An inspired garden
I wanted to design and implement my dream garden. Everything is a process and with this, it has been one we have taken our time with because we wanted to do everything properly.
Words by Harrison Balodis Photography by Luisa Brimble
I grew up in the small rural and isolated town of Burragate on the Sapphire Coast. My parents purchased an original homestead when I was ten years old. I can remember driving out from the town of Merimbula and following the windy dirt road thinking will we ever get there? We pulled up at the old home to have a look and we all came to the same conclusion; this was home. My mum straight away started talking about the potential the homestead had and how we could put in an amazing garden and grow our own vegetables. At just ten years old, I knew this was the life I wanted. I worked with mum over the next few years to put a garden in. I worked multiple jobs and bought plants with my savings. We grew vegetables and ate our own food. All while watching the once baby plants grow into a thriving garden. Moving to Burragate ignited my passion for growing food and gardening, something I am still so passionate about.
Fast forward a few years and I opted to study landscaping via TAFE as part of my HSC. I looped in with the local landscaping company based in Merimbula and drove my passion for growing and garden design. Through this opportunity, I was exposed to the television set of River Cottage Australia which was being filmed in Tilba, a country town an hour and a half north from Pambula on the Far South Coast. I was 17 years old and had well and truly landed my dream job. I was gardening for River Cottage, meeting amazing people and living out my passion for having my hands in the soil. I worked on River Cottage for four seasons, and in between, I was working in television and film on other shows based in Sydney. My time at River Cottage motivated me to one day return to a more simple life and it is something I am always reminding myself of.
We bought Lotte’s in 2016. I was 20 and Miranda was 21. It had an established garden but one that wasn’t right for the cottage. It had large trees in the front which kept the courtyard extremely hidden and shady, it also caused some damage to the original house due to excessive and deep tree roots. One weekend, Richard from Parterre and I came down and linked in with POD gardens to remove the entire garden. To make it mine, I wanted to design and implement my dream garden. Everything is a process and with this, it has been one we have taken our time with because we wanted to do everything properly. We re-weatherboarded the cottage and painted the exterior in the heart of the covid-19 pandemic. Making sure the bones of the cottage were strong and stable was at the core of the re-weatherboarding, but a perk was that there would be less prep work for the painters! Now that the exterior of the cottage is finished, I was able to dive in and put in the foundations for my dream garden.
I planted three silver birch down the bottom of the cottage near the staircase and have paired them with cottage flowers, such as foxgloves, hydrangeas and roses. I am excited to see this area grow into a woodland area. I have also planted a crab apple outside the bathroom window so Miranda and guests can enjoy a long bath whilst looking outside at a blossom. We have kept the ivy and wisteria which were originally in the cottage garden when we purchased, as the already established vines give the cottage privacy whilst creating an atmosphere. I have just touched on the surface of what I plan to execute in the cottage garden, but I am excited for you all to come on the journey with me. Nothing beats having your hands in the soil.