T
hegrassyslopesofthisproperty,knownasMurdoch
Hill,arepatchworkedwithdifferenttonesofgreen,
theirverdantpeaksdottedwithcontentedcows
contemplatingthehiketothedistantdam.Owners
PhoebeandSimonBrownwerecaptivatedbythis
bucolicvistawhentheyboughtthe 100 haproperty,inthe
AdelaideHillsdistrict,in 2007. Itwasthebeginningofa
newchapterforthecoupleandtheirfourdaughters,
A nnabelle,now 13 , Winnie, 12 , Matilda,nine,andRuby,six.
Withplentyofacreagetoplaywithonthisworkingproperty,
eachfamilymemberhaditemsonthewishlist.Ponies,a pool
anda Provincial-stylehometoppedthelist,whilePhoebewas
alsosetona sprawlingcountrygarden.Asdemolitionofthe
tired 1970 s dwellingbegan,Phoebedeterminedlysalvaged
someoftheexistingplants.“Theoriginalgardenwasactually
verybeautifulandquaint,andI managedtotransplantsome
oftheestablishedroses,bulbs,agapanthusandliliestoa
spotbesidethedriveway,”saysPhoebe.“Itwasmyfirstattempt
atgardening,andI hadtoaskourfarmmanagerhowtodig
a holeandplanta shrub,muchtohisamusement. It was a
bitallovertheplace,butit wasa start.”
Phoebehassinceexpandedwellbeyondthatinitialplot,
creating an extensive Mediterranean-style garden under>ThepathisfringedbytopiaryconesofJapanesebox,Daphne
‘EternalFragrance’andpinkRosafloribunda‘Seduction’,framed
bya hedgeofViburnumtinus.OPPOSITEClockwisefromtopleft
Anespalieredquincetree.PottedBuxusandwallscraftedfrom
localsandstonesurroundthepool.Annabelle,Winnie,Matilda,
RubyandPhoebe(fromleft)withtheirminiaturegroodleRosie.
Rosa‘PrincessofKent’,whirlingbutterflies(Gaura),coastal
rosemary,Englishlavenderandmoregrowonthisslopingsite.
Thedelicatewhiteflowersofa non-fruitingolive.Annabelle
andWinnieleadhorsesJarrahandSkye along the driveway.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’.