Designer Garden
Perri Cutten grew up among plants at her father’s nursery; in fact, a rhododendron is named after her, Rhododendron ‘Perri Cutten’. Her property, Panteg (meaning ‘happy’ in Welsh) in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, provides a weekend refuge for this successful fashion designer. Her designs are for people aged from 25 onwards. Perri believes that by the time people are buying her clothes, they know what they want.
The 1.4 hectare (3.5 acre) parkland garden was first planted in 1915 and much of its original structure remains, with winding pathways and old dry stone retaining walls. New walls have been built in the same way, using granite from the property. Maple, silver birch, beech and oak trees surround a large, sloping circular lawn behind the house, and there is a walk lined with hazelnut and walnut trees.
A strong impact with colour is made in the garden with a blue rhododendron planted opposite an orange mollis azalea. A white flowering shrub is placed between them so that each colour can be seen more clearly. There is also a bank of various pink coloured azaleas that goes against the traditional plantings, placing different pinks side by side.
Further information
For more information about Perri Cutten’s garden see the March edition of the Burke’s Backyard magazine. The Woolmark Melbourne Fashion Festival is on from Monday February 15th to Sunday February 21st, 1999. For further details phone: (03) 9826 9688.