Canowindra Charm: a Paul Bangay Walled Garden.

Noojea Lee Homestead was open last week. On a perfect autumn day a great opportunity for a scenic drive to Canowindra. The property known as Noojea Lee has, apart from the spectacular views, veteran trees, a wisteria-covered walkway, expansive croquet lawns and, a tennis court, two Paul Bangay-designed gardens. One is a walled garden and the other a courtyard kitchen garden at the rear of the home.

Having visited the property over five years ago, I jumped at the chance to view the walled garden again. On my last visit I had been inspired by the structure of the garden and use of densely planted hedges, arbours, and focal points considered signature elements of Paul Bangay’s designs. I was disappointed with the range of plants. Over time, the development and management of the garden has improved enormously and the walled garden has grown into itself, and is now full of personality and timeless beauty.

There are often surprises in Paul Bangay’s designs, glimpses of what’s ahead and paths that tempt you to go further to see and lead you around the next corne . On entering the garden at Noojea lee that felt like a maze I was thrilled to see massed roses within the walled space.

Oh! The things which happened in that garden! If you have never had a garden you cannot understand,
and if you have had a garden you will know that it would take
a whole book to describe all that came to pass there.
Frances Hodgson Burnett

The roses were out in full bloom and symmetrically mass planted around the central fountain. The design created an appealing, balanced sense of order which was reassuring. The golden hue of Soul Mate roses added colour, texture and fun to the space with their glossy, healthy foliage and abundance of blooms. It was both surprising for the start of May and magnificent on an clear sunny Autumn day that felt more like Spring.

Soul Mate was bred by Tom Carruth, USA in 2003 and is a profusely flowering rose called the Julia Child Rose in the UK, USA, and Absolutely Fabulous in NZ. It has an abundance of roses per shrub in clusters and some solitary. The colouring is gorgeous; an old-fashioned lemon, yellow and buttery-gold set against deep green foliage.

“I love roses, especially yellow roses. They’re not cherished like red roses, but they’re invariably cheerful.
Add them to a bouquet of lavender, and they make a heavenly smell and a beautiful display.
Put them in a vase by themselves, and they nod and smile at everyone who passes.”
Christina Dodd

The fragrance of the Soul Mate rose is a lovely anise spice scent. It grows in a well-rounded shrub to around 85 cm tall. The golden buds and blooms at all stages of growth on mass create an uplifting yellow glow, especially within the protected environment of a walled garden.

“Every shade of yellow is a shade of hope.”

Soul Mate is one of those roses that bloom perpetually and are very heat tolerant, a perfect choice for the climate of the Central West of NSW.

There were also beautiful specimens of the pure white Hybrid Tea; Rosa Pascali- LENip. Pascali rose was bred by Louis Lens in Belgium, in 1963 and, is a tall rose to 180 cm with neatly shaped white blooms that may be slightly tinged in pink. Pascali Rose is a world wide favourite and inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame in 1991.

“Texture and foliage keep a garden interesting through the season. Flowers are just moments of gratification.”
Kevin Doyle

Although the Soul Mate Roses dominated the walled garden there were pink roses growing as well on each corner garden bed, although no name tags. Towards the back wall the garden had a cosy private seating area and pergola with large displays of wilder roses. Carmagnole was recognisable immediately due to the hard to miss large thorns and then opposite the pergola was a beautiful Mme Isaac Pereire rose.

“Good planting design does not follow a formula. At best, it allows you to experiment with nature and through nature to make an
original statement. As in all of the arts, the best garden designers take risks. Only by taking risks can you come up with something exciting and original.”
James Van Sweden

Kumquat trees were strategically placed in large terracotta pots in each corner of the garden, adding a Mediterranean feel. I have these growing at home in over-sized blue ceramic pots along with lavender. It was quite inspiring to see how they will be when further along.

“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; bitter where it borders on taste. Containing depth within itself, the darkness, almost.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Pictured here is the courtyard kitchen garden at the rear of Noojea Lee designed by Paul Bangay. The central fountain is enclosed by the guest wing and the back verandah of the homestead.

With clever use of a restricted palette of plants, a fragrant welcoming and protective space is created. Iceberg white roses, herbs, buxus, lavender, and rosemary combine with a few select varieties of salvia. The residents must enjoy this space often. I certainly would and I hope I can return in the Spring to see the climbing roses in bloom along the verandah.

After my visit to Noojea Lee, feeling comforted by the beauty of the sanctuary in the walled garden. I was reminded that gardens, over time and with extra care and the right choice of plants, gardens can be magnificent. I was inspired by a select palette of plants for a lasting wow factor in design. Simple is best.

“Gardens don’t just please the senses, they satisfy one’s need for calm, privacy, balance, and stability; they allow one, no matter how weak or disenfranchised, to impose an order on the chaos and govern living things.”
Diane Ackerman