MANGIRI PARK: Crafers West, Adelaide Hills

Mangiri Park in the Adelaide Hills is confirmation that the keen gardener can achieve pretty much anything if they have plenty of patience, a love of hard work, and mountains of mulch. Most days you'll find George Duffy in the back yard with the wheelbarrow under the shade of his own private stringybark forest. He and his wife Yvonne began carving out this oasis of colour amid the forest, well over 20 years ago.

"You've made a fairly herculean effort to carve your oasis out amogst these magnificent trees".

"Yes, it has been hard work because there's very little soil. So wherever you've seen garden anywhere, we've had to add soil to it and over the years have put a lot of mulch to improve and things around to improve the soil".

All this magnificent colour competes with the roots of these towering stringbarks for available water and so Yvonne has planted an array of hardy natives and exotic plants. As you wander through Mangiri Park, the pathways through the thick timber act like passageways to new vistas, some to yet more colour and others to Adelaide's coastline.

"When you first carved the garden out, you didn't have mains water did you?"

"No we didn't, for about I suppose four years, we only had rain water".

"Well you're known in horticultural circles as the gum tree lady and you even named your beautiful property after them".

"Yes, yes. Place of Many Gums - Mangiri Park".

"And it's certainly well named because there's 15 acres of regrowth stringybark that were cut down in the 1800's and used to make actual wooden blocks to pave the streets of Adelaide and Pt Adelaide and this is all regrowth and with a bit of luck and a bit of good management these will be back to their former glory".

But a magnificent stand of native forest brings with it certain dangers. With bushfires an ever present threat, Yvonne's cottage gardens around the house provide a stunning fire break where again the emphasis is on colour and self reliance.

"And this, that's a native hibiscus"

"That is a native hibiscus, hibiscus huglia. It's a very strong grower and it does have to be cut back pretty vigorously every so often".

"And what about water?"

"No"

"None?"

"None, not it's just natural"

"This is the tough area?"

If you're looking for some inspiration on how to blend a garden within a tough but spectacular setting that nature has provided, then head to Mangiri Park. It's at 20 Charlick Road, Crafers West. It is open on weekends from 10am to 5pm and by appointment on weekdays.
Contact (08) 8373-8493. or email info@postcards.sa.com.au