2020_Garden

2020 “Gardens of Mudgee” Cancelled

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The organising group for Gardens of Mudgee has been monitoring the developing Covid-19 situation in NSW, including the restrictions and safety requirements for protection of both the public and of our volunteers who make this event happen.

A decision on the show is required now because our wonderful volunteer gardeners whose gardens you see on this site will be working towards a date and accelerating their efforts from this point. We have unfortunately reached the conclusion that we will not be able to provide the experience expected from past shows and which will be satisfactory for our visitors, while meeting the needs of volunteers.

The 2020 Gardens of Mudgee is therefore cancelled.

There will be an event in 2021 when we will be back with the full garden experience when this pandemic period is finished. Future announcements will be made on this site or on our Facebook page.

Our apologies to all of you who were looking forward to this event. We are also disappointed. And a “thank you” to the gardeners who volunteered their gardens…we hope to see them in 2021.

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2020 Launch of “Gardens of Mudgee”.

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Six New Gardens in 2020

For 2020 the Mudgee Garden Spectacular has been re-branded to “Gardens of Mudgee” and will be showing six all-new gardens.

The Mudgee climate is well known amongst local gardeners for its challenges. Six gardens whose owners have learnt to deal with those difficulties and create gardens of beauty and durability will be open for inspection during the 2020 Rotary Gardens of Mudgee on the weekend of 17th and 18th of October.

Ingenuity and Creativity

The Kemptons’ garden on the slopes of Mt Frome has views north to the Buckaroo hills and is set amongst native trees. Wander around a series of graceful garden plots containing a variety of plants chosen to withstand the vagaries of Mudgee’s climate, and enjoy the charming pool adorned by irises and bulrushes. In sheltered spots around the house you’ll find more tender plants such as orchids, and examples of Trishs’ creativity. Make sure to check out stunning district views from the top of the drive.

Tall Eucalpyts create islands of shade.

John and Wendy Reeves’ garden began in a paddock four years ago and has been created with the intention of following the natural lie of the land. They have kept most of the original eucalyptus trees which provide shade and shelter to the property and created gardens around many of them. A wide expanse of lawn is divided almost in half by a creek whose banks are clothed in yellow gazanias.

Many of the trees have seats installed under them so make sure you take some time to sit and enjoy the Spring sunshine glancing through those wonderful eucalypts.

A masterly transformation.

‘Wisteria Ridge’ the home of Col and Val Stubbs, is a beautiful haven with glorious views over the Cudgegong Valley. The garden was formed from a rocky site eighteen years ago by the addition of tonnes of imported topsoil. The many native shrubs and trees are home to a number of species of birds, and careful planting over a long period of time has resulted in a garden of great interest.

Throughout the garden are scattered Col’s marvellous quirky sculptures fashioned from found farm objects. They add a special touch to this spectacular, much loved garden.

Roses, Roses, Roses.

To glimpse up the leafy drive of Pam and David Stewart’s 35 year old garden in Bombira is to step back into the past. The long border is tumbling with old-fashioned plants: geraniums, acanthus, forget-me-nots and bluebells are here in abundance, along with a variety of bulbs.

A magnificent, shapely Chinese elm dominates at the back of the house accompanied by an equally amazing banksia rose hedge.

You’ll be entranced by the gorgeous roses dotted about the garden beds.

An abundance of established trees helps to create a sheltered garden, one that is less subject to the vagaries of the Mudgee climate: dappled, scented and floriferous.

In A Hidden Valley

When the Bowmans purchased their property ‘Bowfield’ five years ago, there was a small number of established trees around the original nineteenth century buildings but no garden. A spectacular garden has been accomplished in a short space of time by using tonnes of compost and a great deal of mulch spread on top of the rocky site.

The garden has been planned with tree plantings and hedges to provide shelter from the western sun and prevailing wind and there has been an emphasis on the addition of hardy Mediterranean style shrubs. Taller plants within the garden beds create spaces for roses or other plants that might need some protection.

There is so much to see in this garden you might need some extra time!

A traditional homestead garden.

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. A ramble along the old paths reveals borders bursting with perennials and bulbs, accompanied by a variety of mature roses.

Follow the paths around to the north side of the house to discover an open grassy area full of sunshine, boasting views of farmland and planted with stands of silver elegant birches.

You’ll be amazed at the single Virginia creeper which grows along two sides of the house, providing summer shade.

 More details can be found here.

“Gardens of Mudgee” will be run on the weekend of 17-18th October 2020.

2020_Garden

Val and Col Stubbs : Wisteria Ridge

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A masterly transformation.

Address: 1390 Castlereagh Highway, Apple Tree Flat, NSW 2850

Author: Jane Ivers

‘Wisteria Ridge’ is a beautiful haven with glorious views over the Cudgegong Valley. When Val and Col Stubbs moved into their new house 18 years ago, they were faced with the challenge of turning a bare rocky site into a garden. Importing tonnes of topsoil was the first step, followed by years of careful selection and placement of hardy plants.

