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As part of our 50th anniversary, the Angair Native and Indigenous Open Garden Weekend will be held on October 19th and 20th.

There are ten gardens to explore and seven speakers to hear.

Time table for Guest Speakers 
Times Saturday 19th October Sunday 20th October
10.00 – 11.00 Dave Radbourn – Timeless Australian Landscaping Gardens John Lenagan – Re-creating Natural Habitats for Nature
11.30 – 12.30 Winsome Coutts – Get the Buzz on Backyard Bees Kim Neubecker – Using our local plants to create a coastal garden
1.00 – 2.00 Jane Edmanson – Gardening Australia’s presenter
2.30 – 3.30 Paul Thomson – Design with Plants Margaret Lacey – Photographing the Birds of the Aireys Inlet and Anglesea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the speakers will be at the Elderly Citizens meeting room in the Community precinct in McMillan Street, Anglesea.

There are no bookings being taken for any garden or speaker. Entrance fee for each garden and for each speaker is a gold coin. There will be no eftpos facilities at any venue.

 

Open Gardens

map
Map of where the gardens can be found
(Map of Anglesea reproduced with permission from the Surf Coast Shire)

Open Gardens – Location and Times
Garden Address Parking Hours Supported charity
1 14 Third Ave, Anglesea Disabled parking available Open both days 10.00 – 4.00  CFA, Anglesea
2 4  O’Donohue Rd, Anglesea Open both days 10.00 – 4.00 Cancer Council of Victoria
3 Anglesea Primary School, Camp Rd, Anglesea  Disabled parking available Guided walks both days 10.00; 11.00 & 12.00 Anglesea Primary School
4 8 Clairville St Disabled parking available Open both days 10.00 – 4.00 Aireys Inlet & Anglesea Red Cross
5, 6 & 7 11 Fernand St, Anglesea  Disabled parking available Open both days 10.00 – 4.00 Aireys Rural Australians for Refugees
8 10 Pickworth Drive, Anglesea Disabled parking available Open both days 10.00 – 4.00 CFA, Anglesea
9 62 Niblick St, Anglesea Only open on Saturday  10.00 – 4.00 Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation
10 115 Minter Dve, Bellbrae Disabled parking available Only open on Sunday     10.00 – 4.00 Port Phillip EcoCentre Inc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a description of all the gardens that will be open:

Garden 1
Rocks and water are a feature of this garden. Two large ponds, flowing water between them through a low waterfall; a dry creek bed surrounded by large rocks with massed planting of native and indigenous plants either side, all provide habitat for a diverse range of the local fauna.

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Prior to establishing the back garden six years ago, the site was a flat, cleared, scrabbly, featureless, uninviting space with a few trees near the house and some indigenous plants and trees along the back fence. Apart from rocks and water, we wanted a bird-attracting garden, some flat space for our grandchildren to play in and a productive vegetable garden – all of which were achieved with the help of local garden landscaper, Dave Radbourn of Anglesea Landscaping.

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A large fernery under the house provides a cooler, inviting space on hot days.

Local artists, Cinnamon and Rowan Stephens, will have some of their creative metalwork for home and garden on display and for purchase.

 

Garden 2
This garden has been designed by Kim Neubecker in association with the owners. It features a cluster of ponds as well as an extensive garden featuring a range of indigenous and native plants intermingled with some special favourites.

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The section of the garden abutting the street features several Eucalyptus litoralis (Anglesea Grey-Gum) under-planted with banksias and other bird attracting natives.

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Immediately behind the house are a series of well planted interconnecting ponds which attract birds and frogs. Meandering paths lead around a series of garden plots featuring wattles, as well as a range of recently planted indigenous perennial herbs and shrubs. The rear fence separates the garden from the National Park.

 

Garden 3
Come and have a guided walk through this garden for something different. This 8 year old 1 hectare garden using only indigenous locally raised plants replaces a pine plantation. The vast majority of plants were planted as tube stock by the students and community. The budget for landscaping was $6000. The school leadership, Ocean Road Landscaping and Angair saw the potential and ignored the lack of money.

Come and see what the children made of it. It’s a lovely walk.

The underlying principles were;

  • Child safety and privacy
  • Freedom for the children in play
  • Firewise features under DWELP instructions
  • Educational
  • All plants indigenous to this region
  • Majority of the plants from tube stock. Easy to grow and easy to plant.
  • As broad as possible species

The garden is an ongoing project. The first planting was May 2011 when 110 community members with the students planted 3000 tube stock from Angair around the boundaries and the front in of the school in one afternoon.

