The Gardens

Read about the creative, inspiring and simply beautiful gardens that await you at the Crookwell Garden Festival on 1 and 2 November.

Gardens are open on 1 November and 2 November from 9:30am to 4:30pm. $30 per person gives you entry to all gardens for the weekend (under 18 free). If you need transport, a bus on each day is available to take you to the three out-of-town gardens of Markdale, Binda Mill and Bindalea. Bus tickets are $20 per person.

Buy garden and bus tickets

1. Markdale

462 Mulgowrie Road, Crooked Corner

Acknowledged as one of the great country gardens of Australia, Markdale Garden was started in the 1920s and redesigned in the late 1940s by the pioneer of Australian landscape gardening, Edna Walling.

Spanning around 2 hectares, the garden is said to be one of the most intact examples of Walling’s garden design in New South Wales. It features her signature design—a naturalistic blending of native plants and exotics, keeping and enhancing existing trees and landscape features where possible and masterfully creating a sense of both order and wilderness.

Edna Walling was inspired by natural landscapes and the beauty of nature in general, especially forests and the abundance of plants and animals to be found in them. Modern landscape designers are increasingly adopting the concept of eco-friendly gardens, that are both aesthetically pleasing and wildlife friendly, but Edna Walling was already promoting this style of gardening decades ago.

Edna Walling had a special fondness for rock walls and steps softened with greenery and abundant flowering perennials, glade-like lawns, and hand-built, gently curving paths to lead you through enchanting groves of trees, underplanted with shrubs and perennials that skilfully mimic a natural forest or woodland.

Garden features at Markdale also include a pergola of blue and white wisteria, stunning golden and weeping elms, a profusion of roses, a stone-walled garden, rock walls, and a lawn gently sweeping down to a small lake, with the margins planted out with bog plants.

A selection of crab apples and other spring-flowering deciduous trees provide stunning displays of spring blossom.

The garden and surrounds include many fine, large examples of eucalypts native to the area, including Blakely’s red gum and yellow box. This is another fine example of Edna Walling’s passion for keeping and incorporating significant native flora, especially trees, in her designs.

Dating back to 1858, Markdale Station is a working sheep and cattle station that currently occupies approximately 2,500 hectares of undulating grazing country in the Great Dividing Range, at an elevation of around 670 metres above sea level.

Edna Walling was renowned as a master of the ‘borrowed view’ and purposely designed the gardens surrounding the house to take full advantage of the stunning natural scenery of the surrounding rural landscape, removing many of the existing hedges in the process. As a result the garden extends into the surrounding landscape, blending into its environs and providing a deep sense of connection with the natural world.

Today, a happy blend of silver birch, aspens, pin oaks, hawthorns, golden elms, golden and claret ash, spiraeas, viburnums and eucalypts shelter and frame the garden without obscuring those endless views of the glorious Southern Tablelands countryside.

2. Binda Mill and Cottage

97 Queen Street, Binda

Whether enjoying the gentle fluttering of the leaves of the towering grove of aspens in the front garden, admiring the majestic weeping willow planted alongside the water course that flows through the property or taking some time out under the stately honey locust, you could be forgiven for thinking this garden has been there for a very long time.

The trees are tall and clearly very mature. Some are simply massive.

It’s true that the Binda Mill and Blacksmith’s Cottage date back to the 1860s, but the garden is much more recent. When Annie and Richard took ownership of the mill in the late 1980’s, what was to become a magnificent garden was literally nothing more than a thistle-infested, rubble-strewn sheep paddock with not a single tree present.

Starting with an initial design by landscape designer Michael Bligh and advice from garden historian, writer and Edna Walling enthusiast Jennie Churchill, they have since transformed the site into a wonderfully sheltered and tranquil space.

To begin with, many of the plants struggled with the harsh, bleak, windy site. Annie confesses that there were some failures. She says some plants simply couldn’t cope while others thrived, and the garden continues to evolve as different species are trialled.

As the trees and boundary screen plantings established and matured, the land has been transformed into a sheltered woodland garden. It’s a testament to Annie and Richard’s careful planning and execution of the original master plan over the last thirty or so years, the devoted application of garden knowledge, skill and hard labour, combined with the site’s fertile soil and high rainfall.

The trees are mostly deciduous species chosen for their response to the distinct four seasons experienced in the local area. Binda can be very hot in summer and ferociously cold in winter, which creates perfect conditions for stunning autumn colours when the days shorten and the first frosts bite. Autumn is Annie’s favourite time of year, but she also loves seeing the flushes of new growth in spring, followed by the exuberant blossoms on the crab apples and manchurian pears.

Some things to look out for in this garden are the Mexican hawthorns, the robinia walk underplanted with Hypericum calycinum, the silver birch grove and lovely berberis hedge protecting the cottage, and the large pond planted out with yellow flag irises. There are many fine stone features and sculptures. Take time to see how the garden has been designed both to lead you to explore, but also to encourage you to take your time and enjoy the serenity. It’s worth mentioning also that the play of light in this lovely garden has inspired artists and if you are a landscape painter you definitely won’t want to miss out on this one!

3. Bindalea

Binda

This hidden garden is full of surprises. It’s screened from the adjacent busy road by dense plantings of hedges, shrubs and trees and it’s a lot larger than it seems when you first walk through the gate.

Take a magical horticultural journey through a series of carefully planned and landscaped garden rooms, each packed full of interesting trees, shrubs and other plants. Plants have been selected for their interesting foliage, structures and forms, and strategically placed to maximise visual impact.

Silvery-leaved eucalypts and a wonderful selection of blue, grey and silvery foliaged conifers show off the bright greens, golds and purple tones of more flamboyant plants. Stately yuccas and upright feature conifers catch the eye, contrasting with carefully placed clipped and rounded shrubs.

Roses, irises and drifts of flowering perennials add bright swathes of colour, with just enough impact to please without overwhelming the senses.

A lot of thought has gone into designing this special place and you’ll need to spend a good amount of time to fully appreciate what it has to offer.

The property is low lying, located on former pastures on the periphery of the Binda Creek floodplain. The soil is a heavy alluvial clay and parts of the land are prone to inundation in heavy rain events, so much of the garden is often waterlogged.

As with water, cold air flowing through the valley pools here in winter and it can be bitterly cold at times. Think bone-chilling, mind-numbingly cold. Frequent harsh frosts with temperatures well below freezing may add a charming wintry touch when the garden turns white with hoar frost and icicles, but this also creates significant challenges for a gardener.

Conventional wisdom would be that it’s hardly the choicest location to establish a lush and verdant garden, but Andrew and Tony have unflinchingly taken on the challenge and more than triumphed.

By careful selection of suitable plants and much trial and error, they have created an amazingly diverse and beautiful landscape that cannot fail to inspire and impress. Of course, as with all gardens it’s a ‘work in progress’ and will continue to evolve and develop over the years to come.

You may be surprised to discover that most of the plantings are only a few years old, with many being established only in the last five years or so. And yet this garden is well-established and gives the impression that it has been in place for decades.

It’s also a relatively low maintenance garden. Andrew and Tony mulch the garden beds to suppress weeds and protect the soil, and the plants that have been selected are extremely hardy, requiring little fuss and care to thrive.

This garden is a tribute to horticultural skill, knowledge and passion and amply demonstrates that a master gardener can create a beautiful landscape anywhere!

4. Kadwell Garden

Cnr. Stephenson Street and Binda Road, Crookwell

With stunning views to the north across the rolling hills of the Upper Lachlan Shire, Kay’s house and garden are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the concept of the ‘borrowed view’. Sitting in her sunny living room in her cosy cottage, Kay can enjoy a wonderful and everchanging vista.

On clear days it seems you can see forever and even on the bleakest of wintry days when those distant hills are shrouded in low cloud and mist, the feeling of space and landscape drama is palpable. And what a great place to enjoy the grand spectacle of a summer thunderstorm, witnessing the drama and raw power of Mother Nature’s wildest outbursts. Edna Walling would thoroughly approve!

The garden is protected from the south and west by a towering cypress screen. The cypress trees and a range of ornamental trees and shrubs planted around the fringes of the garden, including English horse chestnut, crab apples, ornamental pears, maples and mahonia, create the sensation of being sheltered by a forest backdrop.

As you enter the property, you might not at first appreciate all the wonderful trees and shrubs. Your eyes will almost certainly be drawn initially to an astonishing assortment of gnomes, dwarves, smurfs, fairies and other fantasy figurines in the undergrowth.

