Gardens History
On purchasing the Heide property in 1934, John and Sunday Reed commenced the planting of hundreds of European and exotic trees. Friend and artist, Neil Douglas, among other friends, was instrumental in helping the Reeds establish Heide’s early gardens. Their vision for Heide’s gardens saw them select the drought tolerant Osage orange trees (Maclura pomifera) - named after the Osage Indian tribe who used the wood for their bows - planted in three groves across the property, including the grove around which the 1960s Heide II house was built. These elegant trees, with their unusual, puckered, fluorescent green fruit, have since been placed on the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Register of Significant Trees for their ‘rarity in cultivation’.The property reflects changes in the Reeds’ botanical focus during their lifetime with the lower reaches planted in the 1960s with Australian natives. Well-known and much-loved aspects of the Reeds’ initial garden include the famous oak tree planted by John Reed in 1935; the original grove of Osage orange trees; the Violet Tunnel; a beautifully scented walled perennial and rose walk; the fruit orchard replanted with heritage apple and pear trees; the Wild Garden; the Vegetable Garden and the Doll’s House in which Sidney Nolan’s original Ned Kelly paintings were once stored. In contrast, the plants surrounding Heide II reflect the simplicity and elegance of this modernist building. Osage Orange trees bisect the house from east to west; a towering gum shades the main patio and the verdant woodland garden (viewed from the entry breezeway) is under-planted with layers of green – soft tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica, Acanthus Mollis, Hellebores, Griselinia scandens and Illicium floridanum.
The gardens surrounding Heide I were restored in 2001 as the first part of Heide’s current Redevelopment Program. The gardens surrounding Heide II have been restored as part of Heide’s 2006 works.
Heide’s gardens are an integral part of the Heide experience. Considerable research has been undertaken by consultants, O’Connor + Houle Architecture and Elizabeth Peck Landscape Architects, and Heide’s gardeners, headed by Nick Harrison, to fully understand the legacy of these two heritage listed properties (Heide I and II). Their expansion and maintenance are an ongoing project.
