Open garden: The Lost Gardens, Queensland

AN expansive property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland took time to reveal its secrets beneath an abundance of lantana.

The rich, dark soil of the Lost Gardens encourages a diverse array of plant life.

Describe your garden:

We’re in the Sunshine Coast hinterland just outside Eumundi, nestled in a small, secluded valley. Visitors always say how peaceful it is because we’re surrounded by Mapleton National Park. Of the property’s 22ha about 6ha is garden; the rest is natural rainforest. We can grow just about everything in the rich, deep, chocolate soil, so the garden is very ­diversified. Flowering trees are a specialty; we have something in flower pretty much all year long. There are also rare palms, a spectacular range of cordylines, flowering tropical shrubs, climbers and sweeps of lawn. The garden is designed to enjoy the view wherever you might be. From the house there’s a lovely vista over the whole garden to the dam at the bottom and the forest beyond.

Why the Lost Gardens? It was so overgrown with thick lantana when we moved here 25 years ago, you couldn’t see anything. The previous owner had told us there were creeks and waterfalls but we didn’t find them for a couple of years. Then after a big downpour one time we heard a thundering noise, and that’s how we discovered the 12m-high waterfall. The ancient moss logs, ferns and tree ferns of the rainforest gullies are like a lost world of their own. We also like to joke that the gardening rule book of conventional philosophies and fashion has been lost to us, as we’ve let the forest influence the planting styles.

Favourite part: We’ve just finished making a natural pool. It looks like a natural waterhole with a three-stage waterfall, but it’s also for swimming in. Judy and I both love gardening and spend most of our time outdoors. I do the hard landscaping and the work further away from the house and Judy does the areas closer in. My favourite plants are weeping trees such as Kashmir and swamp cypress, and planting creepers and climbers so they hang down from trees. Judy’s favourites are bat plants and the small bromeliads.

Biggest challenge: The crazy weather of drought, then flood, and choosing plants that cope with both, as well as high humidity, scorching heat and some frosts. We have no town water; in fact we’re totally self-sufficient with our own power.

What’s in flower? Our elephant apple tree (Dellenia indica) is extraordinary, covered in big, white flowers among large, pleated leaves. Numerous heliconias, gingers, bougainvilleas, allamandas, lady slipper vine, angel’s trumpets and durantas are flowering.

Extras: Plants from the garden for sale. Gourmet lunches and teas — I’m a chef and love preparing for this. And some people come each year just for Judy’s cakes and pastries. Allow several hours to visit — the photographs can only show slivers of the garden. Sometimes visitors stay most of the day.

The Lost Gardens: 722 Cedar Creek Road, Belli Park, Queensland

Owners: Frank and Judy JasinskI

Open: This weekend, 10am-4.30pm, entry $10, under-18s free