Garden History

28 years ago we stumbled along this property and immediately saw the potential of it for a dream garden. With high rainfall, even now, rich red volcanic soil and a good altitude the farm offered all of the ingredients for the making of a great garden. While the view over the Tarago reservoir is spectacular, I was always aware that the garden needed to be more impressive and interesting to keep the visitors attention on the garden, not the view. Now as the garden is maturing in so many ways this is actually true, there are so many amazing plants, secluded areas, dramatic spaces and garden views, as well as many carefully chosen garden ornaments that visitors comment on the view but rave about the garden.

The garden at Broughton Hall is stunning in early spring, September, when the bulbs start popping up and around the time of cherry blossom in October but it is around Melbourne cup weekend when the roses are in full bloom, lasting through to December.

In autumn the bulbs feature again, with autumn roses and the autumn colour, of course, all with the backdrop of tightly clipped hedges and autumn leaves falling everywhere.

Winter with the mist of the water, bare branches, and exposed hedging is a very beautiful time as well, it is a garden for all seasons now.

While there is no intention to make the garden larger, a few fences will be moved out in the next few years to allow for more planting of peculiar species and improve access to the garden for maintenance. There are always more projects to work on and more areas of the garden to re develop so like all gardens it is a work in progress.