June 15th, 2024Gardening wonderland at Basalt
Lynne Cullen
Lily Langham, who has created a gardening wonderland with her husband Rodney on five acres in Basalt Rd, Basalt, was the guest speaker at the May meeting of the Daylesford & District Horticultural Society.
Lily talked to the audience about her experience creating the garden from basic farmland which had vicious winds, driving summer sun, harsh soil, sloping land and little natural water. She was able to tackle all these challenges and still create an oasis of grasses, perennials, annuals and trees.
They began by planting many oak trees on the property which are now twenty years old and providing shade coverage in summer.
Lily fashioned stone steps and used granitic sand for pathways which form a sculptural effect in the garden. One of her favourite plants are grasses and she has created a natural grass garden by mowing pathways through a paddock and planting different grass species and kangaroo grasses.
Her degree was in Fine Art and Sculpture and Lily has been able to incorporate her academic study into her garden creations and also into her artwork.
She has a studio in her garden and there she creates sculptures, jewellery and illustrations based on the natural environment of her garden.
In November 2023, Lily opened her garden for a weekend and some Wombat Post readers may have visited. Lily intends to open her garden again in 2024 and if so, it is well worth a visit.
Quite recently Lily has been interviewed and featured in the Design Files and on the ABC’s Gardening Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAAv2WpfNso
The Daylesford & District Horticultural Society meets on the first Tuesday of every month. New members are welcome.
Words: Lynne Cullen
