The gardens of Mount Gambier’s well known Barn Palais will be open later this month as part of the autumn program of SA’s Open Garden Scheme.

English in style and elegant, the garden is extensive with flower-filled and colour coordinated borders, perfectly pruned hedges, expansive lawns, two orchards and a substantial productive patch all framed by a backdrop of mature trees, some over 100 years old.

In the mild Mount Gambier climate plant-lover Marianne Cleves has created the garden over 55 years and in that time, it has evolved and been extended and now surrounds the adjoining family-owned convention centre and accommodation buildings.

Hedges add a touch of formality to garden beds crammed with a rich and diverse display of harmonising colours and contrasting foliage.

Adding to the flower-power and perfume are around 2000 roses including David Austins, Delbards and heritage varieties.

Delphiniums, larkspurs, salvias, species geraniums, clematis, daylilies and other pretty perennials with exceptional foliage and flowers have been selected and sourced from specialist nurseries.

Blue and white are used extensively but zinnias, cosmos and dahlias add pops of colour.

Hydrangeas bloom beautifully in the shady areas, astilbes and hostas thrive in the bog garden and as a contrast there is a dry border of kniphofias, grasses and sedums in red, yellow and blue tones.

In a new border, snow pears, white hydrangeas and rugosa roses, pink agastache, nepeta and blue salvias are backed by a hedge of golden spirea and a wooded area with 200 silver birch trees.

The organic kitchen garden provides The Barn restaurant with an abundance of fresh seasonal vegetables, garnishes and herbs.

The prolific annual harvest of tomatoes and quinces from the property’s two orchards make a year’s supply of relish and quince paste.

A polytunnel and two glass houses are used to propagate vegetable seedlings and many of the ornamental plants used throughout the garden.

The Barn Garden will be open on February 26 and 27 from 10am-4.30pm.

Entry to the garden on both Saturday and Sunday includes a talk in The Barn Convention Centre at 11.30am both days by charismatic garden designer, author and blogger Michael McCoy.

Mr McCoy is well known as host of the television series Dream Gardens and he will illustrate his talk with photographs and film.

Seats are limited so to secure a place visitors are asked to book through the Open Gardens SA website.