COTTAGE GARDEN
Structural and winter-flowering plants supplement the traditional show of summer perennials in this inner Sydney garden
Until two years ago, garden designer Julie Parker was the owner of a large garden in the outer suburbs of Sydney, which was set on sandstone and filled with tough, drought-tolerant plants. Moving from there to a narrow, inner-city block on clay soil with delicate, flowery, seasonal plants might be seen as a challenge, but for Julie it has provided a chance to explore and build on the cottage garden that was created by the previous English owners.
Braced for getting little more than a courtyard in Sydney’s inner west, Julie was “thrilled to bits” to find the two-storey Victorian terrace house with an established garden on a 373m2 block, which she shares with husband Ross and their two daughters.
a garden for all seasons
Julie waited for a year before embarking on any changes, so she could see what the plants would do and what might ‘pop up’. She was delighted with the summer flourish –“colour everywhere and salvias growing so high I couldn’t believe it”.
Winter, however, was dismal. Most of the plants were perennial, so she either cut them down or they died down to nothing. “In England, this might work as no one goes out in the garden midwinter,” explains Julie, “but I wanted to be able to use the garden all year round. I knew I had to introduce more permanent plantings – I wanted to keep the cottage feel, but also to have a little more structure.”
Not a fan of annuals – except for pots, which can be moved – Julie prefers more permanent plants if there’s bare ground. She has supplemented the existing garden with Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, the evergreen hydrangea Dichroa versicolor, the compact sweet pea shrub Polygala x dalmaisiana, Bergenia spp., Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’, Strobilanthes gossypinus and Mackaya bella.
All these are good fillers and have long flowering periods or colourful foliage. The flax Phormium ‘Anna Red’ and ornamental grass Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ have also been included for leaf contrast and textural form.
The garden could be called an Australian-style cottage garden, as the plant choices reference cooler climates, but the cultivars used are those that do well in more temperate Sydney. Most are not completely drought tolerant and still need water in dry times, but overall they’re tough and can survive the hottest days of summer.
Julie has also planted a couple of small trees to provide some privacy. Not wanting them to overshadow the garden, she chose a deciduous crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Lipan’) and a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’), which are planted along the southern fence line.
“I knew I had to introduce more permanent plantings to have a little more structure”
“The winding path forces you to take in the changing garden as you walk along”
The jacaranda poses problems. It doesn’t lose its leaves until late August, so the garden is shaded for most of winter. Then it doesn’t leaf up until December, meaning the garden is exposed to full sun when it needs protection. The soil around it is in need of constant nourishment and water. “It’s also the messiest tree ever, always dropping something. But who doesn’t love a jacaranda in flower? I forgive it for its faults.”
Julie describes the garden as surprisingly low maintenance. “If you like a very neat garden, it would require more maintenance, but I love how the plants do their own thing and spill over the path and each other.” Some maintenance, however, is needed throughout the growing season to make sure the fast growers aren’t swamping the smaller ones. Julie tries to deadhead the perennials to encourage a second showing.
The major maintenance is from the end of autumn to the beginning of winter, when all the perennials and the wisteria are cut back and the garden is mulched. This is also a good time to weed, Julie says. “You discover what’s been hiding underneath all that time – mainly the native scurvy weed (Commelina cyanea) and the wisteria escapees, which pop up around the garden, even between the decking timbers.”
The garden is long and narrow, and the existing winding path suits Julie, as it forces you to take in the changing garden as you walk along. She loves the way you can’t see the garden all at once. The path ends at
a studio at the rear of the garden; this is the part that is generally in shade, except in November and December, so Julie has selected plants that thrive in some sun and also in shade. “Gingers do well here, as well as oak-leaf hydrangeas and some of the salvias,” she says. “I plan to plant some camellias here as well.”
bees & chooks
Towards this end of the garden is a native beehive that Julie purchased from her local council in 2014. The rustic outer structure was built out of old decking timbers. “I was concerned that we were moving it to the inner suburbs when the bees were used to living beside bushland, but I need not have worried,” she says. “They have thrived, and I even had the hive split last year as it was so full.”
The family also has two chickens, Doris and Ethel. Their hutch is at the base of the jacaranda tree, where barely anything else will grow. Both are Australorps, and are the best of friends. Doris, who they brought along from their old home, is nine years old and has stopped laying, while Ethel, who is five, still provides eggs for the kitchen.