3 ae 
BERKELEY VALE, MT. LOFTY, THE 
RESIDENCE OF MR. R. A. STOCK. 
Mount Lofty holds the pride of place as. 
a summer resort for the belated citizens of 
the sun-brown plains of Adelaide. As the 
days begin to lengthen out this month and 
the sun at intervals of an unusually wet 
winter, begins to indicate something of its 
gathering power of heat for the fast ap- 
proaching summer, the hills receive atten- 
tion. Visitors to the fashionable resort of 
Mount Lofty by rail invariably watch with 
interest for the coming in sight of Mr. 
Stock’s garden. 
comments made by the travellers as the 
terraces of Berkeley Vale are viewed from 
the high level of the railway. Very 
rarely, however, can the sightseers give 
anything like a proper estimate of what 
has been done by way of transformation 
from a rough, wild, stringy bark scrub into: 
a place of never-failing charm. 
The residence is situated close to a road 
leading to the railway station, and tho 
garden is planned on the top and sides of 
a peculiar spur hill running some distance 
out into a well-defined valley. The val- 
ley to the right, or northern side, is the 
rise of the River Sturt, and with the 
water shed of the hills and various springs, 
‘one of the leading features of the garden 
plan is the arrangement of miniature lakes 
and waterfalls. Two windmills are in 
service with force pumps fed by wells to 
supply the house on the hill, and also a 
swimming bath of splendid dimensions. 
The grounds cover an area of about ten 
acres, and are composed of a variety of 
soils that will grow almost any kind of 
plant life. The peculiar formation of the 
hill, with a gully on each side, is such as 
would tax all the ingenuity of a landscape 
gardener to get desired effects to display 
the beauty of the trees, shrubs, hedges, and 
flowers. Mr. Stock himself has the credit 
for the general idea of the plans, which 
were carried into effect by his head gar- 
dener, Mr. G. J. Ackland. The hill has 
a very steep rise to the summit, and the 
best test of the success of the planning’ 1s 
gained in the fact that one does not get 
weary in travelling round. about and up 
and down the mile and a-half estimate ot 
pathways and steps. It can be very easily 
imagined that with such a length of path- 
-way there must have been a tremendous 
tonnage of rocks brought into requisition 
for the building up of the terraces and 
steps. In fact, rockery is the strongest 
feature of the whole plan. There are 
rocks everywhere, and this naturally gives 
the place a somewhat artificial setting. 
The artificiality, however, is largely 
diminished in its formality by the fast 
growing shrubs and climbers, and here and 
there a happy blending of the natural and 
original. scenery with the cultivated plant 
life. Beauty and utility are so happily 
combined that one forgets the labor of the 
fifty men that were employed to transform 
the wilderness into a delightful garden 
resort. 
A. few minutes walk from the railway 
station brings the visitor to the entrance 
gate, flanked on the eastern reach by a 
well-grown hedge of Pittosporum  un- 
Many and yaried are the - 
Noy. 5, 1903 
dulatum, which hides the house from view. 
On entering tne gates the first object that 
claims attention is a peculiar looking, 
though artistic structure, the purpose of 
which cannot be recognised from its ap- 
pearance. The pathway leads under a 
squarely built structure of heavy wooden 
uprights, given a light appearance dy 
being covered with brushwood of Bursaria. 
The top of this edifice is round, covered 
with brushwood, and trimmed into a bat- 
tlement architectural design. No one 
would guess that this was a tank carry- 
ing some thousands of gallons of water 
supplied by the windmill pump some 70 or 
80 feet down in the gully below. On each 
side of the gate is a specimen of tho 
weeping Elm, and the main walk from the 
front of the house around an oblong centre 
bed to the lawn tennis court, forming the 
plateau of the hill, is a splendidly grown 
and well-kept hedge of Cupressus torulosa. 
Wandering down the left-hand pathway 
from the gate, we descend a side of the 
valley devoted to ornamental trees, the 
conifer family being especially represented 
by some good specimens of Abies, Aura- 
carias, and Piceas. Two or three Chili 
pines, commonly known as monkey puzzle 
(Auracaria imbricata) are making good 
headway, and also a Golden Lambert 
(Cupressus Lambertiana). A number of 
Plane trees, Norfolk Island Pines, Cedars, 
Acacias, and 
with its silvery looking foliage, will in a 
few years fill up a dense mass of growth 
that: will need thinning out. All the stuff 
in this choice collection is yet young, but 
the bareness of the landscape is happily 
relieved by a large quantity of native un- 
dergrowth, and of Eucalypts still remain- 
ing untouched. 
