“Hydrangea House” is a circa 1960’s mid-century house beautifully located by Lake Colac and the Bird Sanctury, providing spectacular views from both the house and the large deck. The garden is on the Esplanade in Colac is set on a small irregular block and is very relatable to the home gardener.
The house is a modest mid-century modernist /MCM house and demonstrates many elements of the era, particularly the concept of “bringing the outside in” that merges living spaces with the surrounding landscape. Careful siting of the house on the sloping block and the use of “walls of windows” achieves the indoor-outdoor flow of the mid-century style. The owners, Ken and Marg have called “Hydrangea House” home for 25 years.
This beautifully cared for garden has evolved over that time without any professional planning. Marg is a passionate plantswoman and over the 25 years she has adapted the planting as the garden has become shader and different plants have earned their place. Some of Marg’s favourites are the Camillia sasanquahedge, the perennial beds including David Austin roses that line the small driveway, the Jacaranda particularly in the summer and the hellebores and camellias in the winter. The New Zealand Rock Lily, Anthropodium cirratum and other shade loving perennials, have been trialled and used extensively throughout the garden providing a solution to many challenges of the site.
The mass planting of hydrangeas attracts a lot of interest throughout the seasons as they tumble through the picket fence and provide splashes of warmth throughout the garden.
This opening will include a directional flow that includes walking through the MCM house to experience the garden and views from within.
Toilets are a 10 minute walk on the lake foreshore.
Hydrangea House is located on the lands of the Eastern Maar people. Open Gardens Victoria wishes to acknowledge the Traditional custodians of this land and we pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Extra activities in the area:
Hydrangea House is a short 10-minute walk to the Colac Botanic Gardens. Visitors are encouraged to ensure they have time to visit these superb Guilfoyle designed gardens, Colac’s hidden gem.
The walk to the gardens is very pleasant via the Bird Sanctury and along the lake foreshore.
Marg is the secretary of the local “friends’ group” and the friends potting group will be holding a plant stall in the botanic gardens on the open day with many bargains to be had.
Further afield is the Cororooke Open Space, a 10-minute drive. The Space offers a stunning recreational area for families with young children and adults of all ages with a playground, modern historical QR code information and barbeque facilities. A historical footpath is used as a timeline to describe the history of the district from before the volcanic eruption to the present-day paying respect to the custodians of the land. Beautiful animal footprints are impressed in the concrete boarders of the pathway.
Strictly only opening 10am to 4.30pm on the dates listed above. Please respect the garden owners' privacy and visit only during opening hours. There will be no early entries.
Entry: $10 Adults, $6 Students (with ID card), Free for visitors under 18 or students who have purchased an annual Student Pass (with ID).
Tickets can be booked and pre-paid online via TryBooking. You can also pay on the day.
Sustainable practices are important to OGV, therefore where possible please either print your own garden notes or save them for viewing on your mobile device.
If you’re a tertiary student, why not purchase our OGV Student Pass, providing you with entry to all our garden openings for the year for just $25. Find out more and purchase your pass via TryBooking.
Become a Friend of OGV and receive two x 2 for the price of 1 garden passes, plus a one off 10% discount to some of Victoria's best garden centres via Trybooking.
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