Historic Fernery Visit: the 19th century Mt Macedon estate Ard Choille has some amazing features!

This week on The Horti-Culturalists we visit historic Mount Macedon hill station estate Ard Choille, pronounced Arda Hillier, and look at what Stephen believes to be a unique Victorian garden building survivor in Australia: a pre-fabricated steel fern house! Shipped from Britain and erected at some point between 1870 and 1900 the fernery is in amazing condition, if a little wild and unkempt, which might be explained by the fact that it was once converted to be a peacock enclosure! But the Ard Choille garden has other features to delight: a 'loch', the largest Liriodendron tree in Australia and a surviving estate cottage with the original owners Scottish clan colours still visible painted onto the chimney brickwork! Join us on a walk through this enchanting garden!
If you'd like to see other videos in this series of historic garden visits you can find the full play list here: • GARDEN TOURS

[@manannan62]

Absolutely lovely!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@Kay-qt2id]

Wow fabulous guys, thank you to the owners for sharing

[@thehorti-culturalists]

And thank you for watching!

[@rosehill1595]

What a wonderful treat to get a tour of this historic fernery garden. That structure is the cat's miouw!:) Subscribed!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for the sub! Regards Stephen

[@teresejohnson6767]

Truly fascinating tour. Intriguing and eccentric Scotsman, but then again, aren’t they all? And a visionary! 🌿

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you enjoyed it. Regards Stephen

[@kathlynblack3517]

I'm a descendant of the MacGregor Clan. Interesting to see this video.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Aha! Thanks for watching!

[@brenmuk]

What a fascinating video, really enjoyed!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@miriamgleeson6947]

Love the leaf of that Tulip tree! I’ve only ever seen one Tulip tree in Melbourne. Great tour of a stunning property.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching - it is a fabulous specimen and keep an eye out as there are plans by the new owners to open the gardens.

[@jenniferglenn14]

Beautiful 😍

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@jucjuc314]

This was such an exciting video, so many little interesting stories, I just love them, and all around plants, perfect combo 🤗 Your videos are a nice break in between 'how to sow radishes " 🤪 videos. I am happy to watch those too, but this is really special and unique here 🤗 Greetings, Judit

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@dianefields6056]

The fern house is a beautiful structure and gives inspiration to create something more wonderful with plants.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Doesn't it just!

[@armandodesousa6375]

Imagine a Gunnera manicata within view of that massive New Zealand tree fern!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Great combination although I don't think the area would stay moist enough. Regards Stephen

[@arnaldomaldonado9006]

Gawd!!! I love it. You two should come to Oregon to give us a lecture at the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. I’d love to meet you guys in person. Then again I could hunt you down in Australia, I’ve always wanted to visit and study the flora and fauna there. ❤️ So beautiful! Always thank you for the wonderful uploads you two do: cheers!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I did a talk for the hardy plants Society in Oregon years ago as well as the Horticultural Society and the hardiest in Seattle and Vancouver. Would love to do it again sometime.Regards Stephen

[@arnaldomaldonado9006]

@@thehorti-culturalists i will talk to them next week when we meet for a lecture on how to grow agaves in our are. Wanna come? Lol Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my comment. Regard.

[@jeanneclark99]

Oh my goodness! The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, where I live. This one is HUGE! I had never thought about it before, how unusual it is that the leaves don't come to a point. Happy restoration to the new owners! And thanks for the tour, oh ye to whom anything is open (and to Matthew, too).

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching - it is an amazing tree!

[@cbjones2212]

Wow! What a delight. We have started a fernery just recently but now I'll be on the lookout for galvanised iron strapping to create an illusion of grandeur :) Thank you both and to the new custodians of this wonderful property.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thank you for watching and good luck with your fernery!

[@mitzi605]

WOW!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

It is impressive isn't it. Regards Stephen

[@MDA-rs4uf]

the fernery folks will love to see their gift of the pseudolarix in a few years. Mine has started to cone and i'm getting seedlings which is a great thing. When the leaves fall before winter and the carpet of bright orange needles, it is very lovely. I have given lots of seedlings away and strangely enough one of them seems to be contorted so i'm keeping an eye it ..... i also have one that appears to be a dwarf for it is only 6 ft. or so and seems to be stuck at that size. It has brighter foliage and the leaves are a bit different than the others. ..... not sure why these differences occurred but whether this plant could be grafted or rooted is beyond me....... a great gift from you ....

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@garyholland4227]

Thank you for the tour, the historical aspect adds to the enjoyment. It would be interesting to return to the garden to see the restoration of the ‘Home Loch’.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Yes! Hopefully we will one day!

[@solangeunzurrunzaga3816]

Fascinating video, I love how Historic events and circumstances relate to nature, and it is particularly interesting to discover stories and environmental details on Australia from other parts of the world... thank you Steven and Matthrew!! Looking forward to your next post...

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thank you for finding us!

[@besottedorchids3605]

In Ohio, we have tulip poplar everywhere . A beautiful tree.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@tanyawales5445]

I have a mature Liriodendron tulipifera in my backyard that is at least 60 ft. tall and withstood a EF4 tornado with winds of 195 mph in western Kentucky with little damage. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), also called tuliptree, tulip-poplar, white-poplar, and whitewood, is one of the most attractive and tallest of eastern hardwoods. It is fast growing and may reach 300 years of age on deep, rich, well-drained soils of forest coves and lower mountain slopes. My Liriodendron and a mature Sugar Maple literally deflected the wind over the house so there was minimal damage from the tornado to the house or the trees. The leaf shape is 'cat faced'. Cultivars: Emerald City L. tulipifera 'JFS-Oz' The slightly compact cultivar has an upright oval shape. ... Little Volunteer L. tulipifera 'Little Volunteer' A dwarf cultivar, growing 30 to 35 feet high and 18 to 20 feet wide. Upright Tuliptree L. tulipifera 'Arnold' or 'Fastigiatum' These two cultivars are the same tree. Liriodendron tulipifera 'Aureomarginatum' (Variegated Tulip Tree) The pyramidal shape of this tree grows 40-60 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad to have information from its native habitat. Regards Stephen