102 australiancountry.net.auGARDEN PROFILE
These pages: The
garden at Oakwood
has been a work
in progress for 50
years but Alan and
Marilyn did major
works in 1999.
When the paddocks are brown and the lake is
dry, there will always be a green patch around
the homestead on Alan and Marilyn Wilson’s
Oakwood farm near Minlaton on South
Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. That’s thanks to
the couple’s combined eff orts across two decades
since they extended the garden they inherited
when they took over the family farm in 1969.
“Alan’s mother was a keen gardener,” Marilyn
explains. “So we started with a good foundation.
Although we did the major work in 1999, it
looks like it’s been there a lot longer because it’s
surrounded by eucalypts. It’s actually hard to grow
trees to any size in this area due to a combination
of factors: wind, low rainfall of about 14 inches
[355mm] annually and shallow soil depth.An avenue of swamp she-oaks (Casuarina
glauca) on the entrance side of the property
guards against at least some of the prevailing
winds and provides protection for the front
garden, which faces north. “We chose this side
for the aspect,” Marilyn says. “We wanted to
frame views across the formal garden to the
meadow beyond and eventually the cows in the
paddock and the lake. The eff ect is lovely when
there’s water in the lake but not at the moment
with the dry seasons we’ve been having.”
Visitors are greeted by a paved courtyard at
the front door with shade provided by a mature
pepper tree. This area enjoys heavy use for
family gatherings such as Christmas brunch.
Later in the day, the family migrates past