7 Wood St, Woodend, was designed by garden guru Paul Bangay and is now listed for sale at $8m-$8.8m.
A regional Victorian garden estate so good it gives visitors goosebumps has hit the market for $8m-$8.8m.
And the creation of one of the nation’s best known garden gurus has taken the concept of the humble Aussie lawn to the next level, showcasing ground greenery in circles, squares and even transcending stairs.
The Enchanted Garden, originally designed by landscape architect Paul Bangay, has been renewed by him in the past 24 months — though he sold the home some 14 years ago.
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Before he passed it on to new custodians (there have been a few since) the 7 Wood St, Woodend, property was the cornerstone of his book, also titled The Enchanted Garden.
Its grounds more than live up to the name.
The first glimpse is an avenue of pencil pines, lawn strips and mature hedges lining the driveway as you approach a forecourt with a single grand tree, a garden pavilion and a series of garage bays, as well as a one-bedroom guest accommodation.
Step through the main residence and out to the main garden area and a series of compartmentalised spaces fall away from the residence.
From hedges to trees and the immaculate lawns that the agent handling the home’s sale is comparing to the MCG’s turf, it’s a yard defined by its greenery.
The lawns have quite literally stepped up to a whole new level.
Water features, flower beds and even the home’s blend of white and stone all synch perfectly with the greenery of the grass.
The first is set around a central fountain, with more hedges dividing it away from another avenue designed around an elongate reflection pond, as well as two more garden cloisters adorned with topiary hedges and a compartmentalised sitting garden for a relaxed space to unwind in.
Follow one of three staircases further down into the gardens and you will encounter a sun-drenched pool zone, with the pool recently upgraded to feature gas heating and wrapped in hedges for privacy, an avenue of pencil pines, or a round garden with a series of sphinx at its centre.
Kay & Burton’s Campbell Kilsby said the garden was difficult define with so much variety, but in many ways it was “breathtaking”.
Mr Kilsby added that for lawn lovers, the gardens would be hard to beat — and had been massively improved over the past three years.
“When I sold it to the current owners about three years ago, the lawns weren’t that good,” Mr Kilsby said.
The home was once a school house, but it’s the gardens that could teach you a thing or two.
A series of ponds with water features add to the serenity of the garden.
In the years that have followed they’ve added metal barriers to create retainer spaces, irrigation and removed a number of trees that were overshadowing key areas.
“They have put a lot of time and money into them,” he said.
“It’s just so picture perfect. It’s an MCG-level maintained lawn.
“It’s not cut short like carpet, it’s not a bowls green, but as far as lawns go you are not going to get much better. They are perfect.”
A lot was returfed with new irrigation installed, in what is understood to be an almost full overhaul of the lawns in the past year.
And they’re just a small aspect of what makes the garden estate stand out.
“Every time I walk around it, I nearly get goosebumps — it’s just so phenomenal,” Mr Kilsby said.
“There’s a sense of peace and awe and tranquillity. You can get lost in it, you wander through it and, as a private estate you, are saying wow.
“It’s like a French manor or country home, you could be anywhere in Europe.”
A series of statues keep watch over a circular segment of the garden.
The home’s pool is also virtually new, with gas heating in place.
All up the property sprawls across a full hectare, though it’s still a comfortable stroll to coffee shops, eateries and even the train line which puts Melbourne’s CBD in reach within the hour.
The residence, originally the St Ambrose school house, dates back to 1888, but had a fair bit of renovation and reinvigoration completed a bit over a decade ago.
Today it is zoned into wings, with the main bedroom filling the entirety of the northern aspect. Follow a hallway past two more bedrooms and a formal lounge is warmed by a fireplace.
Beyond that, an open-plan living and dining zone, complete with a kitchen that blends timber and stone surfaces and looks out to the gardens via French doors.
With the possible exception of Stonefield, Bangay’s current country estate in Denver not far from Woodend, the garden estate is a rarity.
The home’s interiors are just as impressive as its gardens.
But most rooms, including the main kitchen and living area, are positioned to take in the impressive greenery via large windows and French doors.
Mr Kilsby said while the garden was designed for minimal maintenance given its scope, and had been fitted out with a series of irrigation systems, the next owners would likely have a love for greenery.
“And as far as a wedding venue or something like that, it lends itself to that easily,” he said.
Initial interest has come from Melbourne, with a mix of people considering it as a weekender or as their permanent home.
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