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Gardening is in Helen McCourt\u2019s blood and her passion can be traced back to her Granny\u2019s orchard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a cherished memory of being in my Granny\u2019s orchard, plucking a large ripe nectarine from the tree and biting into it\u2026the smell, texture, taste, colour all exploded into each other and the juice run down the back of my arm and off my elbow,\u201d Helen said. \u201cThat memory is still my benchmark for a fine peach or nectarine.<\/p>\n
Food and gardening go hand in glove. There were always flowers to share and bring inside, food being produced, harvested or preserved and fun and adventure in the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while the early memories can be attributed to her mother and grandmother, who were both avid gardeners, there was also strong influence from her Japanese grandfather.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 1980 I was an exchange student in Japan for a year,\u201d Helen said. \u201cI had the wonderful opportunity to join my Japanese grandfather whilst he tended the tiny, but exquisite garden. From him I learnt garden skills such as patience, nurturing and discipline in plant choice and form. In the garden there is time to work and weed, but also time to be still, awestruck by some marvel of nature, be it a butterfly, bird, bug, bud, leaf or blossom.\u201d<\/p>\n
And all that knowledge has been funnelled into Helen creating her own garden paradise.\u00a0Woakwine is a magnificent old garden lovingly created since the 1890s by four generations of the McCourt family. The name is Aboriginal and means elbow,\u00a0referring to the shape of the large watercourse near the homestead.<\/p>\n
Woakwine came under Helen\u2019s care in 1996 \u2013 she started with a clean up regime and all the while was envisioning a future plan for the five acre space.<\/p>\n
\u201cA concept map is a great starting place and in 2009 Elizabeth Ganguly visited our garden, listened to our thoughts, aspirations and preferred plants and measure the garden site,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer extensive report, map and practical suggestions has been a worthwhile guide and investment. One of her initial suggestions was to bring in a skilled arborist to tidy up and prune the older trees. It was a big undertaking but has made an invaluable difference to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then it was down to Helen and husband Michael to start creating their own oasis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started with hedges and the driveway to establish a defined path for vehicles through the\u00a0garde,\u201d Helen said..\u201d Bedding the house down into the garden was a priority and was done by constructing a terrace, dry stone wall and formal hedge of lilly pillp \u2018Tiny Trev\u2019 across the front and\u00a0southern side of the house. Internal hedge \u2018green walls\u2019 and garden beds followed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centrepiece of the garden is still those tall, established trees with some more than 80 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the \u2018Jewels in the Crown\u2019 of the garden old and planted over three generations,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
The expansive lawns and many treasured tall trees create a restful park-like feel with English and Japanese style gardens providing a strong presence within the setting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201c…there were always flowers to share and bring inside, food being produced, harvested<\/p>\n
or preserved and fun and adventure in the garden…\u201d Helen McCourt<\/p>\n
clean up regime and all the while was envisioning a future plan for the five acre space.<\/p>\n
\u201cA concept map is a great starting place and in 2009 Elizabeth Ganguly visited our garden, listened to our thoughts, aspirations and preferred plants and measure the garden site,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer extensive report, map and practical suggestions has been a worthwhile guide and investment. One of her initial suggestions was to bring in a skilled arborist to tidy up and prune the older trees. It was a big undertaking but has made an invaluable difference to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then it was down to Helen and husband Michael to start creating their own oasis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started with hedges and the driveway to establish a defined path for vehicles through the<\/p>\n
garde,\u201d Helen said..\u201d Bedding the house down into the garden was a priority and was done by constructing a terrace, dry stone wall and formal hedge of lilly pillp \u2018Tiny Trev\u2019 across the front and<\/p>\n
southern side of the house. Internal hedge \u2018green walls\u2019 and garden beds followed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centrepiece of the garden is still those tall, established trees with some more than 80 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the \u2018Jewels in the Crown\u2019 of the garden old and planted over three generations,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
The expansive lawns and many treasured tall trees create a restful park-like feel with English and Japanese style gardens providing a strong presence within the setting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201c…there were always flowers to share and bring inside, food being produced, harvested<\/p>\n
