"In Linda's garden"

Linda has created an exuberant garden in Sydney.
Sunday, 02 November 2014     

Alocasia macrorrhiza in the garden of Linda Macaulay

In a street not far from where I live, a garden has been created with great energy and enthusiasm over the last few years, and on 22 and 23 November it will be open to the public under the Open Gardens Australia program for the first time. Linda Macaulay will be sharing her vision of a Sydney style of gardening that is unique to our climate, with our ability to grow semi-tropical plants alongside more traditional choices such as roses and some cottagey perennials, to produce a site full interest in every season (not just spring!), which has evolved by trying many different plants to see how they perform.

The large sloping block has been terraced with sandstone rocks, and winding paths lead the visitor between generously sized beds planted with an eye for form and colour. Lavishly massed plants sculpt the spaces and define the lines of the garden, providing a feeling of strong design and cohesion, yet there is a great variety of different plants to enjoy as the visitor wanders along the pathways.

Exuberant plantings of roses, daylilies, Salvia, Cuphea, Alstroemeria and cottage perennials such as Tradescantia hybrids (including a dwarf form I had never seen before), daisies, scented-leaf Pelargonium and Scabiosa fill the sunny areas, whilst in shadier parts of the garden, mature Camellia shrubs, a number of Plectranthus and many Acanthaceae specimens, including Odontonema tubaeforme, Justicia species and various Strobilanthes, provide blooms in different seasons.

Much of the strength of the garden lies in the use of decorative foliage plants that look fabulous all year round. Under a magnificent redwood tree at one side of the garden is a breathtaking collection of bromeliads, the leaves of which form a wonderful tapestry of hues and patterns, where few other plants could survive. Elsewhere, the coloured foliage of plants such as crimson Iresine herbstii, apricot-splashed Acalypha, gold-leaf Pelargonium, silvery Plectranthus 'Nicoletta' and white-variegated Iris japonica provide long-lasting effects. A simply enormous form of elephant's ears (Alocasia macrorrhiza) forms a dramatic picture in a shaded area (pictured at the start of the blog).

Unusual sculptures are used as focal points in different areas and add a playful element to the garden, and groupings of giant pots are effectively employed to hold feature plants. Seats through the garden invite the visitor to stop and enjoy the ambience of the setting.

Recycling and sustainability are important to Linda, with compost bins and tumblers to deal with garden prunings, and worm farms to consume kitchen waste: the resulting organic material is returned to the soil to sustain the lush growth of the plants. Some exotic chickens are a recent addition, and vegetables are grown in the front garden. There is much to inspire and enjoy in this vibrant garden, which is a testament to Linda's firm belief in the physical, psychological and social benefits of the pursuit of gardening!


 Reader Comments

1/6  Marleneann - 4556 (Zone:11A - Sub-tropical) Sunday, 02 November 2014

Can you please tell me where I can purchase a plant of Mackaya bella? Marlene.


2/6  Annette - 4306 (Zone:11B - Tropical) Monday, 03 November 2014

Marleneann- 4556 You could try Paradise Distributors of Nambour. I bought a plant from there. Annette of 4310


3/6  Ron - 2065 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 03 November 2014

Don"t know where you are Marlene but I bought one last week from Wirreandra Nursery at Ingleside but to be honest I don"t know if they had a lot on offer. Their number is 02 9450-1400. Ciao, Ron


4/6  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Tuesday, 04 November 2014

Hope to make it to the garden - it is always a delight to visit other people"s gardens. Trust the plant sale will be a huge success! Thanks, Margaret. I will look forward to seeing you there. Deirdre


5/6  Richard - 2112 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Tuesday, 04 November 2014

I had the great pleasure of seeing this garden a few months back (thanks must go to the Plant Share facility on this site!!), & have to say that nice as the front garden is, nothing can prepare for the scale & scope of the rear garden. Linda"s creativity & dedication is clearly evident in the way the garden makes an assett of the steeply sloping site, & her love for plants is unquestionable. Certainly worth a second visit, particularly with the added enticement of a collectors" plant stall!!! Yes it is amazing to enter the huge back garden of this property. Hope to see you there, Richard. Deirdre


6/6  Diane - 3788 (Zone:10 - Mediteranean) Wednesday, 05 November 2014

Lindas garden sounds wonderful. Re Mackaya Bella if you have a friend with one they grow very easily from Layering and cuttings. Fab tree that flowers in the shade and even grows here 500 metres up in Victoria enduring frost. Thanks, Diane. I am interested that you can grow Mackaya where you are. It is so useful for shade. I am making a hedge of them in quite dense shade. Deirdre


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