My first garden visit is to the lovely Lisgar Gardens on Lisgar Road in Hornsby, NSW. These gardens cover 2.6 hecatres on a hillside, with the different garden levels created by using sandstone blocks. The gardens are owned, and cared for, by Hornsby Shire Council. They are open 8 am-3.30pm on weekdays and 10am-4pm (5pm daylight savings) at weekends. They are closed on public holidays and in adverse waether conditions.
The garden beds have been planted with camellias (over 300 specimens and 200 varieties), rhododendrons, azaleas and a formal annual display. All these exotic plants have been planted amongst native plants that already exist within the gardens, something that I thinks works really well, especially when the Camellias are in flower. The gardens also have some waterfalls, fishponds, lawn areas with seating, a shade house, pavillion and a forest walk that is full of native Australian species.
On walking down the steps from the carpak into the gardens, there are several paths that you can take. The path to the right takes you towards the formal annual display and lawn area where there is seating and access to the pavillion, shade house (that contains a fish pond and some shade-loving plants). To the left of the enterance steps, there is a path that leads to the gardens containing the camellias, another lawn area with picnic benches and also the forest walk. Some of the pathways are made of stone, some are mulched, with the paths of the forest walk being uneven and rocky. There is an inclinator to allow access for people with prams and wheelchairs, but this was out of use due to social distancing requirements (no date as to when it will re-open in June 2022, so it may be worth asking the council).
The gardens are well known for their camellias. At the time of my visit, in June 2022, there were only a few in flower. Those in flower added a lovely splash of colours against the green of the surrounding leaves, including pinks, reds and white. One of the varieties flowering on my visit was Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’, a peony form camelia with its pale pink flowers which is one of my favourites.
The forest walk is another nice feature of the garden. It takes you on a loop down the hillside on which you enter and up the other side of the small valley, then back again. The walk is through native bushland, which I wasnt expecting. The walking is unven but not too challenging-unless you dont like walking up hills! As this area tends to be a bit quieter than the planted garden area, I found it to be a nice, peaceful walk for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Some of my favorite plants here on the walk are the birds nest fern (Asplenium australasicum), several different tree ferns and my all-time favouite tree, the Sydney red gum (Angophora costata).
As this was my first visit to the garden I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I actually really liked it. There are plenty of camelias to look at and enjoy, but the way they are planted fits in well with the lanscape in which the garden sits. I also like the fact that there are areas where you can sit quietly or meet up with friends and family for a picnic, or you can go for a short walk around the garden without feeling like you are on top of other people.
The gardens also have a volunteer organisation that help to look after the gardens. They are known as the Friends of Lisgar Gardens-they help to promote and protect the gardens. They hold events throughout the year, including the Camellia Gala Day in winter and Lisgar Live music events. For more information on the Friends of Lisgar Gardens, go to their website http://www.lisgarfriends.wordpress.com.
References
- https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/lifestyle/sports-and-recreation/parks-and-playgrounds/lisgar-gardens. Accessed 19/06/2022
- https://lisgarfriends.wordpress.com/
- All photos are my own