John and Prue van de Linde’s Alowyn Gardens, Yarra Glen, Vic
They work 10-12 hour days, seven days a week, but John and Prue van de Linde are “living the dream.”
I look out the window and can’t believe my luck living here. The Yarra Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the world.” So says John van de Linde, who with his wife Prue owns Alowyn Gardens at Yarra Glen, Victoria. Spread over 3ha, the manicured gardens are the result of the couple pouring untold effort and money over 20 years into the fulfilment of a dream: to create a beautiful and informative garden experience for everyone to enjoy.
John’s gentle accent still bears traces of his native Holland, where he studied horticulture before coming to Australia aged 19 in the early 1970s. He liked it so much that he stayed, working in the nursery industry and then building a landscaping business over the past 35 years. The idea of creating a large public garden came to him early, when in 1978 he visited the world-famous Butchart Gardens in Canada, which was created from a quarry site. But it took until 1997 for him to find and afford the right property – a former trotting stud that’s within striking distance of Melbourne, and offered the climate of four distinct seasons he wanted, although the soil was depleted.
In 1999, he started building the garden on weekends and spare moments in the business. His plan covered 1.6ha and a time frame of four years – but he says with an easy laugh it has been 20 years and now covers closer to 3ha.
The spine of the garden is a 100m-long arbour covered in wisteria and roses, with a sunken rose garden and classical fountain as the centrepiece, from which a series of separate areas unfold. Paths wind through the cool shade of the birch forest where 500 silver and river birch are underplanted with bulbs and irises. The Australian forest comprises two types of she-oak (Allocasuarina) and a miner’s hut, in contrast to the formal parterre garden of Buxus clipped into different designs. The perennial border showcases dry-tolerant plants with a path winding through colourful displays from spring to autumn. In the edible garden they practise companion planting and crop rotation, with herbs, edible flowers and avenues of fruit trees.
Recently opened is the French garden of 7000sqm divided into four fields for poppies, sunflowers and lawns for picnicking, with two streams, a central pond and a folly. A labyrinth will open this winter.
Both John, 65, and Prue 63, put in 10-12 hour days, seven days a week, assisted by keen staff to run the cafe, plant nursery and shop, and maintain the gardens. Prue takes charge of the retail side while John grows the nursery stock, keeps developing the gardens, and still runs the occasional landscape construction project. They garden sustainably and organically, dealing with lower than average rainfall and adapting as necessary.
“Luckily Prue and I have a shared vision,” says John. “We’d probably like to have longer holidays but working here is almost like living a holiday. We live the dream. It’s hard work but it’s amazing to see the place growing and watch the wildlife populations expand. What else could you want?”
Alowyn Gardens are open 10am-5pm, seven days a week, for an entry fee. alowyngardens.com.au
Q&A
Are there any native grasses suitable for a hardy, drought-resistant lawn in my sloping, partly shaded yard in southern Tasmania? Kate Mollard, Tasmania Weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) is probably your best choice. It won’t have the regular smooth turf look because it is a clumping grass, but it can be mown fairly short as a lawn. It’s best in full sun but tolerates some shade. Seed of ‘Griffin’, a selected variety for lawns, is sold at nativeseeds.com.au. Zoysia macrantha is a native grass that grows from Queensland to Tasmania; from it was bred ‘Nara’, which is grown as instant turf rolls but is not yet available in Tasmania.
I have some Sweet William seeds. When should I sow them? Wendy Thomas, Mount Gambier, SA Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), a colourful annual with sweetly scented blooms, flowers from late spring to early summer. Sow seeds from late summer to autumn in most climates, but in autumn and spring where colder. They take about 140 days from sowing to flowering.
Can I take cuttings from the sprawling Monstera deliciosa in my garden to give to my niece as a houseplant? Sam Nichols, by email Monstera, also known as Swiss cheese plant, is trending as a desirable indoor plant. They’re easy to grow and propagate. Ideally choose any end section where you can see an aerial root or two growing. Remove most older leaves, keeping a few of the youngest. You can also use any sections of stem without leaves; cut so they have one or two nodes and aerial roots. Grow cuttings in a jar of rainwater or plant straight into propagating mix. You might need to stake them for stability.
Send your questions to: helenyoungtwig@gmail.com or Helen Young, PO Box 3098, Willoughby North, NSW 2068. Website: helenyoung.com.au. The best question for May wins the Ledlenser ML6 portable outdoor light and powerbank with variable brightness and attachment options, worth $179.
Add your comment to this story
As a dog person, I reckon cats are catastrophes
Show me a cat that can be trained to pull sleds and sniff out drugs at airports. Or corpses after earthquakes. That can bark at burglars, muster sheep or cattle, and guide the blind.
‘If he was my partner, I’d call the police … but he’s my son’
The tragedy of violent children is a situation dealt with in families and schools across Australia, with those on the receiving end – parents, teachers, siblings – held hostage to the whims of a violent protagonist. This is one mother’s story.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout