Greetings people!  

My very first job was at Seven Hills Garden Centre. I started working there when I was 14 years and 9 months, which was the earliest you were allowed to officially work. I used to see some of my friends going into work at Venture (a chain of discount department stores from the 80s....hello Catherine and Megan 😊), and I would sometimes envy them...like on wet and cold days or when the cow manure stock arrived...but most of the time, I thought I had the best job in the world. Getting paid to be outdoors and working with plants was just the best thing ever! 

I’d purchase dozens of small cactus and put them in a section of my parent’s garden that was fenced off for me. That was my introduction to gardening, and although many of my cacti died (I think due to overwatering), it was a real passion for many years.  

I think I left for more money, and a job that was closer to school so I could work Thursday night shifts. And then life during your late teens and twenties gets in the way, and apartment living isn’t that conducive to gardening, so I forgot about it for many years. Well, 23 years to be precise. Inner west terrace living rekindled my love for gardening and reminded me of what a great outlet it was for my creativity.  

When we attended the open house for Nattai Lodge back in August 2016, we obviously loved the house, but it was the garden that really got our attention and our hearts. The owners had dressed the garden to sell, with tonnes of red bark and pebbles. While it looked neat and lovely, we had a different idea for what we wanted from the garden. I do love gardens with some structure, but I also love a semi-wild, interesting and fun garden. The first two pictures below are from 2016 and the next two are from 2020.

As I mentioned in my first blog, I didn’t know much about gardening (and still don’t) before buying Nattai Lodge. I have made a lot of stupid decisions and wasted a lot of money. And it didn’t help that we were in drought for the first three years of owning it.  

We’re lucky that there are so many beautiful gardens in the southern highlands in which to get ideas. Many of the gardens I love are just residential gardens and I’ve done many walkabouts in the streets of Mittagong, Bowral, Berrima, Exeter etc, to get inspiration for the gardens at Nattai Lodge. And some of our talented friends have incredible gardens too.  

Some of the formal gardens that I love and which are available to the public at times throughout the year, are Retford Park, Red Cow Farm and Corbett Gardens.  

Retford Park in Bowral was gifted to the National Trust of Australia (NSW) by James Fairfax on 19 April 2016. Retford Park is a place of great heritage significance with its European history extending back to grants of land promised to Edward Riley Senior by Governor Macquarie in 1821. The house was built in 1887 by Samuel Hordern (yes, he of the Easter show bag and Mardi Gras Hordern Pavilion fame) and designed by Albert Bond and was purchased by James Fairfax in 1964.  

The grand Victorian Italianate homestead features a magnificent collection of evergreen and deciduous trees, some very rare and unique. Surrounding the eastern side of the homestead is a patchwork of hedged gardens showcasing everything from a detailed knot garden, exquisite swimming pool and pavilion, sculptures and EMUS. Yes, you read that right. They have emus! 😊  

Apart from the emus, the highlight for me is the pool (designed by Melbourne architect David Wilkinson) and the classically Grecian style pool pavilion (designed by Guildford Bell in 1968). I’m not sure if the pool and pavilion are always open to the public, as we were given a sneak peek on the day we went. Bookings are essential, so check out the National Trust website for opening days.  

Red Cow Farm is a unique cool climate garden set on 2.5 hectares in the picturesque rural village of Sutton Forest, about a 30-minute drive from Nattai Lodge (just down the road from the Sutton Forest Inn). Unlike the grand entrance to Retford Park, the 1820’s cottage of Red Cow Farm sits conservatively on the side of the Illawarra Highway (don’t worry, it’s not really a highway), in contrast to the elaborate, sophisticated and ambitious garden schemes behind it.  

Developed by its creative owners Ali Mentesh and Wayne Morrissey, Red Cow Farm features 20 garden “rooms”, with an exuberant cottage garden, monastery garden, abbess’s garden, a stunning collection of rare and unusual perennials, woodland, old fashioned roses and clematis, beech walk, lake, bog garden, orchard and kitchen garden.  It's hard to believe that the garden is only 25 years old, as it looks like it's been around for hundreds of years. Open 8 months of the year from late September to May, you really must check this garden out when you’re next in the NSW Southern Highlands. 

For 11 months of the year, Corbett Gardens is a bland corner park just behind the main street of Bowral. The most attractive thing about it between mid-October and mid-September each year is the picket fence surrounding it. But then in mid-September, during Tulip Time, the place goes absolutely ballistic.  

It’s what happens when you plant more than 75,000 tulip bulbs! Or if Baz Luhrmann directed a Trolls v Smurfs movie! The variety of colours and the garden and flower designs really are something. The only thing more bountiful than the bulbs are the tourist busses lined up outside. It’s crowded and a little overwhelming but visiting Corbett Gardens is a must...at least once in your life.   

There’s also live music, and many stalls featuring handcrafted wares and produce from NSW Southern Highlands artisans. And most importantly, your visit provides much needed tourism dollars to the local retailers and community, which has been hit badly by the bush fires and COVID.  

Other notable garden mentions include Harpers Mansion in Berrima, The Secret Garden at Wildes Meadow and Greenbrier Park in Bowral.  

Which brings me back to the garden at Nattai Lodge. Apart from getting inspiration from the gardens above, I’ve also been lucky to get messages via Facebook and Instagram, from people whose relatives used to either own Nattai Lodge or they spent a lot of time here as children. Their memories and pictures have helped me get a clearer picture of what the gardens were like in the past, and how I'd like them to look in the future. It's a case of evolving them, while paying tribute to the past custodians of the house.   

So this summer I’m embarking on our biggest landscape project yet. We’ll be completely razzing the bottom garden (apart from the mature trees and camellias) and creating a garden that will provide guests with a truly immersive garden experience. It won’t only be beautiful...it’ll also be edible.  

We already have a few apples trees, but we’ll be adding a few more and adding some native finger limes. And to help with the pollination, we’re getting a beehive (the most exciting part for me 😊). And you’ll be able to explore the garden through arches and pathways, ending at a beautiful gazebo with a parquetry floor, where you can sit and enjoy the sight of the flowers, and the sound of the water trickling from the French limestone fountain.  

 The work should commence soon, and we’re expecting to have it all completed by the beginning of Spring. There may be a bit of disruption for a few weeks, but the bottom garden is a bit of a jungle now anyway. Once this garden is complete, all the gardens on the acre of land that Nattai Lodge occupies, will provide guests many places to explore, sit, ponder and relax.  

We can’t wait to get this project underway and completed and show it off to guests from this Spring. As usual, please let me know what you think...not just of the garden design, but also the blog.  

Have a great week, and for those in lockdown, we’re thinking of you and hope you’re doing ok.