— From The Garden Room: Outdoor spaces reimagined for creative living by Hannah Puechmarin
A swarm of insects buzz in the air about the rhododendron grove surrounding the farmhouse, illuminated with afternoon sunlight. The woman who began this garden a hundred years ago adored the colour pink, and it is in this flush of abundant colour that it seems her soul remains here to this day. Now in the custodianship of two horticulturalists, they too have left their own marks on the land.
The Glasshouse
Who: Sarah & Andrew Ryan
Where: Yetholme, New South Wales
Was: Glasshouse at a university
Now: Glasshouse in the countryside
The glasshouse at Hillandale is a relatively new addition to the grand history of this garden, which spans 2.5 hectares west of the Blue Mountains. The glasshouse’s frame was formerly located at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, but has found its final resting place here, overlooking the countryside.
It has now been a decade since its resurrection at Hillandale, perched on the upper slope of the gardens. A room with a view, it perfectly captures the sun throughout the day, with an outlook across perennial borders that are a flamboyance of colour from spring through to autumn. Brimming with an array of succulents, fuchsias and geraniums potted in simple terracotta, the glasshouse is at home where an orchard once grew. It is in good company, and the nearby fruit-packing shed has also been restored to newfound glory. In typical farmhouse style, the glasshouse is decorated with curious odds and ends, including a Victorian-era fireplace, rusty birdcages and mid-century shelving.
Sarah Ryan had wanted a glasshouse to complement her nursery business for some time. So when a friend mentioned he had an old glasshouse structure to rehome she went to look – and it was love at first sight. Sarah, along with her husband Andrew and their sons, dismantled it into pieces and brought it back to Hillandale. From then, it was five years before the glasshouse was finally installed in its current position.
A self-taught stonemason in his spare time, Andrew pain-stakingly built the base of the glasshouse with bluestone sourced from the property during his lunch breaks and after work with a headtorch as his guide. A true labour of love, once the wall was complete, the metal frame was reassembled, original glass panes washed and set into place, again with the help of their sons.
By this point, Sarah’s nursery was no longer operational, and in turn, the glasshouse became home to an impressive assortment of succulents. Over time the tidy collection has grown organically, with many being gifted by visitors to their open gardens. In the winter she finds herself in the glasshouse pottering around propagating or sowing seeds on the centre table. Throughout the rest of the year, it is simply a whimsical garden folly and backdrop to weddings that are hosted in the gardens across the warmer months.
In truth, the garden is a full-time job with two predominant sections running on either side of the farmhouse. On the southern slope is the Dale, where a natural spring-fed creek weaves its way downhill through the tree ferns and rhododendrons that are under-lined with fairytale bluebells and dainty forget-me-nots. The spring feeds into a dam where the local family of wood ducks gather and frogs happily croak the day away. On the hill by the glasshouse, is Sarah’s famed perennial border, designed with a central path that waves through the wispy grasses and arching flowers from east to west. Day in, day out, it is here that Sarah finds enjoyment in socialising with the insects and birds until nightfall sends her back inside the house.
Native fauna are not Sarah’s only company in the garden. She says that she often feels the original plantswoman of Hillandale is ever-present and says that ‘pink things seem to do the best. Some-times you just feel her getting around, having a good old smile and a chuckle – she’s happy that it’s all looking good.’
Throughout the years Sarah and Andrew have continued to welcome back Ray – the son of the original gardeners at Hillandale – and his family to celebrate milestones as if they never left. It is this generosity and respect for the past that will remain the legacy of Hillandale Gardens for years to come.
The Garden Room by Hannah Puechmarin
The Garden Room by Hannah Puechmarin, published by Thames & Hudson Australia, NZD$64.99
