The garden and wider parkland at Rowley have been a steady work in progress since arriving here in August 2017. If I’m honest too: a pretty steep learning curve in understanding, managing and developing a large scale property, having lived on standard 800m2 suburban blocks for the past 20 years, which was a doddle by comparison! At heart though, I’ve always had green fingers. At age 9 I had a tiny garden at the back of our section and since then gardening and greenery have continued to engage me.
It took 18 months to get a real handle on this property: the rythym of the seasons, the climate, lawn maintenance, mowing schedule, pruning, spraying, septic tanks, the bore and irrigation, trees and plants, what grew, what didn’t plus the ongoing maintenance. And how I was gonna do all this.
It didn’t take long before I fell into a daily regime of slipping on gumboots in the morning and heading out to survey the scene. Being practical by nature I see things that need doing from a distance and the first task screaming out was to clear the clutter – big time. The property was overgrown and strewn with in-organic junk; hidden in bushes, behind sheds, buried in the soil. You name it, I found it. In total I cleared 100m3 of waste which was sent off in skip bins. Satisfying! Cleaning the slate to start a new canvas.
The ‘how’ happened once I got in the slip stream. The right people arrived on my doorstep as/when I needed them. It’s been a remarkable journey in that respect. Gardener Dominic, literally strode into my life as I struggled with (and had a quiet sob over) a wire fence that was impossible to cut. Since then Dom has been my right hand gardener/Mr fix it. He’s a ‘man of the land’ and super knowledgeable. I’ve learned an enormous amount about horticulture and the landscape.
Hydrangeas are the star of the show around the verandah at Rowley Homestead. The two varieties are Annabel and Bridal Bouquet and they’re in full bloom from November to mid January. Only a short season as the mid-summer sun gets to them by then.
Last winter we removed the interior post and rail fence to open up the lawn and garden to the western boundary. I had a working bee with friends and planted a range of natives as the initial stage of a native woodland.
The next major stage of landscaping is the outdoor living area; a new courtyard with fire place, a canopy plus a large scale pool and cabana. I’m working with a New Zealand landscape designer who has vast experience with rural properties and international resorts. For me it’s essential to collaborate with a design professional who understands scale and grasps the hospitality concept at Rowley, as well as being simpatico with my design aesthetic. The completion of this stage will take Rowley Estate to another level of luxury…..a country resort perhaps🌳🌳🌳
