Stunning cottage gardens steal the show at Inverloch Open Gardens
The gates were opened on a diverse range of gardens for the annual Open Gardens event organised by the Inverloch Uniting Church.
INVERLOCH’s annual Open Gardens event delighted local gardeners offering a rare glimpse into some of the region’s most spectacular private coastal gardens.
Hosted by the Inverloch Uniting Church the event opened the gates on a diverse collection of gardens showcasing the creativity, passion and dedication of their owners.
From charming cottage gardens and fragrant rose displays to quirky recycled creations attendees were treated to an inspiring celebration of gardening in all its varied forms.
Exploring the gardens at their own pace, visitors were able to chat with the owners behind these beautiful outdoor spaces, discovering lots of new ideas along the way.
Organiser and founder of Inverloch Open Gardens Liz Catt said she was delighted with the response from home gardeners with the benefit of a sunny day and clear skies.
“Each year we try and have different gardens for people to go and see,” Ms Catt said.
“Sometimes we double up but after 15 years we try to pick different ones as well.”
According to volunteer Bev Phillips the annual event has wide community support.
“Liz is an avid gardener, and she realised that this sort of thing was needed in the community, not only for all of us, but also to help with the church funds as well.”
Among the gardens welcoming visitors was Judy Caughey’s beautifully presented cottage garden filled with historic coastal character and recycled treasures.
“It's a recycled, loved garden. The old cottage needed hiding and given a boost. So, I just worked all around playing, paddling, and muddling,” said Judy.
“When you go around this garden, you will see I have millions of favourite plants. The odd subdivision of this property forced me into making different rooms.”
Another gardener Pam showed her enthusiasm for floral displays with a particular fondness for pansies which were displayed to great effect in an old wheelbarrow.
“Removing a large cypress tree made a remarkable difference to the garden, allowing other plants to flourish,” Pam explained.
“I like doing everything, I like planting and I just love pansies.”
Fred and Bev Martin’s garden was developed from scratch when they built their home ten years ago. “It’s mainly succulents and natives," said Bev.
“Fred does all the putting the nails in and hanging them for me. We started with a blank canvas and enjoyed the simple pleasure of pottering around the garden.”
Anne McDonald’s delicately scented rose garden was another highlight with its relaxed approach proving that beautiful results do not necessarily require knowing every plant by its botanical name.
“It's a fend-for-itself garden. I don't know the proper names of anything. I know a lot of the common names. I just plant it and hope for the best. If it doesn't grow then it doesn't belong here,” said Anne.
“Mulching is important. I use a lot of sugarcane mulch, but I also use some tan bark and different mulches and fertiliser. I’m loving a Port Wine Magnolia at the moment; it has a beautiful tutti-frutti perfume to it.”
Another standout was the landscaped cottage garden and orchard belonging to Winton and June Knop, who have transformed their property since retiring to Inverloch in 2018.
“We’ve been here eight years and developed the garden from scratch after we built our retirement house here,” said Winton.
“We call it a cottage garden, it's got a about 30 fruit trees, most of them dwarf.”
The garden combines flowering plants, roses, buddlejas, fruit trees and seasonal bulbs.
“Because we're on a clay base, we found early on that we needed to put in good drainage with the amount of rain we get here. You know, there's a lot of work with a cottage garden. So, June does that, she's out here most days trimming, tidying.”
“With fruit trees you're taking on the birds around the place, but we love that too because, you know, it's a part of the delight of having birds flying around,” said June.
From experienced gardeners to those simply enjoying the chance to experiment, Inverloch Open Gardens proved there are many different ways for people to create and enjoy their own outdoor spaces.
