Meet the gardeners and their garden

Joe and Daphne bought this 5-acre property in 2011.  Ably assisted by their horticulturist daughter, Claire, and their extended family, they have transformed what was a largely treeless, horse agistment property to a veritable paradise of native trees, food production and a haven for birds.  With the support of Landcare, they planted 1000 trees that were indigenous to the area, creating a windbreak.  Joe and Daphne’s garden comprises three separate walks – Edible Eden, Heartbreak Hill and the Perimeter Walk. 

​

Come to see, learn and be inspired!

• The terraced vegetable patch with raised garden beds doubles as a delightful entertaining area for the multi-generational family, with gorgeously hued, carved timber tables and benches - a true ‘paddock-to-plate’ experience!  Meanwhile, high fences keep rabbits and other pests away from the vegetables.

• Daphne and Joe work with nature through integrated pest management, using ‘beneficial bugs’ to control pests naturally.  One example is using lady bird beetles to control the aphids and mites that would otherwise attack pear and cherry trees. 

• The chickens have their own sensory paradise, with the chicken coop being home to many fragrant ‘bush tucker’ plants or native edibles including lemon, cinnamon and aniseed myrtles, finger limes and Illawarra plums.  Across the property, other native plants are also potential food sources, with examples being saltbush, banksias and callistemon.

• Bring a picnic lunch, enjoy the seating and lawns of the quirkily named WCG (Woolamai Cricket Ground) that is used by the family, while gazing out over water features, a giant chess set and lovely sculptures. 

• The 80+ tree orchard and other areas of the garden produce an impressive diversity of fruits, nuts and berries including: plums, oranges (blood, washington and cinotto), mandarins, tangelos, figs, quince, cherries, apricots, peaches, kiwfruit, passionfruit, pomegranates, loquats, bananas, macadamias, pinenuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, olives, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mulberries and Cape gooseberries. 

• Daphne has written a cookbook, ‘I am what I eat’, (available to buy over the weekend) with recipes which incorporate the use of healthy, fresh produce and reflect her and Joe’s European backgrounds.

 

Parking and accessibility

Go past the home’s driveway and park in the clearing up the hill.  This large property has two dams and some steep slopes and stepped paths.  The large orchard is easily accessible.

 

Address

​42 Clematis Road, Woolamai