What does it take to be crowned ‘best garden’?
How about an aviary, vegie patch and harbour views, for starters.
A Vaucluse garden for seniors has been crowned ‘Best Overall Garden’ in the 2018 Woollahra Garden Awards.
Co-founder of The Mark Moran Group, Evette Moran, has carefully curated the garden at their Vaucluse Village location. The garden offers free gardening workshops, supplies fresh produce to the area’s local restaurants and is open to both The Group’s residents and the general public.
“We pride ourselves on having a ‘Live Younger Philosophy’ alongside offering a natural environment that will boost our members overall wellbeing. I have always had a strong passion for gardening and I wanted to create a place where everyone could ‘lose themselves’ in,” says Evette.
Evette shares what makes the Vaucluse Village garden so special.
Abundance of native wildlife
Gardeners in Australia have an incredible opportunity to create an environment that will attract important Australian wildlife. Recently, we added an impressive menagerie style aviary placed alongside our already present native bee hives, koi and frog ponds. With the inclusion of the aviary, the precinct is now home to many Australian birds that visitors can admire.
Flourishing fruit trees
Fruit trees are a great way to source regular fresh produce throughout the year. The Vaucluse garden has a section dedicated to growing fruit trees for locals and residents to enjoy, including some of Australia’s most popular fruits – mangoes, citrus and avocados. The scent of our fruit trees often bring back childhood memories for our residents and visitors.
Native flowers
Native Australian flowers have striking features and are bursting with seasonal colours that can offer a haven for wildlife. Our range of native flowers also create an optimal habitat for animals and insect populations. Two of my favourite native flowers featured in the garden are banksias and grevilleas.
Home grown vegie patch
There are many benefits to growing your own produce which is why I decided to include a substantial vegetable patch within the design of the garden. The veggie patch ensures there is always plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables for the precinct’s chefs and bartenders. Each day chefs from The Botanica Vaucluse hand-pick fresh seasonal produce and herbs from the veggie garden to utilise in their restaurant.
Ultimate balcony garden
We have taken advantage of our Vaucluse Village’s infrastructure to create the ultimate rooftop garden with views overlooking Sydney’s iconic Harbour. The rooftop promenade is complete with grass, pavements, glass fences and potted plants and is the perfect place for residents and visitors to take a peaceful stroll. Sea views are an important part of our village design and the rooftop creates another way to have these experiences.
For more information head to www.markmoran.com.au
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