By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
AUSTRALIA is known as the dry continent, with some parts drier than others.
But it hasn’t stopped Naomi Benney from establishing an arid garden beauty at Meredith.
Despite the challenging conditions on her hilltop property, Southernby Park, Ms Benney has created a stunning garden of succulents, agaves and other drought-tolerant species.
“I soon found out that there was no point in fighting nature, so I just did what I could with what nature allowed,” she explained.
Ms Benney found the right selection of plants to cope with poor soil on a drought-prone site with limited water resources to create her cottage-style garden filled with rustic collector’s pieces.
Made of a series of themed and colour-coded sections, Ms Benney only recently completed the most recent addition to the garden.
Southernby Park, at 599 Slate Quarry Rd, will welcome visitors as part of an Open Gardens Australia scheme from 10am to 4.30pm Saturday and Sunday.
Entry for adults will cost $8, with children admitted free.
