Horse Island by Christina Kennedy and photography by Jason Busch ($88)
Are you in need of some serious garden inspiration? This beautifully photographed coffee table book is going to delight you!
Horse Island is a 200 acre island off the NSW coast. Kennedy's family has owned the island for generations but when they decided to make it their permanent home it was just one big paddock with weed and erosion issues.
Very early Kennedy decided to keep the garden exclusively to native plants. This was a bold choice as much of the large garden is very formal and Australian natives are not usually used for tight clipped hedges and formal borders. Now they come together in a unique blend of formal and natural looking plantings.
It has taken years of hard work but now the mangroves and coastline are regenerating thanks to fencing that prevents cattle entering those areas.
Over the last two and a half decades, and with the help of several gardeners, horticulturists, apprentices, and family members, Horse Island has been stunningly transformed in to a showcase garden. The weeds are a constant battle but are now largely controlled. Horse Island is now a sanctuary for kangaroos and masses of native birds, which are attracted to both the plants and the sea life in the mangroves.
In short, a beautiful book for anyone interested in gardening, regeneration, and environment.
Horse Island is available for purchase from Need2Read, 25B Victoria Street, Warragul, phone 5622 0299.