The Parents group and Ocean Road Landscaping planned an adventure area within the grounds which was planted in May 2017. A further 2000 tube stock were supplied by Angair.

This project has been highly rewarding for the school, its students and Angair members and is far from finished.

Come and join us for a guide walk .Any suggestion will be welcomed.

 

Garden 4
This garden has three quite distinctive areas. The western side is mainly indigenous with one area in full sun and another in shade. The eastern side features native plants some of which are rare, endangered and/or difficult to grow.

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In the 5 1/2 years since buying this property the owner is gradually finding and planting indigenous and unusual native plants, replacing what was typical of an absentee owner’s garden of common hardy natives.

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In the shaded indigenous section of the garden a wide variety of shrubs are intermingled with pots of terrestrial orchids, whilst self-propagating perennial herbs are gradually filling the sunny section of the indigenous garden.

Along the side of the house the indigenous garden merges with plants from other parts of Australia including banksias, grevilleas, pimelias, and dendrobium orchids, sourced from a range of Australian locations.

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Gardens 5, 6 & 7
On this visit you will see how three families have reduced the impact of dividing fences resulting in much broader vistas across the gardens. All benefit from mainly mature swamp gums but much of the planting is relatively new.

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Things to look out for on this visit:

  • A revitalised long-established garden which accommodates birds, bees, pizzas, chooks, vegetables, a grey water system, an artist’s studio, workshop and if all that is not enough, a large black labrador called Parker.
  • A newly created garden battling tricky soil types and water problems.
  • Espalier citrus and apples to soften the long driveway.
  • Plantings at the front with small silver banksias and correas. The large range of small indigenous plants creating a miniature heathland meadow.
  • The central meeting place for celebrating the solstice and equinox
  • The secluded garden planted with grevilleas to attract the tiny birds all year round, and a little white fluffy dog called Jasmine.

 

Garden 8
This mature garden has a combination of indigenous and Australian native plants. Although small the combination of colour and texture makes this garden well worth a visit.

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Initial planting began 15 years ago after the extensive removal of weeds and creating a mound to improve drainage. Now mature, the tall grevilleas and lower growing darwinias, leschenaultias and indigenous perennial herbs provide year round colour and food for many species of birds.

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Garden 9
The owners of this garden have taken an ecological approach to creating a more natural habitat in an already established garden of native and indigenous plants. Their aim is to establish and maintain a natural and balanced garden ecosystem that encourages and supports the native fauna and the many symbiotic relationships that exist with in the surrounding heath lands.

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While this type of garden may appear a bit on the chaotic and scruffy side, due to the approach of letting plants naturally self-seed and the denser growth of native grasses and small shrubs, it does create a diversity in habitats that in turn provides the required sanctuary for the smaller and vital fauna insects, in turn attracting the smaller birds, reptiles, and other foraging animals. The hope is it will be more resilient, self-sustaining and of course enticing for all of the surrounding fauna over the longer term.

 

Garden 10
The owner/caretakers of their “Piece of Paradise” have nurtured the development of this garden for the past 5 years. A 25 acre bush block hugs a large meandering dam surrounded by a diverse population of self-supporting indigenous plants. A Phillip Johnson designed landscaped garden featuring a waterfall, ponds and a billabong makes its way down the hillside below the residence, finally blending into the dam below.

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The landscaped garden is planted with indigenous plants, meeting other pathways and gardens which are a mixture of pre-existing native and other plants, together with newly planted indigenous plants as well as a fernery. Wildlife (blue tongue lizards, kangaroos, frogs, the odd fox, possums and lots of native bird species) co-exist with humans, two dogs and 6 chooks. Sustainable living is a strong practice within the food garden, where the large orchard and vegetable gardens are planted with mostly heritage and organic plants grown chemical-free. Recycled, filtered and rain captured water allows for survival, separated from any town water supply. Other sustainable practices include composting and worm farming, companion planting, seed collection and propagation and solar panels with battery storage supporting an electric/hybrid car and domestic needs.

 

Speakers

Here are the guest speaker details:

John Lenagan Re-creating Natural Habitats for Nature
John’s presentation is about an ecological approach to creating natural terrestrial and wetland habitats which are better able to support the essential diversity found in natural ecosystems and there by more resilient, self-sustaining and fascinating.

After observing and filming a wide range of pristine habitats across Australia, Asia, PNG, Madagascar and South America he has become acutely aware of their rich diversity and essential symbiotic and cyclic relationships which enables them to maintain the required balance for a healthy and resilient ecosystem.

