually our hottest month! I never thought I'd be one of those people wishing summer over, yet please, please let it be over. Bush fires started our Spring off, the worst our State has seen, and it's been a hot, dry summer ever since. (Sigh)

It's threatened to rain many times, and even teased with a light shower - you know, just enough misty rain to wet the leaves. I've used wetting agents this year with gay abandon, and yet the soils are dry and large cracks are now appearing. The clay soils here swell with rain and literally shrink with drought, often damaging the root systems of trees and shrubs and lawn. It`s stormy again this week. Please, please let it RAIN............woohoo, it`s finally raining!

Froggy Boy and that other strange thingy.

Froggy Boy lives in my greenhouse. He mostly lives in a tall thin jar that has water in it and an ivy growing roots. I don't know where he came from, we generally don't get frogs up around the house even though we have the large pond some distance away. Anyway, Froggy Boy has been keeping me company for a few months now, in his jar. I replace the water every now and then with rainwater from the tank when he is not at home. I don`t know where he goes when he`s not in his jar but he usually turns up next time I`m in the greenhouse. He has plenty of mosquitos to eat - not sure what else he dines on though.

I moved the jar today into a spot where he has more foliage when he climbs out. Hope he approves.

And this is the other odd thingamy,  hanging off the handle of my clothesline.

It`s a cocoon of some sort, a moth or butterfly I suppose. You always think I`ll keep an eye on it and see what comes out. But you usually just find an empty cocoon one day. I`ll try to keep a close watch on it to share with you when it comes out.

Trouble in Paradise

What trouble I hear you asking. Trouble of the worst kind....Pond trouble. Oh, ?...what`s wrong with the pond? HOLES IN THE LINER trouble. Now if you have a small pond, you`ll be thinking - cant be that bad, can it? Well the short answer is YES it`s BIG trouble, cause my pond is the size of a small dam and FULL TO THE GILLS of fish and aquatic plants, concrete beach, wooden jetty and massive sandstone rocks all around! This is what it used to look like.........

 

The pond is now about sixteen years old and the liner is on the way out. I have done some remarkable repairs over the last few years but now we have so many issues that it`s time to plan how we are going to fix this problem, hopefully permanently.

After extensive research, it amounts to this - new liner with possible future problems OR concrete. The liner is the cheapest solution, but will still cost over $2000! Concrete on the other hand is more expensive but more permanent, without the ongoing issues we have had with a liner.

So, I have just completed my absolutely last repair job on the pond, having to let the water levels drop very low to do this. Many of the established plants on the outside of the pond and liner are finding ways to get their thirsty roots in! This is when I knew it`s cover it in, OR fix it up, time.

 

 

So, what to do. It looks like we have to take it all apart and start again. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, but it looks like that's how we will be breaking our backs this autumn.

There is a tonne of silt on the bottom of the pond, super heavy plants that have grown up and over the original baskets they were planted in, an over abundance of koi fish of all sizes. The wooden jetty, set in pots full of concrete around the jetty feet and a concrete shallow beach area where the kids used to catch tadpoles when they were little, are going to be a challenge. All of this has got to come out! Then we have to somehow stockpile the fish and plants somewhere else for a few weeks while the work is done. (should be interesting catching them)

That`s a lot of work before the hard work begins! No wonder we have put it off for as long as possible. My backs aching just thinking about it!

 

So I guess I`ll start pruning plants back and work out a plan of attack. There are many prized plants around the pond that will need to be protected like the Weeping Japanese Maple. I always get a bit anxious when concrete trucks, pumps and workmen traipse about the site without any thought to the years of growth on the surrounding site. I`m pretty sure I will be hovering anxiously when the time comes, trying to protect plants I cant remove. Will keep you posted when we make a move on the pond in cooler weather.....

 

 

I wish it would rain....

It seems that the whole of Australia is in heat wave mode this week. We have just had a week of up to 42 degrees Celsius here inland of Sydney. My family live in Adelaide and have just survived a scorching 48 degree day and some inland towns recorded 50 degrees!

And our poor gardens suffer.

I wish it would rain.

The clouds rolled in tonight but so far - nothing. Not a drop.

My huge rainwater tanks are nearly empty.

I really wish it would rain.

See what I mean.

I wish it would rain