Open Gardens South Australia

and Blue Sky Theatre

are presenting

She Stoops to Conquer

in gardens over four weekends this coming summer

Crozier Hill at Victor Harbor

10, 11 and 12 January 2020

Stangate House in Aldgate
18 and 19 January 2020

The Cedars at Hahndorf
24, 25 and 26 January 2020

Wittunga Botanic Garden in Blackwood

The weather bureau forecast was correct with thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday making it unsafe to put on our shows, so we postponed the performances to the following weekend.

Your ticket for Friday 31st January will be valid for the show on Friday 7th February.

Your ticket for Saturday 1st February will be valid for the show on Saturday 8th February.

Despite being a sold out show, many guests are unable to come on the new dates, as a result, we have selected tickets on sale on the new dates.

So don’t miss out. Check out what tickets are now available.

If you have any questions, please get in touch: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 0475 309 435

Gates open at 4pm.  Shows start at 6.30pm.

Kate Hardcastle has a love problem: Her prospective fiancé is terribly shy. He can hardly get a sentence out around her, but he exudes confidence around her maid. So, what if she poses as a barmaid to get to know him?

Her meddling step-mother, blusterous father, and rascally step-brother get drawn into the plot twists and turns in order to conceal her identity.

Amidst this madcap mayhem, can Kate convince Charlie Marlow to love her for who she really is?

Blue Sky Theatre will set Oliver Goldsmith's warm-hearted 18th century romp in the giddy world of the roaring twenties. 

So, join us for a picnic in four glorious gardens to enjoy a spirited feast of martinis, jazz and family mix-ups guaranteed to keep you laughing through the chaos.

 Bar available selling Howard Vineyard wines, plus beer and soft drinks.

Bring your own picnic or purchase one online.

BOOK HERE

 The Gale Garden

Morphett Vale

 Sunday Sept 15^th

Open 10am-4.30pm

This artistic, skilfully designed and superbly maintained garden will be opening
as a special ticketed event. Please book through Trybooking below.
Entry will be $8 with no concessions.

BOOK HERE

The charity for this Garden is the Fred Hollows Foundation

The smartly stepped and beautifully trimmed grevillea hedge in front of the property opens onto a tree lined drive and immediately it is evident that this is an exceptional garden! More lines of hedging snake curvaceously around; some are double hedges with plant species chosen for their contrasting textures and the varying tones of their foliage. Others, like the vivid cerise flowered bougainvillea add a bold pop of colour. Several very tall hedges have been creatively shaped to form striking focal points, at the same time cleverly screening sheds and tanks. However, it is the multitude of tightly trimmed topiary balls that steal the show! Many are the silver foliage of Teucrium fruiticans (germander) but there are others in all shades of green to provide contrast – and all are pruned to perfection!

Numerous trees add height and shade the lovely early 1900s heritage listed villa. A formal rose garden is enclosed by rosemary hedges and steps lead to another hedged area where an elegant multi stemmed Russian olive is positioned to be the focus for the long vista from the driveway and the lower garden. Tough water efficient perennials along with Australian and Mediterranean plants that have proven their ability to survive the difficult clay over limestone soil are planted in drifts throughout the garden and provide colour and add more interesting foliage combinations. Imaginative garden ornaments, many made by the owner from natural materials are well placed throughout the garden!

Yalamurra Garden Tour

Saturday 19th October 2019

4pm to 7pm

Cost $35/head   -  Refreshments included  -  25 Attendees

SOLD OUT

 
This is a unique garden! Best described as a little Piet Oudolf-like in design, but only vaguely so; Kurt’s garden has an individuality of its own! Kurt will ‘walk and talk’ around his garden explaining his philosophy and how he experiments with plants to find those that will survive in his very thin, poor soil with limited irrigation. He is passionate and knowledgeable and his enthusiasm is inspiring! 

 
Kurt describes himself as a “greenscaper, topiarist, hedger and professional gardener”! When he purchased the property 7 years ago he began by using his trimming skills to shape existing plants into a series of tight domes. The sharp contrast this created with the surrounding jumble of plants appealed to him and he continued to expand and hone the concept, adding more domes and more jumble!

As with Oudolf, Kurt can see the beauty in foliage whether it be living or dead so he allows plants that would usually be thought past their prime to remain if they add to the picture or provide movement in the garden. Similarly with plants commonly considered to be weeds, whilst not encouraged he doesn’t discriminate and if they pop up and their foliage or flowers contribute to his vision, they momentarily become part of the big picture.

The garden is north of Adelaide and the setting has stunning views over distant rolling hills. The clipped domes artfully mimic the shape of the hills and their distant velvety appearance is a sharp contrast to the froth of planting between the domes. Colour makes a statement too; the usual guidelines for colour combinations have been disregarded and ‘the richer and brighter the better’ is the rule that reigns!

Kurt’s Garden will certainly challenge your concept of what a garden is! Still a young garden and a very much a work in progress, it is original and imaginative, created by a visionary who is not afraid to push the boundaries of traditional garden design. Images of the garden can be seen on Instagram @kurt.wilkinson.

 
Espalier Workshop at Carrick Hill

 Saturday 7th September

10am to 4pm

Cost $80/head  -  20 Attendees

Dan Austin, a Senior Lecturer in horticulture at Urrbrae TAFE, will start the workshop with a power point presentation at the Café. This will be followed by a walk to the espalier pear arbor where he will talk about pruning. We then proceed to the propagation area where each participant will be given a branched apple tree to espalier under Dan's direction that they can take home. We will then conclude with a grafting demonstration.

BYO lunch or purchase lunch from the café

Afternoon tea, coffee and cake will be supplied.

 SOLD OUT

Please continue to folllow our web page as we may run a second workshop

History Festival tour of The Cedars

Sunday 5th May 2019, 10am - 2pm

Heysen Road, Hahndorf

Join us during the History Festival in May at The Cedars, the historic property of Hans Heysen. The Curator Allan Campbell will take you on a tour of the house, studio and garden. Allan is a walking encyclopedia of this precious and well kept secret in the Adelaide Hills.

Morning tea will be provided on arrival followed by Allan's tour. A boxed lunch will be available outside in an undercover seating area.

Please come prepared for all weather conditions.

Cost for this event is $45

 Limited to 30 Attendees

BOOK HERE

Simon's Organic Nursery

Saturday 27th April 2019, 2pm - 4pm

317 Frome Road, Currency Creek

Over the last 25 years, Simon Ardill has developed a nursery nestled in a bush setting alongside Currency Creek following organic principles. You may have met Simon at many of the Fleurieu Markets where he is known for his large variety of salvias and herbs.

Simon has specialised in rare olive trees from which he produces a unique blended oil. He has a vast orchard of fruit and nut trees including feijoas, peaches, apricots, apples, chestnuts, pistachios and almonds. There is also a productive vegetable garden and different varieties of bamboo.

He will tour us through the property and then talk about and demonstrate propagation, discuss the choice of fruit trees for our gardens and then demonstrate pruning of fruit trees.

This event is for the true garden lover. In Simon’s unique bush setting there are no toilet facilities, running water or electricity. Please wear good walking shoes and come prepared for all weather conditions.

This is the same weekend as the Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival so you may wish to visit the area in the morning and catch an early lunch (but find a loo before your arrival).

Water, soft drinks and snacks will be provided.

Cost for this event is $35.

Limited to 30 Attendees

Simon is happy to sell a wide variety of plants from his Nursery

BOOK HERE