Over the past 25 years, landscape designer Sam Cox and partner Lisa Hatfield have transformed a bare paddock in Wattle Glen into a remarkable 1.5-acre Australian bush garden. Sam was the last apprentice of influential landscape designer Gordon Ford, one of the defining figures in Australia’s naturalistic landscape movement. Here, that legacy is revealed in a garden that sits so comfortably in its setting, it’s hard to imagine there was ever anything else.
Grounded in the principles of the Australian naturalistic style, Sam has used careful earth shaping, considered rockwork and layered native planting, to create a garden that feels effortless, though every element has been carefully planned. Mounds and basalt outcrops give way to winding mulched paths that echo wallaby tracks, while broad drifts of planting reveal changing light, texture and seasonal colour. As the garden has matured, the tree canopy has reached into the neighbouring bush, the understorey has filled out, and moss now traces the grout lines between the paving.
The handcrafted mudbrick house at the garden's centre is no backdrop. Designed by Sam as an extension of the landscape, it blurs the distinction between indoors and out, echoing the naturalistic principles expressed throughout the garden.
Water plays a central role throughout the garden. A winding watercourse leads to a large basalt-lined pond that provides habitat for frogs, birds and other wildlife, while on the opposite side of the house, a waterfall brings the movement and sound of water into the family living space, drawing the landscape deep into the home.
Visitors will discover a casuarina forest, an olive grove, a native grassland, Sam’s design studio, Gordo’s much-loved Land Rover and the ‘patch in the paddock’, each revealing another layer of the garden’s story. A place for both explorers and ponderers, the garden rewards those who take the time to wander.
Toilets are available on premises for use.
Sam Cox: Wattle Glen Garden is located on the lands of the Wurundjeri People. Open Gardens Victoria wish to acknowledge the Traditional custodians of this land and we pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Extra activities in the area:
Panton Hill Vineyard and Winery for lunch
St Andrews Market 9am-2pm (Sat only)
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.
Please stay at home if you're unwell
