Glenalta, Adelaide

A Hills garden steeped in Adelaide history.

Glenalta, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

Geoff Stewart, at 89, still lavishes love and care on the historic property that has been his home for three decades. That’s no mean feat given that Glenalta, near Stirling in the Adelaide Hills, covers 32ha with a hectare of mature gardens. It is one of the few intact examples of a hill station in South Australia.

The early history is significant. Glenalta was established by John Downer (who would later become premier) in 1863 as a summer retreat, and further developed by his son James from the 1920s to 1940s. James’s son-in-law Henry Way Rymill expanded it until his death in 1971, but by the time Geoff Stewart and his late wife Robyn arrived in 1987, it was sadly overgrown and neglected.

Glenalta, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

After their first inspection they ruled it out because it needed so much restoration, but on a second visit the allure of the magnificent trees won them over.

They enlisted heritage garden experts and arborists to help rescue the important plants and plan the future. Mature trees from around the world – oaks, elms, poplars, lindens, ginkgos and magnolias – surround the Georgian-style house. The Stewarts added unusual species such as katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), whose leaves give off whiffs of burnt sugar in autumn, plus maples, tulip tree (Liriodendron) and, aptly, Stewartia. The trees are the framework of the garden, providing cool summer shade, brilliant autumn colour and distinctive winter silhouettes.

Glenalta, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

The lake has been expanded and the secret garden, rediscovered in the clearing process, now features romantic spring flowers such as wisteria, cherry blossom, roses, peonies and irises. Robyn was instrumental in planting out the garden, bringing her skills as a landscape photographer to bear.

Horticulturist Carolyn Armstrong has been caring for Glenalta for eight years, working with groundsman Pete Forrest, who has clocked up 15 years. “Geoff calls me either the head gardener or custodian,” laughs Armstrong. “He misses being able to get out into the garden as much as he used to but he still notices things that no one else does. He loves to see others enjoying the property, especially kids and garden lovers.”

Glenalta, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

There are always decisions to be made for renewal and maintenance. “Glenalta has constantly provided Geoff with ways to satisfy his need to be doing things,” says Armstrong. “We’re putting in new bridges over the creek and we plant trees every year. We’re also revegetating the creek line with swathes of native grasses and bulbs after clearing the elm suckers that smothered it.”

Glenalta, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

Her biggest challenge is the 3m-wide perennial border, which transitions from cool to hot colours along its 20m length. “It changes year to year and I am always tinkering to improve it,” she says. In autumn it features dahlias, asters, roses, salvias and windflowers.

“I can’t imagine not doing this,” she adds. “You can feel the layers of history here. That someone trusts me to look after a property of this scale makes me feel very lucky.”

Glenalta is open Sunday, May 5, 10am-4.30pm; opengardensa.org.au

Q&A

My feng shui consultant advises putting green and red things in the north-east corner of my property. I tried geraniums but they seemed to get buffeted by the salt-laden winds of Moreton Bay. Geok, Scarborough, Qld

Try planting a windbreak of frontline plants such as coastal teatree (Leptospermum laevigatum), coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia) or coastal rosemary (Westringia) to protect colourful plants such as Geranium ‘Big Red’, Salvia ‘Hot Lips’, Hibiscus ‘Wild Cherry’, Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’ and G. ‘Fireworks’, and red kangaroo paws. Bottlebrush (Callistemon) and New Zealand Christmas bush (Metrosideros) have red flowers and tolerate salty winds.

We had a bumper crop of eggplants this year. I’ve read they are perennial but are treated as annuals. Why? Should I keep my plants? Theresa Ford, Maitland, NSW

Eggplants, like chillies, can keep growing for a few years in tropical climates or very warm microclimates. They prefer temperatures of 21-30ºC and don’t tolerate cold, so are grown as annuals in summer in cooler climates. Try keeping your plants if they’re in a warm, protected spot. Prune them to the lowest new growth after cropping finishes and keep them on the dry side during winter. Fertilise in spring.

Will the suckers from a robinia tree grow true to form or develop into something different? Heather Solly, Finniss, SA

Golden robinias and mop-top robinias are grafted onto Robinia pseudoacacia, called black locust, which is widely considered weedy. It reaches 10m tall, suckers freely and has long spines. Any shoots below the graft should be rubbed or cut off promptly.

Garden Lust.

Send your questions to: [e-mail] or Helen Young, PO Box 3098, Willoughby North, NSW 2068. Website: helenyoung.com.au. The best question for April wins a copy of Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World’s Best New Gardens by Chris Woods (Timber Press, $70).