Kay says as a child the family frequently moved house and she seldom had the opportunity to enjoy collecting and playing with such things, and perhaps now is making up for lost time. But it seems that the word has gotten out that this is a special garden, because more and more of the little people seem to be appearing as time passes. What’s more, they appear to move around the garden of their own volition, turning up in all kinds of unexpected places!

Kay adores roses of all kinds, and the sunny northern side of the garden is perfect for these. Alongside the beautiful hybrid tea and floribunda roses flourish irises, aquilegias, salvias, chrysanthemums and many other cottage garden favourites.

Bright and cheerful colours are important for Kay, and she especially loves bright yellow, warm gold, sunny and copper tones.

Spring flowering bulbs are planted throughout the garden and Kay’s gardening philosophy is simple: “I poke things in here and there, and if they grow, they grow!”. It has certainly achieved a great outcome, a garden that simultaneously takes advantage of the grand landscape location, but is also a blend of wild forest, colourful cottage garden and fantasy fairy garden. Make sure you don’t miss this one!

5. Crookwell Community Garden

Cnr. Park and Colyer streets, Crookwell

Crookwell Community Garden was officially opened by Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis on the 12 May 2018. Since those early days, the community garden has gone from strength to strength and it is now a vibrant meeting place for locals with a passion for all things horticultural, who come together to grow nutritious food, share gardening knowledge and skills and to learn from each other.

In addition to a formal monthly working bee held on the first Sunday of each month, the Crookwell Community Garden presents regular workshops delivered by horticultural experts on a diverse range of subjects, such as constructing and maintaining wicking beds, composting and worm farming, natural pest control, plant propagation, pruning fruit trees and selecting and growing rare and unusual cold climate trees and shrubs.

The community garden is managed and run entirely by a dedicated band of friendly volunteers, many of whom turn up on a daily basis to help with weeding, watering and general maintenance, especially during the hotter months.

The community garden runs an honesty and donation box, encouraging locals and visitors to donate gold coins in exchange for fresh produce harvested from the highly productive garden beds. Additional funding has been sourced through a variety of community grants and these have helped with constructing sheds, propagation and growing facilities, and greenhouses.

It’s a place to see a variety of organic gardening techniques in action and be inspired to learn how to grow and harvest delicious herbs, fruits and vegetables in what can be a very cold and harsh climate.

Best of all, the Crookwell Community Garden volunteers will have a range of plants, fresh produce and delicious home-made jams, pickles and other wonderful offerings on sale over the weekend of the garden festival. You’ll need to be quick though, once the word is out those goodies will go galloping out the gate!

6. Croke Garden

89 Denison Street, Crookwell

Barry likes a nice green lawn and he has certainly mastered the art of growing a superbly lush patch of turf, despite many challenges, including the onslaught of enthusiastic dogs, grandkids, birds and grubs.

One of his top tips is to mow on a high setting to avoid cutting the grass too low.

He also pays great attention to grass nutrition, ensuring the right amount of the right kind of fertiliser is applied at the best time to achieve optimum results. He says it’s also essential to ensure that the lawn is watered correctly, and that as with fertiliser, when it comes to irrigation it’s all about applying the right amount at the right time.

Barry also likes colour in the garden and every year plans how to get the best display for the least amount of effort. His attention to detail and care certainly pays off and his garden is known for being both orderly and putting on a brilliant display.

He makes great use of annuals, including petunias, pansies and marigolds. Crookwell often experiences harsh, late frosts, which would normally be deadly to freshly planted summer flowering annuals such as marigolds and petunias, but even with these, Barry’s skill and organisation win the day.

He pays close attention to the weather and if a frost is likely, ensures he is up bright and early. He says the secret on frosty mornings is to water the foliage before the sun hits it and this protects the soft growth from frost burn.

At the front of the garden, bordering the nature strip, is a neatly clipped lavender hedge. A proven performer, it puts on a gorgeous display every year. In other parts of the garden you will find neatly clipped and shaped shrubs. As with everything he does, Barry times the trimming and maintenance of the lavender and shrubs with care and precision. Each must be trimmed just the right amount, in the right way and at precisely the right time.

