The Shambles is a privately-owned country garden in Montville
is a privately-owned country garden in Montville - the crowning glory to a century old farmhouse. The Shambles' gardens have been owned and developed for the past twenty-five years by the same family and are opened to the public on special occasions. These noteworthy occasions support the local community with fund raising as well as encouraging a love of gardening to those who are privileged to visit.
Make a wish!
My adventurous other and I recently had the opportunity to visit The Shambles for their
Royal (it was
another one of the Queen's birthdays)
Spring Open Garden. It was only open to the public for two days, which made it all the more special. All monies raised are donated to the Western Queensland Drought Appeal, a very worthy cause!
A shaded spot to enjoy the garden
Western Queensland has been officially drought declared since mid 2013, with the situation steadily worsening. At the onset of the drought, family farms were already facing poor returns, driven by low commodity prices, high costs, wild dog attacks and poor returns on investment. Since the current drought began, the majority of family farms across western Queensland have been partially or fully de-stocked. These families are self-employed and depend on their livestock for their livelihood. Many farmers have had to increase their debt just to keep their farms and families going.
Read more about the hardships facing our Western Queensland farmers here. There is a
'donate' link on this page too.
All monies raised are donated to the Western Queensland Drought Appeal
For an entry fee of only $6 (children have free entry), visitors get to roam around a mature country garden and admire the creativity and care that goes into maintaining a garden of majestic proportions. The other attraction for us to attend, was the alluring promise of plants for sale.
Plants were every which way one looked!
Even though the Sunshine Coast Region are presently enduring a very dry spell, the plant stall had a fabulous assortment of plants for sale - some old-time favourites and some rarities. The geraniums caught our eye ($6 a pot) - always very hardy and once happily settled in the ground, will produce flowers for many years. The one we bought was an 'orange', a colour I have never seen in a geranium, so I am waiting with much excitement for the first showing of this unusual colour.
Bits 'n bobs at the Plough Inn
The Shambles even has the bragging rights to having its very own Collectables Stall, named the Plough Inn, offering an array of collectable-heaven items, for purchase. The discerning buyer has the opportunity to acquire vintage; antiques; retro; homewares; kitsch; memorabilia; art and even furniture. A connoisseur of toy collectables would be hard-pressed to leave without a purchase from the bits 'n bobs on display. Again … all money earned is donated to drought-affected families, via cash gift cards, through the
Western Queensland Drought Appeal.
Breathtaking Clivia
An amble around The Shambles country garden, admiring the extensive display of orchids, spring flowering shrubs and many rare plants is sure to work up a thirst. A visit to
The Rising Scone at the Open Garden, for a cuppa and a scone would certainly not go amiss - also only $6.
Tea for two! Image: ML Simpson > The Shambles Montville FB
In 2019 between the
Easter Open Garden and the
Royal Spring Open Garden weekends at The Shambles in Montville, a total of more than $10,000 was raised towards the Western Queensland Drought appeal.
Dendrobiums aka wild orchids
I know many of my readers are going to be devastated to have missed the
Royal Spring Open Garden at
The Shambles in Montville, but watch this space for a future fun Open Garden. There is nothing quite like the anticipation of adding something extra special to one's own garden, knowing that all the monies will go towards a very worthy cause!
An amble around The Shambles country garden in Montville is an outing well worth bookmarking for a future garden date!
Bookmark a future garden date!