Now climbing the steps alongside a mas- 
sive breastwork of some tons of rocks, built 
as a retaining wall for the tennis court, 
we cross over to the centre garden 
in, front of the house. This  gar- 
den is divided by curved footpaths edged 
with Gazania splendens (treasure flower), 
and the rich orange color of the flowers 
is a welcome relief to the general 
deadness of winter bareness. At 
the corners of two beds we note well- 
grown specimens of Felicia Augustifolia in 
their rounded shapeliness and rich green 
foliage. © Other shrubs claiming attention 
here are Berberis, Pittosporum, Rhus, 
Pyrus Japonica, Weigela, a number of 
Roses, Palms, and Pampas. A setting of 
Dianthus, Carnations, Polyanthus, Veer- 
benas, and Annual§ make a good flowering 
selection. : 
Moving down the pathway and looking 
over the hedge we find a row of Planes 
and Cedars planted alternately with good 
effect. Looking across the grass land en- 
closure we note the orchard planted on vhe 
opposite slope. This is laid out with 
choice varieties of apples, including Dunn 3 
Seedling, Strawberry Pippin, Rome 
Beauty, and Jonathan. The pears in 
clude Duchess, Bergamot, and others, while 
the plums are Golden Drop, Egg, Green- 
gage, Red Magnum Bonum, and Prunes. 
There is a fine Blackberry hedge, and the 
bush fruit contain varieties of Raspberries 
sis eee 
a conspicious Menziesii, _ 
and Currants, black, red, and white. On 
this rich chocolate loam the kitchen gar- 
den of toothsome comestibles is also set 
out. 
Making way along the hedge we note in 
passing the tennis court that the wire 
netting is being covered with Roses, the 
Pink Rambler, Cloth of Gold, and white 
and yellow Banksias. A break in the 
hedge is the opening to the first: stairway 
leading down to the terraces, the gardens ~ 
along the creek, and the upper reaches of 
the opposite bank. A. seat is provided 
here for weary climbers, and a fine view 
of the landscape far and near is obtained. 
Standing here for a moment, and looking 
across the valley, the one prominent ob- 
ject that catches the eye is a shooting tar- 
get. This probably is intended to serve 
no other purpose than, to shoot at, but it 
is placed in such a position that the eye 
cannot escape it while taking in the land- 
scape. Apart from ‘this, however, the pic- 
ture is pleasing and impressive. Descend- 
ing the winding steps to the first terrace 
a path is traversed some distance round the 
hill, and on each side are beds of shrubs. 
A Silver Fir is prominent, and the great 
Pampas, with waving plumes, Hakeas, 
Berberis, Piceas, Acacias, Pittosporum, 
_.and Pyrethrum grand. make up a good 
variety, providing a break to the rock- 
work. <A gentle slope leads into a shade- 
house of ornamental design for comfortable 
lounging, afternoon ‘tea, and what not. A 
steeper sloping pathway, girded with rocks, 
planted with Echeveria, and from this, 
covered with an archway of Crimson 
Rambler Roses, leads on to a terrace of 
similar fashion to the one above, with trees 
and shrubs of like species. We note that 
the Heaths are looking well, and there is 
a good assortment of them. <A few steps 
down, arched with white and yellow 
Banksias, and a path brings us to a close 
view of the waterways and ponds, with 
their lazily floating Nymphaeas, stately 
Fourcroyas and variegated . Flax, and 
edgings of reeds, bamboos, and smalier 
water-loving plants, make a pleasing pic- 
ture. 
Wandering along above the waterway, 
we come round to the foot of the hill, and 
there, lying in tranquil repose, is a sheet 
of water, considerable in dimensions, mak- 
ing a pretty foreground to perhaps the 
prettiest piece of landscape in the grounds. 
Nestling under the steep hill rising sheer 
up beyond is a picturesquely fashionel 
shadehouse set on each side by a finely 
grown Blackwood and Acacias, with a ua- 
tive shrubbery, through which is a wind- 
ing footway. The picture is completed by 
a rustic bridge crossing the creek and lead- 
ing to the house. This is a charming 
summer seclusion, where poetic fancies 
might be inspired and love sighs breathed 
while swinging in the fancifully con- 
structed hammocks, tempting to the love- 
lorn and to those who are born weary. 
Dwelling upon the surroundings the eye 
lights upon various water plants—Willows, 
Magnolias, Ferntrees, Reeds, Bamboos, 
Cordylines, and tropical looking vegeta: 
tion. This I take to be the most favored 
spot in. the estate. 
* 
