‘Some gardens have a certain magic that is hard to capture in photos or put into words,’ says Matt Cantwell, creative director of landscape studio Secret Gardens.
This is the case for one of his latest projects, located on a sprawling country in East Kangaloon.
‘The bird life is amazing,’ he says of the garden. ‘And though the wind can be strong at times, it creates a magnificent sound through the trees, adding drama through our planting. You know that you’re in the country and that you have left your city life behind.’
But it took more than a year for him and his team to create this idyllic setting.
‘Our brief encapsulated an area that was 4800 square metres, including the house, which is fenced to protect from livestock,’ Matt Cantwell says.
In addition to designing the gardens that surrounded the entire home, the team were tasked with creating a series of ‘garden rooms’ that unfold around the 26-hectare property.
They carefully selected materials to complement the serene location and enhance its rural atmosphere. Inspired by the house’s structure, local stone was used for the garden walling, as split stone pavers and cobblestones provide accents beside the driveway.
The new entrance to the home opens to an inviting ‘winter garden’ filled with perennials and grasses like Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracilimus’ (tall ornamental grass), while a seating area is flanked by ornamental pear trees that will grow to provide summer shade.
On the western side of the home, there’s a gravel path that leads to a range of planted garden beds, and a spacious outdoor living area where a pergola and kitchen garden await. A large lawn area also allows for clear views of the undulating natural landscape.
‘It was important to take advantage of this backdrop, blurring the boundaries between the main garden and the surrounding mature trees and rolling hills,’ Matt adds.
This inspired the soft planting palette, combining flowering shrubs like gaura lindheimeri (butterfly bush), Lavandula stoechas Avonview (Italian lavender), and Euphorbia characias (Mediterranean spurge) with textural grasses that move beautifully in the wind.
Secret Gardens also carefully planted larger plants and trees like Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) and Acer rubrum (October glory) in spaces that would enhance — not obstruct — the sprawling vistas. Their fine leaves will also provide contrasting colour throughout the seasons, transforming from green to fiery reds, oranges, and crimsons.
Matt says this considered ‘less is more’ is what encourages you to wander throughout the classic country garden, which is ‘even better in person’.
