The Gardens
1. Turner garden
Gorham Rd
Crookwell
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This large country garden on a working cattle farm features stands of liquidambars and ornamental pear trees. Fence lines of Smaragd and Spartan conifers, a parkland area and a silver birch grove underplanted with bluebells lead you through the property to the main garden brimming with a wonderful selection of roses that should be coming into exquisite bloom when the garden festival is on.
There is lots of creative garden art and views over the gorgeous surrounding countryside. The garden beds are full of all sorts of colourful perennials and provide a veritable feast for the senses!
There is also a well-designed orchard with, pear, apple, peach, nectarine, plum and fig trees, and six elevated vegetable gardens.
2. Pratten garden
63 Wade St
Crookwell
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Screened from the street by Japanese maples and silver birch, this is a gem of a town garden. It may be small but it’s well established and very well cared for. A wonderful, gnarly old ornamental grape vine shades the rear of the house. Neatly clipped hedges frame parts of the garden.
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There are exquisite hydrangeas, roses and lots of fascinating perennials. A great outdoor entertaining area, adjacent to an enclosed and secluded lawn. Perfect for either breakfast with the birds or a summer soiree.
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If you have a small space and you want to make the most of it, this garden is sure to give you some great ideas.
3. ‘Myahgah’, Watson garden
66 Cowper St
Crookwell
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‘Myahgah’ is a delightful small town garden which is full of surprises. Gae and Mark have worked meticulously on creating an eclectic blend of country, cottage and garden whimsy.
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On arrival visitors are greeted by the gentle cooing of doves, the tranquil sounds filtering through from a large aviary at the rear of the property. Neatly manicured hedges are underplanted with hardy perennials, including comfrey and red sedum. Clumps of bamboo add an oriental touch, and everywhere there are carefully placed agricultural implements and old tools.
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As you round the house and enter the back yard, be prepared for a raucous greeting from an assortment of cockatiels and princess parrots, housed in another spacious aviary. If they like the look of you, they will whistle and shriek with delighted excitement at seeing a visitor.
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Look out for the fairy garden and collections of old bottles. Not to mention an astonishing selection of rusty old chains, wheels, mattocks, an old gate, old signs and repurposed timbers all of which give the garden an air of heritage, local history and nostalgia.
Be sure to check out the Ajax Wool Press, and also the massive boulder carefully placed among a small grove of stately silver birch trees. As with every item in this garden, there is a fascinating story to be heard about how they ended up here!
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This garden is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when combining cold climate hedges and plants with vision, mission and purpose. But it’s also very much a family space and much used for social gatherings, a place to relax and enjoy company. It’s a happy place!
4. Hudson garden
72 Cowper St
Crookwell
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This place is simply magical. The front gate is flanked by a gorgeous flowering cherry on the left and an ancient and imposing holly on the right. As you look through the gate a mysterious shape looms over the path: a very large, interesting and somewhat spooky weeping cyprus. It's just like something from a Harry Potter movie!
This garden has many more interesting trees and shrubs, including a lovely selection of rhododendrons in shades of cerise, pink, mauve and creamy white.
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It’s truly a garden for all seasons, with massed hellebores and bulbs flowering in winter, and an abundance of aquilegias and other cottage garden gems, and yet more bulbs celebrating the arrival of spring. As the spring blooms gently fade away, they are followed on by a delectable selection of gorgeous roses and yet more exciting blossoms in the hotter months. Of course, there is also plenty of autumn colour too.
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It was the garden that inspired owners Margaret and Brian Hudson to buy the property. Margaret says, “We were really looking for a different style of house, but we saw the garden and that was it. The decision was made!”
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The foundations of the garden were established by previous owner Alan Craven, a well-known local weaver who had somewhat of a cult following for his fantastic and beautifully crafted woven tweeds, used to create wonderfully exquisite garments. His talents also clearly extended to the field of horticulture and resulted in this enchanting town garden. It was Alan who designed the basic layout of the garden, who planted the various trees including the wonderful weeping cypress, and who created this special place.
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Under the loving care of Margaret and Brian, who bought the property in 2010, this charming garden will continue to evolve and develop. It will surely delight visitors for many decades to come!
5. ‘Kiloren’
Hay St
Crookwell
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This garden was designed by Edna Walling in 1951 and is hence both well designed and well established. A large garden (originally around four acres) in the classic Walling style, with its skilful use of sweeping rock walls, naturalistic plantings and use of groves of trees to create a deep sense of tranquillity and integration with nature. Walling enjoyed blurring the boundaries between the manicured control of conventional gardens and wild and untamed woodlands and forests, teeming with wildlife.
Marvel at the many very large, magnificent trees and associated shrubberies as you wander through this wonderful garden, with groves of silver birch, Manchurian pear, amelanchier and silver elm. Rhododendrons create splashes of colour, and drifts of forget-me-nots, bluebells, primroses, aquilegias and many other flowers will both soothe and inspire your senses.
As with all gardens, the work is never finished. The owners have been extending and renovating the garden, painstakingly constructing new rock walls and adding an orchard and vegetable garden.