Seven of us from the Hunter Valley group braved the sunny weather – yes, it didn’t rain – to visit the stunning garden of Margaret Mitchell in Aberdeen, west of Muswellbrook in mid June.
Margaret is a long time ‘native’ enthusiast. For the 40 or so years she has gardened, she’s pretty much been native all the way. An extraordinary feat given the challenges of sourcing plants as well as building knowledge without much support.
We had a wonderful time viewing her beautiful garden, sharing titbits of advice and enjoying the cake and sunshine.
The back garden is a long garden full of trees, shrubs and groundcovers. It is full of sculpture, ornaments and bird baths, ideal for habitat. Margaret has put in an extraordinary diversity of plants, some that we’d never seen before in cultivation.
The front garden presented a few challenges for Margaret, with its westerly aspect and heat during summer. But that garden was thriving, full of eremophila,grevillea and signature trees like the Sandpaper Wattle. On the verge were more Brachychiton one of Margaret’s favourites!
Thanks so much to Margaret for her generosity in letting us share her lovely garden!