Garden of a Lifetime : Dame Elisabeth Murdoch at Cruden Farm

Blurb

Almost 80 years ago, Keith Murdoch gave his young bride a wedding present that would be of very special significance throughout all the intervening years. A small grazing property on the outskirts of Melbourne, they called it Cruden Farm, and it was here that their family grew up and the garden evolved. A born gardener, with a practical 'hands-on' approach, an eye for beauty, and a passion for trees and flowers, Dame Elisabeth calls it her Garden of a Lifetime. Edna Walling's late 1920s plans for the circular lawn, walled gardens and world-renowned sweeping avanue of lemon-scented eucalypts were implemented in the 1930s when some of the majestic trees, like the huge oaks and elms that form the structure of the garden, were planted. Dame Elisabeth then created the silver and white borders extending form the house and later, assisted by Michael Morrison, developed 'Cottage Garden', the 'Garden for Homeless Plants', and the spectacular floral 'Picking Garden'. Next they extended the garden into the surrounding landscape by building the picturesque lake and adding new plantations and the daffodill fields. This beautifully colour-illustrated book traces the history of the garden's creation and guides the reader around its spectacular features, while entries for the months of the year give practical hints on upkeep. The author, Anne Latrielle, has written: 'Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Michael Morrison are realists, perfectionists and romantics - an unusual and energising combination'. This is a must-have book for all who love the beauty of gardens and the landscape and want to know more about Dame Elisabeth Murdoch's lifetime of almost-daily gardening at Cruden Farm.