Friendship Garden Visits

On the morning after most monthly Friday night meetings, members have the opportunity to visit one or two gardens of members or other interesting gardens in the area.

Inspections are not held in the summer months of December and January and in the winter months of June and July.

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Friendship and Open Gardens

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HGS Friendship Garden - November

November Friendship Garden

‘Alderley Edge’

Date: Saturday 19th November 2011

Time: 10am - 12pm

Alderley Edge is a 5 acre property. The Manchurian Pear tree-fringed driveway leads past an old barn, a paddock and a separate cottage with its own 'cottage garden' area. The house is of historic interest dating back to the 1840's and was originally the single men's quarters and cookhouse for John Oxley, pioneer of the district and for whom Oxley Hill and Oxley College were named.

When the current owners bought the property nine years ago, the large, single level house with broad verandas and interior courtyard was divided into 4 flats. Since then the house has been extensively renovated and the large garden with wonderful views looking down on the township of Bowral and beyond, has been landscaped. The old internal courtyard of the main house features pots, urns of lavender and a fountain.

The owners (she is a florist and the garden reflects her love of flowers, plants and trees) have no garden help and manage to do all maintenance work themselves. The ride-on mower is used once a week to groom large areas of parkland. A large 135,000 litre water tank is located at the bottom of the garden as town water is not available.

The north terrace with York Stone paving faces The Gib. Edged with Viburnum this area looks over terraced lawns to the old tennis court. Curved garden beds with large clumps of Agapanthus, Hellebores, forget-me-nots and azaleas and an old twisted cherry, lead down stone steps to this level. A dry stone wall is planted with pale pink and white Meidiland roses.

At the rear of the house is a four metre wide bed of white 'Gallipoli Roses' (Cistus populifolius x salvifolius). Notable specimen trees in this garden are cherries and plums, a pine tree approximately 150 years old and a large laurel tree which has beautiful cream buds and flowers out in November. Weeping beeches, a white magnolia and other plants and trees too numerous to mention grace this garden.

Camilla Williams