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Open Gardens Victoria Cape Otway Farm

March 15, 2023 BY

Landscape architect Stephen Read designed the contemporary garden. Photos: SUPPLIED

A REVITALISED farm in Modewarre will open to the public for the first time as part of the Open Gardens Victoria initiative.

Olivia Tipler and Daryl Pelchen purchased Cape Otway Farm nearly 16 years ago, when the property was mostly windswept farmland used for cattle grazing and only had three or four established trees.

A river red gum on the property played a crucial role in the site selection of the house.

“The tree chose the location of the home,” Mr Pelchen, who designed the family’s contemporary farmhouse to ensure it included a view of the gum tree, said.

One of the first garden projects for the pair was planting the avenue of lemon-scented gums along the driveway.

A masterplan for the landscape was developed, determining the placement of the Norfolk Island pines, an orchard, the bosque of plane trees, and the oaks on the west side of the house.

The property was originally used for cattle grazing.

 

About 20,000 indigenous trees and shrubs were also planted as windbreaks, providing a sense of seclusion to the wide open spaces of the farm. Many of these were propagated on Ms Tipler’s parents’ farm in the Otways.

Landscape architect Stephen Read was engaged seven years ago to complete the garden and create an environment around the home for the family to enjoy and relax.

His first task was to finish off the productive gardens, enclosing the orchard with a fence and bay tree hedge to protect it from the hot northerly winds.

The vegetable garden was then completed, and a pollination garden was planted along the eastern edge of the vegetable patch.

The garden was established in stages.

 

“The obvious challenge for the garden is the wind. However, reliable irrigation water was also a challenge while the early parts of the garden were established,” Mr Read said.

“Making use of available water was one of the driving factors for establishing the garden in stages, ensuring one section of the garden was drought-resistant before moving on to the next.”

To help the home settle into the landscape, a mass planting of the ornamental grass Callamagrostis “Karl Forester” was made along the western side of the home.

The forecourt garden includes six gigantic terracotta pots and a raised bed, along with interplanting of the gravel area.

Hard landscaping with bluestone rocks forms a skirt around the architecture.

The glade on the home’s northern side was recently finished.

 

Cape Otway Farm is opening to the public for the first time.

 

The original masterplan called for an English-style glade, with silver birches planted early in preparation, but Mr Read realised this would not work with the architecture or site conditions.

Instead, he created an area inspired by the natural calcareous glades of the central United States, pen space with herbs, shrubs, and grasses growing between the rocks.

Cape Otway Farm, 1300 Cape Otway Road, Modewarre will be open on March 18 and March 19 from 10am-4.30pm.

Entry is $10 for adults, $6 for students, and free for those aged under 18.

Tickets are available at the gate or search “Cape Otway Farm” on trybooking.com

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