Cockington Green Gardens
Episode: #14 23/12/06
Presenter: Dean Boone
Dean visited one of
Cockington Green is a collection of miniature English villages and famous buildings from all over the world. The gardens have become equally famous, and it is the care and maintenance of the gardens that Dean wanted to show. They provide the scale and setting for the magical creations and the kids just love them.
The plantings are all in proportion to the models and keeping the whole setting in perfect condition requires an average 200 hours of work a week. The trees appear to be bonsai, but in fact they are not. The pruning of the garden is a relentless job and the outcomes are certainly the same. It is horticulture at its grandest.
Each year the staff are responsible for growing and planting almost 35,000 annuals to add colour to the displays. They are trailed each year to give the longest displays possible. This year the English Daisy (Bellis perennis ?Turbo?) makes a ribbon of colour through the English village display.
Conifers are used extensively throughout all of the displays and miniature varieties abound. They transplant easily and require minimal work. Dwarf Maples (Acer palmatum Dissectum Group cv.), with their fine leaves, also add seasonal interest to the tiny gardens.
The lawns at Cockington Green are of particular note. It is real and uses Bent varieties. To achieve the fine lush lawns the staff mow 2 to 3 times a week, some of it even being hand cut. The maze is something of a lazy gardener?s nightmare, but the effort and effect of the display is truly breathtaking.
The gardens are extremely high maintenance but the use of mulches reduces the amount of work required quite dramatically. Even the mulch type has to be carefully considered so it looks just right, but the mulch does an important job of reducing watering requirements and keeping weeds at bay.
With water restrictions in mind, all of this has had to be achieved very water wisely. In ground watering systems, bore water, soil wetting agents and additional mulching all work together to ensure the gardens not only grow but thrive.
Cockington Green is a great place to visit with the family and it certainly inspires you to get stuck into your own garden. Every single little piece of the garden is striking and you will get lost in the world of the little people.
Happy Gardening.
Cockington Green
11 Gold Creek Road
Nicholls ACT 2913
Free Call: 1800 627273
Phone: 02 6230 2273 Fax: 02 6230 2490
E-Mail: info@cockingtongreen.com.au
Entry from 9.30am - Last Entry time 4.15pm with viewing available until 5.00pm
Minimum viewing time recommended - 1 Hour
Open 7 days a week (Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day)
The display may be closed in event of extreme weather
AS SEEN ON 
