Adrian says Forrest Bower draws from the “English cottage garden” and European formal garden traditions. Photos: Claire Sams.
Behind the hedge in a quiet Canberra street is a secret retreat, but its gates will soon open for visitors.
Adrian Burton and his wife have lived in their Forrest home for 25 years. Growing their garden, Forrest Bower, required every one of those years.
“We weren’t born gardeners, but we’ve always had an interest,” Adrian says.
“We both have very, very full-on jobs. I wanted to create something that would be a special environment for us to relax in.”
Adrian says they started with part of the block that was already established, before planting – and planning – the seeds for an expansion over time.
Forrest Bower is making its debut on this spring’s Open Garden schedule, supporting the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Open Garden was founded in 2015 and has since raised more than $100,000 for charity.
Once visitors walk through one of four gates at Forrest Bower, they enter a “woodland area” with young trees like cherries, crabapple, ginkgo and apricots.
“I love trees – if it’s just me, the whole garden would be an arboretum,” Adrian says.
“This is actually meant to be a shady, quiet and secluded area.”
A pathway leads to a terrace area with seating and a water fountain.
That area leads onto an open area, which Adrian says is intended as an events space.
“This is going to always be open, and because it’s open, you can get lots of bright flowers and your beautiful green grass,” he says.
A small selection of vegetables is planted at the back of the garden, near a compost station.
In creating the oasis, they draw from their early lives – including his 10 years living in France, while his wife was born in India and moved to England for her childhood.
“It’s the atmosphere, really, that is the theme,” he says.
“You can have trees and water in any sort of combination … But actually, it all comes down to what’s nice.”
Hidden among the different plants are souvenirs from their travels.
Adrian describes their approach to gardening as “conquering a very small territory” – one that comes with trial and error.
“We inherited some beautiful old trees – there are some 60-year-old trees on the block … We tried to knit it all together.
“If you just had a paddock and planted 100 roses, that’s not a garden. That’s a field.”
For Adrian, joining Open Gardens means more than letting people see what they’ve grown.
“We’re very conscious that we’re very lucky – actually very privileged – to have the space, the time [for the garden] … I’ve always had a little bit of a niggle in the back of my mind.
“Even though we’ve had an opportunity to really go for this garden and make it fabulous, we should give back to the community and share it.”
He is the first to say gardening takes time.
“I always find that you spend time in a spot, and then – all of a sudden – inspiration will come.
“You’ve got to have some kind of a plan. … You get to know where the sunshine comes in, or where people usually walk.
“The real inspiration comes after some time, and you say, ‘Ah, that’s going to work nicely’.”
Visit Open Gardens for more information on its spring season. Members have free entry to the gardens, while non-members pay an admission fee. Forrest Bower, at 13 Talbot Street in Forrest, will be open between 10 am and 4 pm on 19 September and 20 September.
