• Saturday & Sunday

• Gates open 10am – 4pm each day

• Parking notes: please park along Coronation Ave

Garden story
Originally a housing commission residence on a classic Braidwood town block, the garden of this happy yellow house began as only a rectangle of grass and a single apple tree. Over twenty years later the now majestic apple tree remains, enveloped by meandering paths and flourishing garden ‘rooms’.

There is a sense of unfolding and invitation to exploration, beyond what the modest 796 metre block might suggest possible. The experience begins right from the curb, creating a soft transition from public to private. A chair on the verge is offered to the passer-by, and signals that this is indeed a garden for contemplation. With each garden room or section, comfort has been provided for, with an array of shady seats for enjoying the plants and the many birds they attract and nourish. The plantings are densely layered with textures, heights and details that reward close attention – the more you look, the more you’ll find. Yellows, oranges and reds comprise the dominant colour palette.

The garden has been designed thoughtfully and progressively over time, with different areas being added or renewed in response to the owner’s changing requirements, interests, and the acquisition of plants. The winding brick paths lead around the side of the house and deeper into the garden, revealing further phases and moods of the property.

The first stage of the garden’s development was practical - focussed on attenuation against the fierce Western sun and winds through mixed hedge plantings and shade trees, including almond and flowering Ash. The tall, established hedging now keeps the garden and house cool, and forms a private world completely removed from the suburban streetscape. Every planting made has an origin story, and the owner’s acquisitions over time connect to the legacy of gardens, gardeners and plant lovers of Braidwood and further afield.

A life-long plant collector, the owner now focuses predominantly on medicinal herbs and decorative, flowering plants. A key favourite are salvias, revealed throughout the garden in an astounding catalogue of variants. Scent and texture are prioritised, as are plants that give back to the garden – an approach for which the bees are especially appreciative.

Thanks to attentive planting the garden flourishes all year round, always with something of interest. Although long established, the garden exudes a fresh energy thanks to its owners unwavering creative curiosity, and evident enjoyment of the spaces they’ve made.