Textural structure is the key here, and variety of leaf colour as important as flowers. Val and Col are adventurous in their choice of plants which, once proven to be successful are often propagated and spread to other parts of the garden. A large collection of natives such as grevilleas and emu bushes provide food and shelter for a variety of birds which can often be glimpsed flitting through the trees.

A canopy of tall eucalypts such as white box provide some shelter from the worst of the heat in summer, and below these trees grows a wide variety of plants: some, such as pelargoniums, are protected enough to grow exuberantly. The outer parts of the garden are planted with boabs, crepe myrtles, kurrajongs and even an English oak.

The east facing bank at the front of the house is replete with plants both native and exotic, underplanted with white alyssum which forms a snowy carpet the length of the bank. There’s a magnificent prostrate Cootamundra wattle, and a splendid smoke bush as well as numerous grevilleas, banksias, rosemary and lavender plants. At the top of the bank is a long border where different varieties of rose are planted, some of which Val has struck from cuttings.

Along the house verandah, attractive groupings of pots contain somewhat tender plants such as maiden hair ferns and succulents. It’s a delightful place to sit and enjoy the morning sunshine.

Throughout the garden are scattered Col’s marvellous quirky sculptures fashioned from found farm objects. They add a special touch to this spectacular, much loved garden.

2020_Garden

Pam and David Stewart

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Roses, Roses, Roses.

Address: 1 Bombira Lane, Mudgee, NSW 2850

Author: Jane Ivers

A glimpse up the leafy drive of Pam and David Stewart’s 35 year old garden in Bombira is a step back into the past. Wandering up this drive, which is flanked by two huge golden elm trees, the visitor follows a long border containing swathes of old fashioned flowers and bulbs. Narcissi, Japanese anemones, aqueligias, acanthus, geraniums, irises, forget-me-nots, bluebells and nepeta can be found here accompanied by clipped English box balls, viburnums and roses.

Three rose-covered archways lead from the drive onto the lawn where there are gardens filled with flowering shrubs such as escallonias and viburnums, in particular a stunning snowball tree. A trio of silver birches surrounded by ajuga and irises graces one of the gardens and along the swimming pool wall climbing rose ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ is accompanied by plantings of lavender. There is also a beautifully trimmed serpentine escallonia hedge and at the lower end of the garden an ancient willow tree stands watch over all.

Follow the escallonia hedge around to the back of the house where there is a magnificent shapely Chinese elm and admire the banksia rose hedge. A series of garden ‘rooms’ ensues: a vegetable garden complete with fig tree; a small walled garden with a pool containing gold fish and a marvellous variegated daphne; fruit trees including a huge grapefruit, and on the cooler side of the house, gardenias and azaleas.

Romantic roses complete the the pallette and you’ll find them dotted around the garden: amongst the annuals, gracing walls and arching over pathways.

The abundance of established trees helps to create a sheltered garden, one that is less subject to the vagaries of the Mudgee climate: dappled, scented and floriferous.

2020_Garden

John and Wendy Reeves

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Tall Eucalpyts create islands of shade.

Address: 53 Lawson Drive, Mudgee, NSW 2850

Author: Jane Ivers

John and Wendy Reeves’ garden began in a paddock four years ago and has been created with the intention of following the natural lie of the land. A drive planted with liquidambar trees on one side and an intriguing patchwork hedge on the other brings visitors to the front of the house.

A lawn bordered by double rows of hedges formed from escallonia and bamboo on one side and Leightons green cypress and photinia on the other at the side of the house is the introduction into the large open garden area. Here there is a wide expanse of grass divided almost in two by a creek boasting banks clothed with yellow perennial gazanias.

The Reeves have kept most of the original eucalyptus trees which provide shade and shelter to the garden from the harsh Mudgee weather. John and Wendy have created plots around many of the trees with the idea of generating an understory. In each plot a eucalypt stands sentinel over collections of annuals and natives chosen for their hardiness.

A cottage garden area of armeria, lavender, salvia and poppies edged with pink bergenia provides Spring colour.

A nascent orchard contains a large collection of fruit trees. Mulberry, apple, pear, peach, nectarine, almond and plum trees are growing here, and along with a separate area of olive, hazelnut and pistachio trees will provide a cornucopia of fruit for many years to come. There are also productive vegetable gardens.

Many of the trees have seats installed under them so make sure you take some time to sit and enjoy the Spring sunshine glancing through those wonderful eucalypts.

2020_Garden

Trish and Bill Kempton : Uambi

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Ingenuity and Creativity

Address: 43 Rocky Waterhole Road, Mudgee, NSW

Author: Jane Ivers

Banks of penstemon, santolina, artemisia and oleander entice the visitor into the garden of Trish and Bill Kempton at Uambi on the slopes of Mt Frome. This garden began its life as a no-dig garden, and many applications of extra soil, mulch and compost have helped tame the difficult soil structure so often found in the Mudgee area.

