Autumn colours open for show

By Tania Martin
AUTUMN in the hills is a sight to behold and Colin Little’s garden is no exception.
His 40-year-old garden, Hillcrest, will be open to the public this weekend as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme.
The scheme aims to promote gardening by opening some Australia’s most inspiring private gardens to the public.
This year will mark the third time that the Littles have opened their garden to the public.
However, this will be the first time Hillcrest has been opened in autumn.
The history of this magnificent garden stretches back to 1962 when Mr Little started work on his 1.6 hectare property.
With the encouragement of renowned gardener George Tindale the Hillcrest dream was born.
Colin and Dianna Little built their family home on the land in 1965 and, with their three children, have spent the past 40 years developing this magnificent garden.
It has grown from a sparse canvas of bushland covered in blackberries to a unique blend of soaring mountain ash trees which loom over a lower canopy featuring maples, oaks, beech, ash and tulip trees, combining to make a rich tapestry of colour.
“Our aim was to develop an open landscaped garden while retaining most of the establish mountain ash to provide dappled shade,” Mr Little said. “We used these tall and splendid native trees to give a vertical dimension to the garden concept.”
The end result has been the creation of an adventure garden with six distinctive lawn areas connected by grassed walkways.
Garden lovers will not be disappointed by this garden with its beautiful and diverse display of ornamental species.
This year the garden will also give hills people the chance to support the Dandenong Ranges Emergency Relief Service with funds raised from the scheme donated to the worthy cause.
The relief service supports families in the hills who are facing financial hardship or crisis.
Mr Little said previously the money raised from the entry fee had been donated to cancer research.
But this year the family has decided to give the cash to a local charity.
Hillcrest will be open to the public on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April from 10am to 4.30pm, at 2 Braeside Avenue, Sherbrooke.
Entry is $5 per person and tea, coffee and lights snacks will also be on sale.