May 2012 - Wollombi Valley Online

Issue 346 - Our Own News - May 2012
It was an impressive entrance to an impressive garden when we visited Lindsay and Cherie’s property in Ellalong. Before
moving here, Lindsay and Cherie lived on the side of a steep hill, so the flat plains here make for a different type of garden.
After seven and a half years, Lindsay and Cherie have turned this ten-acre property into a park full of meandering paths, water
features and plants. Thousands of tubestock have been planted and now Native shrubs of Grevillia, Bottlebrush, Westringia
etc, are mixed with exotics such as Duranta, Tecoma, Polygala and Hibiscus. Cosmos, Gazanias, Rose, Dahlias and Cannas
provide bright spots of colour. The tall spotted Gums, Angophera and Ironbarks shade the extensive lawns that lead to dams
and rock and timber edged watercourses.
A beautiful Wisteria called Cascade is being encouraged to
grow up and along branches to cascade like a waterfall to
the ground. A two-level, two-toned Duranta hedge lines
the front of the house, with more Dahlias, yellow Daisies
and Gazanias for colour. Here ‘en masse’ planting of
Agapanthus, Duranta and selected natives is particularly
effective, giving the garden a real park like feel. There are
many outdoor rooms with comfortable seats where one can
sit and admire this beautiful place. We walked, we looked
and we came away with some great ideas. This garden
certainly is fulfilling Cherie’s dream of a ‘vision splendid of
the acreage extending’ – until she says ‘stop’. Thank you
Lindsay and Cherie for sharing your garden with us. We
had a wonderful afternoon.
The next meeting ia at 1 pm May 07 at Graeme and Anne
Kinnear’s. Proceed up Narone Creek road turning left into
Craft Road (on the Wild Edge Retreat road). Turn left after
1.1Km. The flags will show the turns. Consider 4WD
pooling if it has been wet.
Maggie Brown
Right: Directions to Graeme and Anne Kinnear’s
APRIL GARDEN GROUP
2.4KM along Narone Creek Road, turn left into Craft
Road and continue for approx. 1Km. Turn left at the sign for
Bakers Arm, continue down to the valley floor, across the bridge
and take the track up the hill (about 2Km). The property is
signposted “The Beild, 205 Narone Creek Road”. House about
100m beyond the sign on the right hand fork.”
Community news for Wollombi and surrounding districts 10