‘Burke’s Backyard’ has visited many gardens over the years with many different themes. Each garden has reflected the varied interests and fantasies of its owner.
Of all the garden styles the one that is almost universally admired is the tropical garden. A fine example of a tropical-style garden can be found at Sunnybank in Brisbane. This is the garden of Dennis and Patrice Hundscheidt.
Since we visited the Hundscheidt garden in 1993 its tropical theme has been given a Balinese/Thai flavour with the addition of Balinese statuary and ornaments such as water jars, which are set among the garden’s massed palm trees and colourful foliage plantings. The overall effect is both exotic and very private.
Although the garden is only the size of a normal suburban block (around 1000 square metres) its clever design makes it appear larger. The garden has been divided into many garden rooms and it is impossible to get an overview of the garden from any one place.
Colourful garden
Dennis and Patrice Hundscheidt regularly open their garden to visitors. They recently welcomed their 10,000th visitor through Australia’s Open Garden Scheme.
This is a garden of much colour but with few flowers. The colour is derived mainly from massed tropical foliage plants such as crotons, cordylines and bromeliads. The occasional impatiens or Busy Lizzie adds to the colourful effect. The colours have been coordinated by the use of mainly ‘hot’ colours such as bright oranges and reds.
The framework is provided by a large collection of palms. Dennis has collected more than 100 palms from all around the world. Foliage plants have been used to underplant the ever growing palms.
The most important lesson to learn from the Hundscheidt garden is that the same tropical look (that is palms with a colourful understorey planting) can be achieved almost anywhere in Australia, from Hobart to Darwin, by choosing foliage plants to suit the climate.
Dennis has planted tropical and subtropical plants but in a cooler climate a similar effect could be created with gold dust plants, Japanese sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica), Cordyline australis and aspidistras. Cool climate palms such as the European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) and Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) can be substituted for tropical palms. Ask your local nursery for foliage plants appropriate to your area.
Low maintenance
Although the effect of the garden looks difficult to achieve, according to Dennis Hundscheidt it would be relatively easy to plan and grow in your own backyard. A similar garden would need time to evolve but most of the plants are readily available and easy to look after.
One of the benefits of the garden is that it does not require much maintenance. There is very little lawn, watering is via a micro-irrigation system and a mulch of leaves (called Rainforest Mulch and supplied by local tree loppers) together with garden compost breaks down to feed the plants.
The palms have been selected to be self cleaning, that is the fronds fall cleanly from the palm and so do not require pruning (which is a task that must be done from a ladder once the palms mature). Dennis strongly recommends that gardeners plant only self-cleaning palms such as the Alexandra, bangalow or foxtail palms rather than the popular but untidy cocos palm (Arecastrum romanzoffianum), which has to have its dying leaves removed by hand.
Bali theme
The Balinese theme came to the fore when handcarved granite statues from Irian Jaya (Western New Guinea) were placed within the garden among patches of plantings such as mondo grass or by a water feature. Dennis says that it is important to match the statuary with the style of garden so that you get a unified effect.
Open garden
The Hundscheidt garden will be open again through Australia’s Open Garden Scheme (AOGS) on 27-28 February, 1999 from 9am-6pm. The garden is at 173 Young Street, Sunnybank, Qld. Admission is $3.50. For other gardens to visit consult the 1998/99 edition of the AOGS Guidebook (available from July 1998) or phone the Information Service on 1900 155 064.
Availability
Balinese statuary is available from:
NSW
Bali in Profile, Pacific Highway, Roseville. Phone: (02) 9413 1622
QLD
Terracotta Clayworks, Seventeen Mile Rocks. Phone: (07) 3376 7437
Tropical foliage plants such as crotons and cordylines are available at most nurseries (in cool climates look for these plants in the indoor plant section of your nursery). Some of the varieties of cordyline found in the Hundscheidt’s garden are however not readily available at nurseries. These plants were specially imported through quarantine by Dennis from places such as Hawaii.