COMPLETED: April 13 & 14 - Open Garden in Warburton 'Redwoods Garden'

Redwoods is just over an acre in size and derives its name from the three 90 plus year old Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) growing on the western boundary adjacent Fantail Rise.  The house was built in 2000 and we have owned it since January 2005.

When we moved in most of the difficult landscaping had been carried out by preceding owners and the garden at that time consisted of a number of well established rhododendrons and camellias both along the tops of the sleeper retaining walls and scattered across the expansive lawn area.  There were also a number of weeping elms, Kilmarnock willows and a beautiful blue spruce.  The lawn area at the time extended from fence line to fence line and this is what we set out to change.

With this basic framework already in place we developed garden beds all around all of the front area and terraced garden beds within the front lawn area.  Almost all of this subsequent landscaping and planting has been carried out by us with very little involvement of outside assistance.

There is a large fenced vegetable patch in the rear surrounded by more edible planting that keeps us well supplied with fresh produce for the main part of the year. The rear orchard has 8 types of citrus, two plum trees, one apricot, two persimmon, a prolific avocado, quince, medlar, a fig, six apple trees, three types of guava, and blue berries.  As with the rest of the garden some plants are brand new and others much older.

In developing the garden areas we have attempted to incorporate a wide variety different plants and trees such as 19 varieties of dogwood (Cornus) and 7 varieties of smoke bush (Cotinus), many varieties of maples including 20 weeping Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and a wide variety of Berberis, Salvias and Peonies.  There is also a rare Emmenopterys henryi, the Japanese Spice Bush (Lindera obtusiloba), the weeping form of Nyssa salvatica (autumn cascade) and many more.  Many of them are still relatively young but we are pleased with the way they are developing and look forward to the time when they are more mature.

Gardening on this site has the rather particular problem of extremely strong winds.  This is due to the north east orientation and its position on the hillside.  A number of plants and trees have been literally blown out of the ground and the use of garden stakes has been necessary from time to time.

Don’t forget to look in on the chook pen and the orchid house near the works shed on the middle level.

We welcome you to our garden and hope you will enjoy what we are trying to develop.  Please do not hesitate to ask questions and feel free to walk up onto the balcony along the front of the house for a better view.

Our share of the gate takings will be donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Redwoods is located at 17 Leila Road, Warburton Vic (Melway Ref 290 C/5) and is open on the weekend of April 13 & 14, 2013 between the hours of 10:00AM and 4:30PM both days.  Admission is $7.00pp.

Devonshire tea style refreshments will be available.

Please note that the garden is on a steep site and wheel chair access may be difficult.