By Mikayla Van Loon
Up on one of the hills in Lilydale sits a hidden garden oasis drawing on the influences of Tuscany to create a lush and cooling gem in the middle of suburbia.
Named after Orvieto, a village in the Tuscan region of Italy, owner John Findlay said he’s used alpine plants, little conifers and cedars dotted with fruit trees, exotic plants and flowering trees to make it blend together.
“Because I had the land I just planted it out to make it as interesting as I can. It’s not a pretty flowery, formal garden, it’s a hillside garden,” he said.
Amalgamating three blocks of land off Summit Road, John has worked with the slope of the hill and the sturdiness of the ground to create a marvel at every turn.
Now this treasure will be opening to the public for the first time in five years as part of Open Gardens Victoria on Sunday 1 October.
Having last supported the Red Cross, John has gone with a local group to fundraise for this year, with Yarra Valley Singers being the beneficiary of the open day.
Providing an extra treat of scones, jam and cream as both morning and afternoon tea, John said all the profits will be donated to the Singers group for their performances and continued ability to offer the community joy.
“The money from the scones goes to the charity because I provide all that,” he said.
“So if you like cheese and herb scones or grandma’s scones, as they call them, there’ll be about 350 scones for the day.”
From the entrance to the property, visitors will walk up the driveway hill before taking a left turn into the greenery.
The pathway weaves through birches and rhododendrons before opening up into an alpine garden.
Using a cyclic gardening philosophy, John said initially the garden was in no shape to plant anything, hitting rock at every moment.
“I couldn’t plant things where I wanted to plant them because I’d hit rock so over the years I’ve bought in manure and straw and when I cut back things, I just put it on the garden and then cover it up with manure. My garden is like a worm farm,” he said.
Also using the tuscanite rock that was salvaged from the excavation, John has formed natural retaining walls and garden beds throughout, recycling what was taken from the earth.
With miniature versions of the sequoias of the dawn cypress, or redwoods as they are better known, and more exotic species like the boab tree, there is always something to spot on the walk up the hill.
Bench seats are positioned in just the right spot to take in the sprawling garden to take in the contrasting leaf forms of the maples, magnolias, black bamboo, and some lush leafy shrubs
such as Eupatorium and Alocasia.
Shaded by towering 90-year-old pine trees, the dense garden provides a cooling effect during the summer, the perfect oasis for its owner.
Upon the summit of the hill, visitors will be met with the most exquisite panoramic view of Lilydale, seeing the historic Cave Hill Quarry and Lillydale Lake, as well as overlooking the Dandenong Ranges.
Orvieto will be open from 10am to 4.30pm on Sunday 1 October only, with a $10 entry fee and $8 for the scones and complimentary tea or coffee.
Find this hidden gem at 37A Summit Road Lilydale. To find out more, go to opengardensvictoria.org.au/Orvieto-2023
