Two charities will be the beneficiaries when the Woakwine Homestead garden is open to the public on the weekend of November 19 and 20.

Entrance fees will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service while catering will be provided by the Wattle Range Hospital Auxiliary.

Located on the range alongside the Beachport/Penola Road, Woakwine is a magnificent old garden lovingly created since the 1890s by four generations of the McCourt family.

The name is Aboriginal and means elbow, referring to the shape of the large watercourse near the homestead.

The five-acre garden is varied, thoughtfully planned and beautifully maintained.

The expansive lawns and many treasured tall trees create a restful park-like feel with English and Japanese style gardens providing a strong presence within the setting.

There are formal, predominantly green areas, a contrast to others that are pretty, flowery and colourful.

Clusters of cloud clipped buxus balls add a touch of fun, a number of tall hedges divide and define different spaces and small hedges enclose and add a formal touch to a large circular rose garden with a fountain as its centre-piece.

There are beautiful and fragrant roses everywhere – climbers entwining tall metal obelisks, shrub roses, David Austins, Delbards, hybrid teas and heritage varieties, some planted by previous custodians of the garden. 

A contemplation nook walled by clipped cypress has a bench seat and is made interesting with rustic troughs filled with succulent tapestries. Jasmine covers the courtyard arbour and has been carefully trained to create an effective hatched pattern on a wall and there are sculptures scattered throughout.

The edible garden has a European influenced veggie patch and numerous fruit trees, as well as a luxuriant chicken run known as Chookingham Palace.

Woakwine is an elegant and much-loved garden – a sanctuary that provides joy, a place to play and food for a family.