Barry says he considers his garden to be relatively low maintenance. It’s certainly a place where you can learn a lot about how to garden efficiently and to achieve great horticultural outcomes by working smarter not harder!

7. Myahgah: Watson Garden

66 Cowper Street, Crookwell

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.

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, objects and old tools.

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.

Look out for the fairy garden at the back and the diverse 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.

This garden certainly celebrates Crookwell’s rural setting and rich agricultural heritage!

Be sure to check out the Ajax Wool Press, and 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!

This garden is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when using smart design to combine cold climate hedges, trees, shrubs and hardy perennial plants with vision, mission and purpose. It’s a fascinating example of a town garden that is also very much a family space and much used for social gatherings—a place to relax and enjoy company. It’s a very happy place!

8. The Tea House Gallery and Studio

41 Cowper Street, Crookwell

With undulating mounds of purple lavender and rosemary set against the pale blue, sea foam green and lilac décor of the fence and house, the front garden evokes a sense of oceanic energy. There is a distinctly Mediterranean feel about it, a sense of sea cliffs and salt spray, villas in the sun and the play of light on water.

But this is just the appetiser. The rear of the property has been transformed into an entirely different space that is secluded and tranquil, yet strangely exciting.

It is hard to believe that just a few years ago the main feature of this part of the garden was a square of tired turf and an old Hill’s Hoist. Two fully mature, but sadly neglected trees were present in the garden when Stephen and Mandy bought the property: a magnificent Magnolia grandiflora and an ancient, huge pear tree.

Sadly the pear had to go, but careful pruning and sensitive landscaping has ensured that the magnolia tree is now thriving. Since renovation works were completed, the newer plantings in the garden have matured to create a haven sheltered by dense growth, including camellias, gingkos, Japanese maples, buddlejas and crepe myrtles.

Stephen is an international Tea Master and has studied tea culture in many parts of the world, including Korea, China and Japan. With his deep interest in medicinal herbs and their properties, and a passion for horticulture, you can understand and appreciate that he has created an ever-evolving garden full of horticultural treasures for those with a keen eye for the unusual, including an interesting selection of oriental medicinal and culinary plants such as yuzu, Szechuan pepper, tea, Korean radish and perilla.

Stephen is also an internationally acclaimed artist, specialising in Japanese Sumi-e and Chinese ink painting. Well known in Australia for his exquisite works, he has also exhibited in China and Japan and was awarded an International Honour Award in 2024 at the Art Beyond Boundaries exhibition in Tokyo. Mandy too is a well-known Crookwell artist and sculptor, whose art features excitingly dynamic works created by combining bold, vibrant colours, textures and strong structural form. A selection of Stephen and Mandy’s works will be on display in the garden and gallery.

9. McCormack Garden

36 Cowper Street, Crookwell

This enchanting and romantic town garden features some wonderful cool climate plants. At the front of the house, a striking snowball tree and a stunning mauve rhododendron set off by the rich golden tones of a variegated Japanese spindle immediately draw your attention and entice you to enter the garden for a closer look.

But don’t be in too much of a rush, or you might miss the gorgeous peony roses just inside the gate on the right side of the path, planted in front of a lovey climbing Pierre De Ronsard Rose trained along the fence.

Take your time also to appreciate the variety of roses, shrubs and perennials in the front garden, and the deep coppery purple tones of the purple plum tree. When you walk past this you will encounter a wonderfully gnarly old wisteria trained over an archway, leading to the back garden. And here you will find yet more horticultural treasures. Shrub roses, camellias, hydrangeas, colourful azaleas and more rhododendrons.

A carefully trained and trellised Cecile Brunner rose graces the wall of an outdoor entertaining area and a delightful yellow banksia rose floats over another archway, next to a stately cherry tree. Look out for the interesting garden sculptures and a selection of potted plants on the back veranda, and the alluring variegated aucuba, an ‘old fashioned’ shrub that thrives in shade and brings a bright splash of colour.

Wander on through the rose arch and into the back of the property and you will find yet more interesting plants. The pleasing fragrances of sweet peas and daphne waft through the spring air and colourful perennials brighten up the borders. The golden blossoms of a laburnum brighten up one corner, contrasting with the neatly clipped hedges and shrubbery, and a mop top robinia adds yet more interest.