Episode: Six
Date: 12th April 2008
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Story Title: Orondo

Nestling ourselves in Dwellingup, Western Australia where the soil is rich, the water is plentiful and the sun is always shining we visit, arguably the best private garden in Australia; Orondo. Spanning over many hectares Orondo displays an abundance of rare and matured plants which present an array of colours all year round. Mirrored in the dam, with a backdrop of rolling green hills, besides a manicured vineyard the ambiance is just breathtaking. Posing a spectacular back garden with waterfalls, ponds, stone bridges, green bunkers and unusual art pieces, it is easy to appreciate the magnitude of this finely detailed garden

Featured Plant- Golden Elm (Ulmus glabra ‘ Lutescens’)

• This genus of trees occurs naturally in the temperate regions in the northern hemisphere, this particular species is one of the major European Elms
• It can grow up to 30 meters high and wide, spreading crown and does not sucker from the roots
• It has dull, dark green leaves, up to 15cm long and broadest near the apex, have a rough raspy upper surface

Featured Plant- Atlantic Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)

• The genus is a renowned genus of conifers belonging to the pine family this particular species is native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria
• It is a broadly flat topped with limbs growing to 30 meters or more high, it has densely covered needles of 25mm long and vary from dark green to bluish   
• Flourishes is cool climates, full sun and well drained chalky soil
• Propagate from seed or through cuttings

Featured Plant- Golden Weeping Cypress (Cupressus marocarpa ‘Aurea Saligna’)

• A conifer genus with 20 or so species deriving from western USA, Mexico and Guatemala with a small number in the Himalayas and western China
• This particular species is native to the mountains of western Mexico
• Flourishes in warm climates but also tolerates dry and cold conditions
• It is a bushy , broad crowned tree with dense, grayish, green foliage that has an attractive loose, foamy texture

Featured Plant- Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)

• A genus of 150 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, this particular species derives from northern America
• Grow in fertile, moist but well drained soil, in sun or partial shade though adaptable to a range of site conditions
• Foliage is light green to silver, growing to approximately 12 meters in height and 10 meters in width becoming a graceful, oval to rounded tree