Elizabeth Newton and landscape gardeners Jason Hickford and Pascal Proteau are looking forward to showing off the new features at The Elms in an open garden day at the wool and grain-producing property on 4 May. Photo: Vanessa Hayden.
Planning an extravagant open garden event in the middle of a drought (although undeclared) is not your ideal green-finger scenario, says Walla Walla’s Elizabeth Newton.
But that’s what she’s doing in the spirit of fundraising for the nearby town of Burrumbuttock’s upcoming 150th anniversary celebrations.
On Sunday, 4 May, Elizabeth will welcome visitors through the dry-stone wall entrance of The Elms, revealing new elements to her garden’s Mediterranean-style design and showcasing what can be achieved on a granite hill surrounded by farmland. Underground bore water is the main source of hydration for her beloved sanctuary.
“The bore pump has been going non-stop since Christmas,” she says ruefully.
“In a normal year, if there is such a thing anymore, the bore water is pretty good, but the garden is also diffused by rain, so you can water and water with your bore and then you get rain.
“But we haven’t had any rain so I have been finding myself looking at things and thinking, ‘Come on, pick yourself up!’ but I realise they are just doing the best they can under the circumstances.”
Elizabeth is probably her garden’s toughest critic because, despite the lack of moisture from above, her garden is alive with different shades of green and splashes of colour delivered by roses, Marguerite daisies, oleanders, salvia and other drought-hardy shrubs.
This is the second time in a decade that an open garden has been held on the wool and grain-producing property, a landholding tucked away in a little-known area of the Riverina that has been in the Lindner-Newton family for more than 100 years.
There’ll be a classic-car show as well as a rock ‘n’ roll concert on the day, all nestled within various pockets of the rambling garden, which has been inspired by places Elizabeth has visited around the world.
The focal point will be the new rill, an area that captures water from the natural fall of the landscape and draws you to a feature area of rock pools, stoned pavement and seating.
“I have tried to create a sanctuary here because that’s what I think a country garden is,” Elizabeth says.
“You are trying to create a barrier between the dry, the dust and the heat. You come in from the paddocks, from working on machinery or with stock, and you are hot and it’s lovely just to come through into some sort of oasis.
“It gives the house a nestling-in feeling, a place that’s serene and cool.
“And in a drought, you don’t have to have a lot of green around you, but anything rather than stepping from the kitchen yard into the dust is really important.”
Surrounding part of the home, oleanders are the “unsung heroes” of a garden like The Elms, Elizabeth says, because they “flower away happily despite everything”.
There are framed views out to the surrounding countryside, cleverly capturing special elements of the landscape.
“As we are on a hill, we’ve got lovely views, but we frame them rather than just have them overwhelm us,” Elizabeth says.
“Views often come with wind, so it’s a good idea to actually try and frame them, and that’s what we’ve done here, so you don’t see the dryness, you see the lovely gums and the hills instead.”
Elizabeth is also proud of her hedging and reveals it’s a special talent of her landscape gardeners Pascal Proteau and Jason Hickford.
“Protea Landscaping and Gardening do the best hedging in the world,” she says.
“I’m serious! I have travelled to a lot of gardens, in Italy, France and England, and Pascal’s are the best!”
She also loves her Just Joey and Delbard ”France Libre” roses, some of her favourites due to their colour and flowering capacity.
“The Delbards are the best thing in an Australian garden. In our blinding light here, you have to have these colours, otherwise you don’t see them.
“The roses from England work very well in lovely soft watery skies but they only look good in a vase in Australia, they can get lost in a garden.”
The Elms is at 21 The Elms Lane, Walla Walla, and will open at 11 am. The lunchtime concert starts at 12.30, with food and hot and cold beverages available. Entry is $12 adult and $8 concession, with children free.
All proceeds will go to Burrumbuttock’s 150th: ”From Then ’til Now”, to be held on the 4-5 October long weekend. You can find more details at Burrumbuttock 150th on Facebook.
