Open gardens bring large crowds

HEAVY rain last Friday cleared to sunny skies for the Redesdale Open Gardens event over the weekend.

Three local gardens were open to the public with crowds flocking to inspect the diverse displays.

“I’m so glad it wasn’t yesterday,” said Gary Prendergast who with wife Peta owns Rocklands.

“After the rain on Friday we couldn’t have asked for better weather over the weekend.

“Our garden is at a stage where we only need to spend one day each week on maintenance.

“We wanted to get it to a point where we didn’t have to put a lot of work into it.”

The couple purchased the property in 2014.

“The garden was yearning for love after a decade of drought, yet it held the promise of good design.

“The change of seasons unveils a garden that continually evolves with growing plants, changing conditions, and newfound ideas.”

Frederika and Mark Laurie bought their property at Gibbards Crossing in 2016.

“Despite initial challenges, we are delighted to call it home,” said Ms Laurie.

“With the introduction of organic compost, mulch, and fertilizer, our gardens now flourish.

“I wasn’t sure at first about opening the garden to the public,” said Ms Laurie.

“Now, watching all the people walking around the garden I feel really proud.

“We spend about three days a week in the garden and love the constantly evolving landscape.

“Our house has lovely big windows, so we are able to enjoy the gardens from inside and out.”

When Kathy Hall and Rod Gibson moved into their Coliban Springs house in 2006, they counted 16 different types of birds.

“We now have 82,” said Ms Hall.

“The property is full of birdlife, from Fairy Wrens to New Holland Honey Eaters, and Buff-banded Rails to Grebes.

“The majority of our plants have been grown from cuttings or seeds of plants that have been seen to thrive in this difficult environment.

“In the past we have always been open in autumn so previous visitors saw a very different garden in spring.”