THE EARLY DAYS​

Merribee’s garden spans seven acres of sensory splendour.  Plant life flourishes in this coastal land, which was first settled in the 1820's as part of Alexander’s Berry’s 100-square mile estate. The previous owners, Lucy and Richard had incredible vision and passion and set about creating the stunning grounds that now make up The Merribee. They have slowly and lovingly fashioned this plot into an ornate garden with numerous "botanical rooms". And today our garden team has continued to further that botanical legacy. 

 

THE BOTANICAL ROOMS

The botanical rooms include The Secret Garden, The Parterre Garden, The Bay Room, The Italian Garden, The Edible Garden, Apothecary Gardens modelled on 7th Century Monastic and 12th Century Medieval designs and plantings, The Elizabethan Lover's Knot Garden, The Heritage Rose Garden and Formal Rose Garden and the Lavender Paddock where 1,000 lavender bushes transport visitors to the fields of Provence in France.

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There are gardens filled with whimsical topiary plantings and others with thousands of buxus bushes which have formed elegant hedged patterns over the years and which can be viewed from climbing up to a viewing pavilion.

One of the masterpieces at Merribee is undoubtedly the 'Dordogne Garden' which is loosely inspired by the Gardens of Marqueyssac in the Dordogne region of France. Continuously hedged by Merribee's gardeners it has evolved over the years to become quite an attraction.

 

FRAGRANCE

Fragrance is central to so many of the plantings and waft from every corner of the garden. No rose is allowed at Merribee unless it has a scent, the lavender paddock fills with its purple haze of lavender aroma every year (as does the lavender "cloud" above Merribee as we distil the oil very early in January each year) and bay trees, citrus groves, curry bushes, ginger plants and more all lend a wonderful array of smells into the garden. The birdlife is as vibrant as the garden’s rainbow palette and the edible fruits range from guava, bananas, quinces, kaffir limes, pink grapefruits and apple to pomegranate and passionfruit. We even have coffee and tea bushes in our edible garden!

 

THE BEES

Merribee is also home to beehives that yield the sweetest honey.  

Merribee has entertained thousands of guests since it began hosting weddings over 16 years ago, and the estate also offers a Lavender Festival in summer time, and various Open Days throughout the year.

 

THE LOVERS KNOT
In 2020 Richard lifted 546 buxus bushes and replanted them into the shape of a 500 year-old Elizabethan knot garden plan. This is now in the process of being 'settled in', being hedged and its pattern being pruned carefully into the correct shape. A staircase to a viewing platform was built in the winter of 2021 to allow visitors to look down onto the pattern.

In 2020 and 2021 the Heritage Rose Garden was further developed and it now boasts 100 different Species and old Cultivated roses, including Ancient Damasks and Gallicas, Centifolias, Moss and Albas. It holds the four "stud" Chinensis roses, and the first yellow rose brought to the West in 1589. With various hybridised Portlands, Bourbons, Teas and others, it aims to tell the story of the Evolution of the Rose from Ancient times to the Modern English rose of David Austin. It also showcases some of the first Species rose bushes ever brought to Australia and planted in the Colony of New South Wales.

Merribee is a real labour of love! A team of 5 full & part time gardeners work closely with Lucy and Richard in realizing the dreams and vision they have for the garden for everyone to enjoy.

 

 

ROSES

The Merribee is home to approximately 600 rose bushes. This includes 130 species and cultivars. We have 4 areas of The Merribee devoted to roses: The Heritage Garden, The Formal Rose Garden, and our 2 picking gardens where we grow cut flowers which we sell to the public on our Open Days.

The Heritage Rose Garden traces the History and Evolution of the Rose from Ancient and Medieval "Old Roses" (our oldest rose has been in continuous cultivation for approximately 4,500 years!) through the process of hybridisation with Chinensis roses, through the establishment of new classes of roses ad finally to the development of the English Rose class of David Austin.

The Formal Rose Garden has long rows of roses planted down an "aisle" often used for weddings. Souvenir de la Malmaison, The Children's Rose, Duchesse de Brabant, Charles de Gaulle, Heritage, Maman Cochet and Deane Ross make for a heady and ever-flowering display.

Roses can be purchased in our Little Store during Open Days.

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BUXUS & TOPIARY 

The Merribee has gained quite a reputation for its Topiary and Hedging, with over 10,000 buxus (boxwood) plants all clipped and shaped either into straight hedges or more exotic curved and organic forms, or even animals, Paul Baker our Master of Hedging and Topiary does very little else but clip buxus at The Merribee. 

One of the masterpieces at The Merribee is undoubtedly the 'Dordogne Garden'. Continuously hedged by Merribee's gardeners it has evolved over the years to become quite an attraction. We were delighted to host the Inaugural Australian Topiary and Hedging Festival in May 2022, in celebration of World Topiary Day.

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LAVENDAR

For at least 7 years now, we have had a paddock filled with 1000 lavender bushes and we host a lavender festival annually.