A traditional homestead garden
Address: 499 Lue Road, Mudgee, NSW
Author: Jane Ivers
Steph and Rick Gordon’s 1920s house at ‘Wilgowrah’ is surrounded by a homestead garden which has been many years in the making as its mature trees indicate. There are bunyah pines and a vast spreading camphor laurel on the western side of the house which create relief from the summer sun.
The Gordons have lived in this house for seven years and are continuing the garden in its original style. A wisteria-covered pergola leads from the front gate to a traditional round rose garden planted with ‘Seduction’ and ‘Iceberg’ roses. There is a Virginia creeper encompassing the lengthy verandah. It grows from a single old vine and is truly a pruning masterpiece.
A ramble along the old paths reveals borders bursting with perennials and bulbs, accompanied by a variety of mature roses. Self-seeded plants along the paths provide softness and colour in a completely natural way.
Follow the paths around the house to discover an open grassy area boasting views of farmland and planted with stands of silver elegant birches. An ancient pear shades a charming sitting area. There is a fascinating beehive tank of bricks here too, surrounded by massed plantings of erigeron and bulbs, and nearby, a working windmill.
On the northern side of the house is a herb garden containing a variety of herbs set within a decoratively placed brick border. Viburnum hedges shelter much of the garden from extremes of weather.
The ‘Shed Paddock’ is home to a beautifully constructed vegetable garden which contains a meticulously maintained selection of vegetables and alongside, an orchard with a variety of established fruit trees.