or preserved and fun and adventure in the garden…\u201d Helen McCourt<\/p>\n
clean up regime and all the while was envisioning a future plan for the five acre space.<\/p>\n
\u201cA concept map is a great starting place and in 2009 Elizabeth Ganguly visited our garden, listened to our thoughts, aspirations and preferred plants and measure the garden site,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer extensive report, map and practical suggestions has been a worthwhile guide and investment. One of her initial suggestions was to bring in a skilled arborist to tidy up and prune the older trees. It was a big undertaking but has made an invaluable difference to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then it was down to Helen and husband Michael to start creating their own oasis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started with hedges and the driveway to establish a defined path for vehicles through the<\/p>\n
garde,\u201d Helen said..\u201d Bedding the house down into the garden was a priority and was done by constructing a terrace, dry stone wall and formal hedge of lilly pillp \u2018Tiny Trev\u2019 across the front and<\/p>\n
southern side of the house. Internal hedge \u2018green walls\u2019 and garden beds followed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centrepiece of the garden is still those tall, established trees with some more than 80 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the \u2018Jewels in the Crown\u2019 of the garden old and planted over three generations,\u201d Helen said.<\/p>\n
The expansive lawns and many treasured tall trees create a restful park-like feel with English and Japanese style gardens providing a strong presence within the setting.<\/p>\n
\u201c…there were always flowers to share and bring inside, food being produced, harvested\u00a0or preserved and fun and adventure in the garden…\u201d Helen McCourt<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy favourite spots seem to follow where the actionis,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen our children were young, it was the southern cypress that had a flying fox, a fort and numerous cubbies. Nowadays, our grandsons can often be found in the veggie patch or orchard and being with them to share homegrown fruit or veg is such a treat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe roses draw me in with their colour and scent. The \u201c…to wander the garden is a calm and grounding treat, with unexpected joys and surprises…\u201d Helen McCourt\u00a0contemplation garden is sited on an axis line from the front steps on the terrace. It\u2019s a top spot for a cuppa or an impromptu picnic with grandies. To wander the garden is a calm and grounding treat, with unexpected joys and surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n There is not much Helen does not enjoy about her time in the garden, although weeding does rank the lowest in the pecking order of tasks.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I do find it satisfying to see finished result,\u201d Helen said, who has a soft spot the planning, planting and pruning.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery week I have a morning with a dear friend, Jeanie, working in the garden. We share a cuppa, a good chinwag and work in the garden. What we achieve in three hours, would take me 8-10 on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from that tag team effort, Helen spends around another six hours in the garden, while Michael is a great help when it comes to the big machinery with compost, soil, bean straw, sawdust or building materials.<\/p>\n The 509 Beachport Penola Road, Magarey, garden will be part of the Open Gardens SA scheme\u00a0on November 19 and 20, open from 10am to 4.30pm on both days with the main recipient of funds raised being the Royal Flying\u00a0Doctor Service, with proceeds from morning and afternoon teas going to equipment purchase for the Millicent Hospital\u00a0\u201cWe are opening the garden first and foremost to raise funds for The Royal Flying Doctor Service –\u00a0three generations in our immediate family have been flown from Mount Gambier to Adelaide for emergency medical treatment,\u201d<\/p>\n Helen said. \u201cMichael is involved in the annual RFDS Outback Trek raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctors Service and communities along the way and Michael and I would like to thank the volunteers from the Millicent RFDS Group for their help on the gate and the\u00a0Wattle Range Hospital Auxillary for\u00a0morning and afternoon teas. \u201c General Entry Cost – $10 \u2013 Children under 18 FREE. Open\u00a0Gardens SA MEMBERS – $8. Commonwealth Government Concession Card Holders – $8 (Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card). No concession for Seniors Card holders.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Helen McCourt inspired by generations past Gardening is in Helen McCourt\u2019s blood and her passion can be traced back to her Granny\u2019s orchard. \u201cI have a cherished memory of being in my Granny\u2019s orchard, plucking a large ripe nectarine from the tree and biting into it\u2026the smell, texture, taste, colour all exploded into each […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2023\/11\/8-2.jpg\")
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