Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Landscape of Restraint: Classic European Formality for Spray Farm in Australia

Search

Landscape of Restraint: Classic European Formality for Spray Farm in Australia

September 3, 2015

Australia-based garden designer Paul Bangay, known for his ability to create a classic European formality in even the driest of climates, imposed symmetry, parterres, and precisely clipped hedges on historic, 147-acre Spray Farm on the Bellarine Peninsula (an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne).

One of the earliest farms on Corio Bay, the property has a main house (built in 1851 for an army captain), as well as Victorian era stables, paddocks, and courtyards built a wool broker who was its next owner. Last year, ANZ banking executive Mike Smith and his wife, Maria, paid more than $10 million for the estate:

Photography by Simon Griffiths courtesy of Paul Bangay.

spray-farm-australia-gardenista-1

Above: Bangay, known as Mr. Clipped Box, designed a symmetrical layout with low, clipped hedges to define the planting beds’ borders.

spray-farm-australia-gardenista-2

Above: Silvery santolinas are kept tightly pruned into distinct balls.

knot-garden-spray-farm-australia-paul-bangay-gardenista-1

Above: Gravel pathways connect different sections of the garden.

spray-farm-australia-gardenista-5

Above: Blue and silver are the dominate colors in the formal beds.

knot-garden-spray-farm-australia-paul-bangay-gardenista-10

Above: Clipped hedges at various heights define separate spaces in the garden.

spray-farm-australia-gardenista-3

Above: The property has magnificent views of Corio Bay and, in the distance, the Melbourne skyline.

spray-farm-australia-gardenista-6Above: Bangay designs evergreen gardens for Australia’s year-round outdoor climate.

knot-garden-1-spray-farm-australia-paul-bangay-gardenista-7

Above: “We use our gardens all the time,” says Bangay, adding that other hallmarks of the quintessential Australian garden are “simpler and mass planting and combining lots of recreational activities in the garden, which they don’t do much in Europe and America.”

knot-garden-spray-farm-australia-paul-bangay-gardenista-4

Above: Grand sculptures are important focal points in a large garden.

knot-garden-spray-farm-australia-paul-bangay-gardenista-1-2

Above: Trees underplanted with hydrangeas line a gravel pathway.

For more landscape tips from Australia, see:

(Visited 403 times, 3 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0