This weekend for the first time in almost 150 years, members of the public can witness the sweeping horticultural vision of Francis Moss, a Buninyong resident of the 19th century.
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As one of the first nurserymen in the area, Mr Moss created the grand Mossmont estate on Winter Street, which featured a sugar maple avenue, a Victorian garden and a striking tree collection in the grounds of his Gothic Revival homestead.
Once a tourist attraction, his work eventually faded as day-trippers to the area gravitated towards the Buninyong Botanical Gardens.
However, current owners Stephen and Veronica Carter have laboured for more than 25 years to recreate Moss's work, using old photographs to mimic the original layout of the Englishman's garden.
This is pretty much on a par with what people would have seen in those days
- Stephen Carter
Over the decades, the land had morphed into paddocks when they purchased the property in 1993. It was only after talking to a member of the local historical society they realised the rich horticultural past of the property.
They studied old photographs and articles and talked to previous owners to get as much a sense of how the gardens looked as they could. They also engaged Castlemaine-based horticulturist Kevin Walsh to help them recreate the gardening glory of yesteryear.
It is the first time they have opened their eight-acre site - which takes a day and half simply to mow - to the public.
"This is pretty much on a par with what people would have seen in those days," said Mr Carter, a former pilot who now spends much of this time tending to the garden.
"It would have been pretty magnificent in its day," said Ms Carter.
The garden will open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday (October 26 and 27) as part of the Open Gardens Buninyong weekend.
The Carters' neighbour, the renowned ceramicist Neville French, will open his studio on the estate, where he will discuss his work.
Two other gardens will also be open including the Old Vicarage (708 Warrenheip Street) and a more contemporary garden on Hastie Street where around a thousand trees have been planted.
- Entry to each garden costs $2. For more information see opengardensbuninyong.org.au.
- The Buninyong Festival is also taking place on the same days. Check out the full program online.
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