PARKES OPEN GARDENS
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Hosted by Quota International of Parkes Inc
This Sunday, October 23, 10am – 4 pm.
$15 entry to all gardens
Theme:
“Old Favourites and a Country Garden” is the theme for this year.
There are some gardens in Parkes that just cry out to be dubbed “an old favourite”.
Visitors love to visit these special places year after year, so we are featuring five of them.
As all garden lovers know, a garden is an evolving landscape and can change at the whim of the weather and the whim of the owners!
Creating new and different spots in a garden is a passion for most gardeners.
The very wet winter and spring means that gardens are certainly lush and green.
Trees are getting a deep watering at last and the effect is evident in their healthy display.
To add to our old favourites we have a new country garden, just 12 kms from the town centre.
This is the beautiful property, “Trelawney” of Christine and Gary Somers.
Travel out along the Wellington Road (Renshaw/McGirr) and look out for the signs/balloons as you near the turn off into Job Lane.
Entrance wristbands will be on sale only at three locations.
- Garden No. 1 (81 Job Lane);
- Greenparkes Garden and Nursery Centre on the Forbes Road;
- The Parkes Visitors Information Centre on the Newell Highway.
Entry to all gardens is just $15 and children 16 and under are free.
When you purchase your wristband your group also gets a map with all the garden addresses.
Gardens are numbered 1 to 6, but you can visit them in any order that you prefer.
Devonshire teas:
The perfect way to start the day will be to indulge in a delicious Devonshire tea at Garden No. 1 which is the new country garden.
These will be available all day (or until all sold) and cost just $5.
Those famous Quota cooks are baking the scones, and you can buy your entrance wristbands at this garden too.
Greenparkes Garden and Nursery Centre 33-35 Forbes Road
- The nursery is selling wristbands (with maps) during the 2 weeks prior to the event, as well as on the day. Take the time to do some shopping here.
- Purchase plants (with your wristband on) and get 10% off your total purchase.
- Raffle tickets can be bought here, $1 each.
- Wondering what plants to buy? Try the advanced screening plants (over a metre tall) to add privacy to your yard.
- There is a large range of small and medium plants for those who want to start a new garden or add new plants to existing gardens.
- Greenparkes Garden Centre is a gardener’s delight and is open 7 days a week from 9 am, with friendly knowledgeable staff waiting to help you.
- Are you ready to get that vegie patch going? Well check out the range of vegetable and herb seedlings.
- Wheel-chair friendly access is from the Medlyn Street car park.
GARDEN NO. 1 – at 81 Job Lane
This garden is opening for the first time and the Quota ladies will be there serving Devonshire teas all day in this garden.
You will drive along the avenue of red river gums as you go into “Trelawney” towards the parking area.
The homestead was built in the 1920’s and the rambling country garden on all sides of the house provides a quiet retreat.
From the northern windows of the house the view is of a working farm.
The owners have even added steps into the levy bank so that they can picnic near their “wild garden” near the dam.
Softening the eastern verandah are several climbers working together to offer shelter and nesting to finches and wrens.
Although the original garden was commenced in the 1920’s, the owners have been re-establishing beds and extending the garden.
Irises, salvias, yellow buddleia, old world roses, and arum lillies, border hedging, and magnificent old trees all add to this garden’s character.
A beaut vegie garden is nestled in between rain tanks and when you wander along the path you arrive at the “studio garden”.
This original 1920’s building was once a workman’s cottage.
Don’t rush away – stay awhile and talk to the owners about the history of the property - enjoy a Devonshire tea amongst the tranquillity – wander along the pathways – explore and enjoy!
GARDEN NO. 2 – at 251 Nash Street
This large country garden on two acres is the ideal place to meander slowly and enjoy the ambience.
During the last few years, the man of the house has added brick walls to separate the acreage into garden rooms.
One of these rooms now has a lovely “cottage garden”.
Don’t miss the espaliered crab apple on one of the walls.
As you wander down the back, you’ll be enchanted by the climbing Pierre de Ronsard and the Pinky rose over the gazebo and the wisteria on a trellis.
A magnificent hedge was formed just a few years ago with olive trees and is a great example of what grows well, and quickly, in our climate.
On the eastern side of the house is an established orchard with a superb grape vine sectioning off the orchard.
In the front yard is a rare Ginko (maidenhair tree) – ask the owners to tell you all about it.
Around the tree there are carpet roses and then an outer border of agapanthus.
A greenhouse and glasshouse are fairly new additions to the garden providing areas for the owners to house pot plants and to propagate some of the favourite plants.
