Sooth the soul at open garden this weekend

A BEAUTIFUL naturalistic garden in Drysdale designed by renowned landscape architect Sam Cox will be open to the public this weekend.

Red Gums is an inspiring six-acre garden that celebrates and complements a large stand of remnant red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) that sits among three billabongs in the front garden.

This is one of the largest stands of remnant red gums in the area.

Inspired by the naturalistic garden philosophies of Gordon Ford, the owners invited Gordon’s protégé, Mr Cox, to design and landscape the garden and make it fit with the scale of the property.

A completely native planting scheme was chosen – both for the benefits to local birdlife and to create a garden with low water needs.

Mr Cox has adhered to the principles of naturalism in his landscape design to create a flowing and unified sense of place in this bush garden.

His design has cleverly blurred the boundaries so it’s not clear where the garden starts and ends, and the landscape envelops you.

Visitors are welcome to picnic in the garden and are encouraged to meander through the informal tracks that weave through the casuarinas, correas and poas, and see where the garden leads them.

The owners describe the Red Gums garden as “soothing to the soul”.

The Red Gums Open Garden is at 22-30 Drakes Road, Drysdale on Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13 between 10am and 4.30pm.

Mr Cox will talk about his design at the garden on the Saturday at 11am.

Entry costs: adults $8 and students $5 (children under 18 free).