SOMETHING TO SEE: Orange Highland Wines and Gardens owner Ross and Helen Harrison were thrilled to be included in the new book Country Gardens Country Hospitality. Photo: STEVE GOSCH 1031sggarden1
THE Orange region has more than its fair share of “gorgeous” gardens says Holly Kerr Forsyth whose new book on Australia’s best country gardens highlights three local properties.
Dr Kerr Forsyth said she’d been tipped off by friends Judy and Philip Jackson that there were several amazing gardens she should visit when putting together her book Country Gardens Country Hospitality.
The gardens featured include Col and Beth Magicks’ garden of Nashdale, Orange Highland Wines and Gardens also at Nashdale and the residential property and garden of John and Jill Fisher west of Orange.
The newly-published hardcover book looks at 27 properties from throughout Australia and it took the Sydney writer 12 months to complete including a six week trip driving and flying to look at the gardens.
“The gardens [in the Orange area] were beautiful and interesting as well,” she said,
Dr Kerr Forsyth said she expects the book to appeal to both “city and country folk”.
“People are very interested in big country gardens and how country people entertain,” she said.
The book combines descriptions of the properties featured, recipes and photographs the author took herself.
“I knew what I was going to write about so I photographed accordingly,” she said.
Dr Kerr Forsyth said she wasn’t sure why the Orange area had such success with its gardens.
“There seems to be a lot of big, beautiful gardens; it might be the good soil or rainfall.”
Ross Harrison, who owns Orange Highland Wines and Gardens with his wife Helen, said being featured in the book is “a marker of our hard labour”.
“When we arrived in Nashdale nine years ago we purchased 50 acres (20 hectares) of horticultural land which was almost completely bare with just one tree on it,” Mr Harrison said.
“We then set about planting the vineyard and subsequently the gardens.
“It is important to us to share the gardens with other people and we hope that in some small way the book will bring to the attention of garden lovers what Orange Highland Wines and Gardens has to offer.”
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au
