Open garden: Parker’s Place, NSW

PARKER’S Place is a working garden for a production nursery, halfway between Ballina and Lismore.

Parker’s Place is a working garden for a production nursery, halfway between Ballina and Lismore.

PARKERÂ’S PLACE, 197 Lindendale Rd, Wollongbar, NSW

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OWNERS: Ray and Diane Parker

OPEN this weekend 10am to 4.30pm

ENTRY $8, under 18s free

DESCRIBE YOUR GARDEN: It’s a working garden for a production nursery, halfway between Ballina and Lismore. We specialise in frost-tolerant plants as we get at least 20 frosts a winter, down to minus 8C. It’s large and sprawling, covering about 7ha. A 500m planted driveway leads past conifer gardens on to the nursery and then a picnic area by the creek. The main gardens consist of four long, fan-shaped walkways with gardens in between. We use the plants as stock from which we take cuttings to grow in the nursery. There’s also a holly maze, inspired by one we saw in New Zealand.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: The unique plant collection built up over years of hunting. I keep collecting maples, magnolias, michelias, camellias, wisterias, hollies, ­liquidambars, crepe myrtles and other species. We trial a lot of stuff — in our rich, red soil you can plant almost anything — but if it doesn’t succeed, it gets the chop.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: We traditionally have a dry winter and spring in the northern rivers. The last two years were especially dry and the magnolias didn’t grow enough to take cuttings from. We didn’t have reticulated water for the gardens until a few weeks ago.

FAVOURITE PART: We use the barbecue area down by the creek when the family visit. Or we just take a glass of wine down there at the end of the day and marvel at the size and colour of the magnolias.

WHAT’S IN FLOWER: Fragrant and japonica camellias, flowering cherries, and some magnolias. The deciduous trees will be coming into new leaf.

EXTRAS: Plants for sale and garden tours. Heartfelt House is serving teas and lunches.