In his presentation he will explore just a few of these symbiotic relationships that he has observed in their garden in Anglesea and how one can simply create and nurture a habitat garden that can better support a healthy and more natural environment which in-turn attracts a richer diversity of wild life with all of their inter dependant relationships which he believes is essential for the future and our own health and well-being.

 

David Radbourne

Dave Radbourne is a landscaper who works primarily in the Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. He built the beautiful garden of Angair members Olivia and Bill Clarke. He has a great love for the bush around Anglesea and tries to incorporate the bush feel into his gardens.

He has been inspired by Ellis Stones, Edna Walling and Gordon Ford who are the founders of the Australian landscaping scenes.

David’s philosophy is perhaps best summed up by a quote from Gordon Ford – “A well-designed bush garden is timeless – a garden for today and a garden for tomorrow”

Topic: Using landscaping to create the Australia Native bush feel of the Otways
Dave with discuss many of the gardens he has created around the Anglesea area. He will cover anecdotal stories of the concepts he has used including the use of water, rocks, fireplaces, retaining walls and creating the ‘feel of the bush’. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions.

 

Jane Edmanson

Jane Edmanson is Gardening Australia’s presenter in Victoria. Jane is a qualified teacher, who also has certificates in horticulture and landscape technology.

Jane is author and co-author of several gardening books. These include Ideas from Private Gardens, The Australian Garden, Jane Edmanson’s Favourite Plants, Cheap and Easy Propagation, Jane Edmanson’s Working Manual for Gardeners. She also contributes to the Gardening Australia magazine.

Jane was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for educational and sustainable work in horticulture and the environment.

Presentation
The presentation will cover Jane’s involvement in Angair, growing native gardens, propagation, environmental weeds. She will also cover the impact of climate change on plant selection.

Jane will bring along some of her favourite plants and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions.

 

Kim Neubecker
Title: Using our local plants to create a coastal garden.

Kim Neubecker is an Aireys Inlet horticulturist with 30 years experience growing the local flora. Join her to learn how to design and build a beautiful and resilient garden using classic design principles and our own native plants. She will present pictures of the development of her clients’ gardens and give advice on how to stage and develop your own project.

 

Margaret Lacey

Margaret Lacey is the photographer and author of the popular book, Birds of Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road. She is a keen birdwatcher and likes to spend time with her camera on local bushwalking tracks, beaches, and wetlands, as well as walking local streets looking for birds in people’s gardens. She lives in Aireys Inlet.

Title: Photographing the Birds of the Aireys Inlet and Anglesea.
This presentation will be about birds and photography. You will hear about some of the birds found in our area, their behaviours, and the story behind my attempts to photograph them, whether in the bush, wetlands, or in gardens, as I happen to come upon them. I will include tips for successful birdbaths in gardens.

 

Paul Thompson
Design with Plants
Paul will talk about his work as a consultant and designer on a diverse range of projects from small private gardens to large acreages of public, industrial, defence and rural land including seven Botanic Gardens.

Paul Thompson commenced his design and construction firm in 1970, specialising in Australian Plants. This extensive experience resulted in an in-depth accumulated knowledge of plant performance, for more species than are commonly cultivated.

His work as a consultant, designer, is diverse, ranging from numerous small private gardens to larger acreage’s of public, industrial, defence and rural land including work on seven Botanic Gardens. He is a specialist consultant to Landscape Architectural practices. His most notable work is the 18Ha Australian Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne ( in collaboration with Landscape Architects Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL)). This project has received many awards including an IFLA Award of Excellence for Design (2009) and the title of ‘The Best Landscape in the World’ (2013). A second IFLA award was awarded for the Remembrance Drive Interchange in Ballarat Vic (2017) where Paul collaborated with Occulus and Vicroads. Another IFLA (2018) award has just been awarded to TCL for Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wetland where the planting design was by this office.

He has contributed to a number of books and papers on the Australian landscape and its plants. His books include Water in your Garden (Lothian 1991, 96 ) Australian Planting Design (Lothian 2002 revised CSIRO Press 2012).

He lectured in Advanced Planting Design at Melbourne University (Landscape Masters 2013-18 ) and has often been a speaker to students at other Universities, clubs, interest groups, professional seminars, and conferences usually on planting design with Australian plants.

 

Winsome Coutts

Get the Buzz on Backyard Bees

  • How to feed them and keep them
  • Why Bees need gardeners
  • Make yours a Bee friendly backyard

We can’t all be Beekeepers, but we can all help the Bees

Winsome has been looking after bees for just over three years and does not pretend to be an expert. However, she has now had quite a few bee experiences as a new beekeeper, to tell you about. Some good and maybe some not so good.

Like most beekeepers she knows, she has also become beesotted . . . . . .