The recent removal of two large and damaged eucalypts has provided a new garden planted with nectar-rich native shrubs which have been added specifically as a food source for bees. Small native shrubs and ground covers are rapidly naturalising, rejoicing in the extra sunlight they are receiving.

At the eastern end of the house a charming reticulated pool, which began life as a swimming pool, is surrounded by irises and bulrushes and filled with water lilies. Adorning the lawns are several graceful garden plots containing an absorbing collection of plants, from irises and lavenders to Shirley poppies and canna lilies. A massive pony tail plant dominating one plot, is accompanied by a smoke bush, surrounded by swathes of erigeron and Chinese plumbago, and in another plot a second smaller pond is enhanced by groupings of drumstick alliums, pigface and variegated liriope.

Rock sculptures, hypertufa pots, and gabion blocks created by the owners add to the eclectic feel of the garden. Trish has built the gabion blocks herself after discovering how to do so online! In sheltered spots, such as under the Virginia creeper-covered pergola, orchids can be found along with willow sculptures also made by Trish.

As you leave the garden, don’t forget to spend a few minutes enjoying the panoramic views across the Mudgee district from the top of the drive.

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Steph and Rick Gordon : Wilgowrah

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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.

2020_Garden

Tamara and Andrew Bowman : Bowfield

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In A Hidden Valley

Address:  “Bowfield”, 1788 Castlereagh Hwy,  Mudgee, NSW

Author: Jane Ivers

Upon arrival at ‘Bowfield’, the home and garden of Tamara and Andrew Bowman, you will be greeted by an impressive rock wall built by Andrew from rocks excavated during the flattening of the site five years ago. Prostrate rosemary softens the wall and helps to create a welcoming entry to a garden full of surprises and unusual plants, the result of meticulous planning to allow for relief from the western sun and to provide passive cooling for the house.

Tonnes of compost topped with mulch have been added to the garden beds with spectacular results. The emphasis here, as is the case with many Mudgee gardeners, is on plants that can withstand extremes of heat and cold, and borders are planted with euphorbias, phlomis, swaying grasses, miscanthus , irises and bulbs. Plantswoman Tamara admits to a love of buddlejas, and there are many examples of these to be found in the garden including buddleja ‘Crispa’ with its huge felty leaves. There are roses too, carefully placed amongst the shrubs, creating soft pools of colour and added interest.

At the back of the house is an impressive bank covered with Mediterranean style plants: lavender and rosemary, spiky artichoke to add textural interest and an intriguing collection of grey-leafed plants well known for their ability to deal with drought. Slightly further afield is a productive irrigated vegetable garden with circular beds planted with brassicas, leafy salad vegetables and herbs.

Several orchards surround the house. There is an apple orchard, a nuttery and an orchard containing a wonderful collection of fruits such as pistachio, tangelo, lemon, pomegranate, persimmon, cherries, apricots and plums. Wind breaks and hedges of Simonii poplars and rosa rugosa, have been planted particularly on the western side of the garden, and a wonderful ornamental grape across the front of the house creates shelter from the summer sun, losing its leaves in time to let in the winter sunlight.

Mention must be made of the original buildings. There are three, two of which are built of local stone, dating from the late nineteenth century and they have been incorporated into the new building with care and sensitivity.

Take time as you wander to enjoy the aspect of this property nestled within its semi-circle of grassy hills which create a natural amphitheatre.

News

Mudgee Garden Spectacular in 2020 – Situation

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The Rotary Club of Mudgee has identified a wonderful group of new gardens for the 2020 Mudgee Rotary Garden Spectacular.

We thank the gardeners for volunteering their time and energy. This contribution will allow many people to enjoy their gardens in October, and at the same time, assist Rotary in raising funds to put back into our community.

Sadly, as everyone now knows, the world now revolves around the progress of a dastardly virus…and this has significant implications for this event.

The Garden Spectacular is scheduled for October, almost 6 months away, so with such an extended time buffer, at this stage the Club is still aiming to go ahead with the event as originally planned.

Clearly, we can’t commence our usual promotional program at this time as the preparation of materials for our websites and for brochures would contravene the current isolation requirements.

The double frustration is that the weather appears to have turned, setting the scene for a brilliant spring. Our Club hopes we can capitalize on it.

If you are waiting for information on this event we ask that you please be patient while we await developments and adjust to the new circumstances. As mentioned, we are trying hard to still have a Garden Show and will keep you informed of progress via this website and the Facebook Rotary Club of Mudgee site.

 

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2020 Mudgee Garden Spectacular

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The second Mudgee Garden Spectacular organised by the Rotary Club of Mudgee was well received with around 700 visitors over the two days. Great support was received from garden owners, garden speakers, local sponsors and the CWA caterers at Milroy as well as willing volunteer help from Rotary members, partners and other volunteers.

The event will run again in 2020 on Saturday / Sunday 17th and 18th of October 2020. There will be a completely new set of Mudgee gardens on display in 2020 so put the event in your calendar now.

More information will be posted on this site as the event develops this year.