GARDEN NO. 3 – at 29-33 Fisher Street
All the ‘garden rooms’ are accessible via winding paths that allow the visitor to wander at leisure through the yard.
A Japanese themed area, with garden art, wisteria, a bridge, a dry creek bed and bright red entrance gates is a feature.
The variety of walls, separating areas of the garden, allow for secluded and quiet spots for reading or enjoying a morning coffee.
Hedging using teucriums has become a feature in another area and showing off the versatility of teucriums in our climate, the owners have created “ball” shaped plants in pots and some of the gardens.
This garden boasts a large variety of trees, including Manchurian pears, olives, Chinese elms, weeping mulberries, Chinese tallows, Jacaranda, and three bottle trees, and many more.
Some of these trees have been underplanted with perennials and agapanthus.
Dry areas have been created with yukkas and succulents to cope with the hot summers.
Rustic sculptures nestle among the grasses and shrubbery, adding interest to this casual garden.
GARDEN NO. 4 – at 9 Hedgerow Avenue
(Display and sale of Garden Art, Art, Mosaics, and Pottery)
This property is on a double block in town with a cottage style garden at the front of the house.
A border across the double block is a tapestry of green which includes salvias, euphorbias and shrubs.
As you walk down the driveway to the rear of the house you pass a magnificent espaliered Crepuscule rose and then your eye falls to the drier area featuring gravel shapes.
In the back garden, the Euphorbia trees are looking spectacular.
A sunken garden bordered by hedges with a separate vegie garden and courtyard make up the back part of the house.
The garden owners are collectors of plants and many other things which give their garden its uniqueness.
The gallery will be open for viewing and sale of a variety of art work, including paintings, mosaics, and pottery, as well as garden art.
This would be a great opportunity to purchase that special Christmas present.
GARDEN NO. 5 – at 43 Bushman Street
On the corner of Bushman and Cooke Streets, you will find this beautiful, colourful cottage-garden.
Arriving at the house you are at once taken by the picket fence enhanced with colourful blooms.
Wisteria trails overhead on the corner of the front verandah, where magnificent pots of geranium happily flower.
You wander into an amazing array of plants, vegies, herbs, and garden art in the large back yard.
Colour is a significant feature in this garden and the owner has planted patches of colour throughout the whole property.
Ask him about his success with clematis by growing them in pots where they have done remarkably well.
Enjoy your time here – go slowly amongst the paving, the garden art, the water feature and above all be dazzled by the colour and the love this gardener has for his garden.
GARDEN NO. 6 - at 99 Lorking Street
A garden, museum and sculpture gallery all rolled into one in this every-expanding garden will hold your interest as it draws you down many pathways.
This is a large garden, wide and open, yet containing peaceful areas for sitting in shady niches with a good book.
No doubt, for these owners that ‘good book’ would be related to furthering their expertise with plants and/or adding to their ideas for the next addition.
The extensive collection of plants ranges from native to exotics, succulents, salvias, roses, grasses, climbers and more.
Sculptures that are created by the ‘second-in-charge’ will blow your mind as you contemplate what they might have been in a past life.
Recycling is a passion for this couple, using all things rustic.
Surrounding the house is a lush shady area, with an abundance of plants and paths to explore. Then the back gives way to a dryer space full of succulents and natives, several structures and follies.
You will want to meander several times and still leave wondering if you missed anything!
Parkes Visitors Information Centre – is selling wristbands and maps
Can Assist Plant sales – 230 Military Road
Ellie has been selling plants here for several years as a fund raiser for Parkes Can Assist. This is an excellent way to donate to an amazing cause whilst taking home a plant or two for your garden.
RAFFLE: Just $1 a ticket
Prize: Beautiful bird bath
Garden Etiquette: To retain the goodwill of the garden owners, please don’t litter, smoke or pick plants. Please respect the privacy of owners, houses and non-garden areas are strictly out of bounds.
A huge thank you to:
- Those wonderful garden owners who so generously open their gardens for visitors to enjoy and to allow Quotarians to raise funds which support those in need.
- The advertisers on this page – without them we would be unable to provide this double page spread.
- Members of Quota and friends of Quota who provide not only financial support and many, many hours of work but also lots of enthusiastic moral support.
- Visitors who come along and support the day – without you we wouldn’t be able to raise the funds that Quota International uses to “empower women and children, the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech impaired.”
PARKES OPEN GARDENS
Hosted by Quota International of Parkes Inc
Sunday, 23 October, 2016 10am – 4pm.
$15 entry to all gardens
Look out for the flags and/or Quota signs located in front of the gardens.