Fertile Imagination

Created from what was once a sloping rocky outcrop, this lush garden is testament to the owner’s dedication and skill with secateurs.

- Jean Wright

Rock, rock and more rock, a substantial outcrop on an awkward and challenging sloping site that fell away sharply across and downhill is what confronted the owner of this garden, Margaret Coldwell (my sister), when she and her husband Robert bought their home in Wahroonga on Sydney’s North Shore 20 years ago. The one plus – and it was a big plus for Margaret who is passionate about gardens – was that the land faced north.

The house rises well above the ground at the rear, but before the land could be safely accessed, a rickety verandah and steep steps needed fixing. They were swiftly replaced with a deeper verandah and wide steps, and a deck was added as a transition linking the house with the garden below. Now vine covered year round and wisteria clad in spring, it is constantly used for meals and entertaining.

Poring over her gardening books, including the classic