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TWO country gardens in full bloom in the Yea area will be open to the public this weekend as part of Australia’s Open Garden Scheme.
Coolongolook located at 141 Monkey Creek Road, Limestone, will be open for the first time this year.
It is a strongly designed country garden on a working farm, cleverly integrated and bursting with colour.
An avenue of Manchurian pears sweeps around a large ornamental dam. A hidden path framed by unusual trees and shrubs winds its way around Monkey Creek.
By the house are perennial, and large drought-tolerant beds that can be accessed via a flight of stairs.
There is a good selection of shrubs and trees including liriodendron, tilia, dogwood, viburnum and mock orange. Framed by a peace rose arch is an enclosed vegetable garden.
Not too far away is Willawong, located at 925 Limestone Road, Yea. This is a well-designed collector’s garden with an impressive array of roses and a very fine collection of exotic trees.
Broad lawns link and create a flow between different areas of the garden. A long pergola covered in modern climbing roses is a spectacular sight in summer, and leads to two ponds and a bridge.
A slate path leads to a beautiful hidden garden of old-fashioned roses. Rockeries display dwarf conifers and alpine plants, there are also Australian native plants and a herb garden.
Plants will be for sale at both gardens and there will be refreshments at Willawong provided by nearby St Luke’s Anglican Church.
Coolongolook and Willawong will be open from 10am-4.30pm on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, with a $6 entry fee. Children under 18 are admitted free.
Australia’s Open Garden Scheme is a not-for-profit organisation promoting the knowledge and pleasure of gardens and gardening. Each year the scheme opens hundreds of private gardens across Australia to garden lovers.
The owners who open their gardens to the public charge a nominal fee and all the scheme’s income is derived from entry fees.
Thirty-five per cent of the entry fee is returned to the garden owner or to the charity of their choice.Garden owners donate around $350,000 annually to charities and local causes. Total donations since the scheme's inception in 1987 are over $4.3 million.
Sixty-five per cent is returned to the scheme. After operating costs, surplus funds are distributed to the community as grants to garden-related projects.
This year Australia’s Open Garden Scheme has established the Victorian Bushfire Community Grants Fund to support Victorian Community affected by the February bushfires.
A total of $80,000 is available for the establishment, re-establishment or refurbishment of community gardens, parks and other public spaces in these communities.
Grants of up to $20,000 are available.
"Following the devastating bushfires of Black Saturday, we were contacted by garden owners from all over Australia who were appalled at the tragedy and in response we decided to make a donation to reach out to the affected communities," said the Garden Scheme’s CEO Neil Robertson.
"The Bushfire Community Grants Fund is the largest single donation in the scheme’s 22-year history. Money from the scheme’s own reserves has been augmented by donations from gardens across Australia and a dedicated opening of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm.
"We very much hope that these funds will be able to be used for projects that, in line with the scheme’s mission, will be of lasting benefit in the affected communities and that will enhance people’s knowledge and pleasure of plants and gardens," Mr Robertson said.
Application forms and further information can be found at www.opengarden.org.au. Applications close on April 30.