 | Colin & Pam Pateman .: 79 The Avenue, Armidale |
Welcome to our garden. Pam volunteered our garden in the hope the paving would be finally finished – she may be lucky!
Our house was built six years ago. In the first year landscaping the sloping block was the priority, building terraces, paving and moving the piles of soil (rock and clay). There was no outright plan; the garden evolved and was shaped by what seemed right at the time. A bank was built at the front to develop a native garden, small deciduous trees planted on the east and west to shelter the house from the summer sun, the fences softened with plantings. We have tried to preserve our views to the north and south. The terraced gardens at the rear are our cottage/flower garden and we like to be able to pick flowers year round. There is the odd rose with a mixture of old and newer types. The vegetable garden also has a variety of berries.
Our biggest challenge is the soil which is mainly rock, interspersed with clay. In some areas it is difficult to get plants to grow. It is not uncommon to dig up a wheelbarrow full of rock to plant a single plant. We used tons of mulch to cover bare ground and add organic matter. In general we have selected drought resistant plants, watering as little as possible. The late frost is particularly severe at this site, so the plants that have survived are very hardy.
The result is an interesting and ever-changing garden, with a succession of different plants in flower with a variety of foliage. Like all gardens, ours is a work in progress with much more to do. I have not mentioned specific plants – you will have to come and see for yourself what is here.
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