CONSERVATION

The property lies across the junction of two creeks, the Gordon Creek and The Braes Creek, forming a setting for a dramatic and beautiful cool climate garden. Part of the garden near Grose Street has the added distinction of having been established with input from Paul Sorensen (Australia's Master Gardener - Richard Ratcliffe 1990).

This is a most unusual property in the Blue Mountains area, combining a dramatically changing topography with the added element of heritage status and bounded by the World Heritage National Park wth distant views to the Gib in the Southern Highlands.

When the work envisaged by this plan is substantially complete, the new garden areas being established on the steep, south facing slope and the boundary areas will provide a graceful setting complementing the established heritage gardens and terraces.

Characteristics of the Estate

Site Context
The site is located at the southern edge of Leura's residential district and adjoins the Blue Mountains World Heritage National Park. The northern part of the site has frontages to the southern end of Grose Street and Beattie Street and the unmade portions of Tennyson Avenue and Isabel Street off Spencer Street.

Site Description
The Braes garden site has an area of more than two hectares and is characterised by an array of natural and man-made features. Mature exotic trees are located in the higher north-western area of the site and a large variety of flowering trees and shrubs are concentrated in terraces, supported by dry stone walls fitting into steep slopes to the south and east of the site's central knoll. An extensive network of paths and steps links the various areas of established gardens.

Physical Characteristics:

Topography, Views and Aspect
The Braes spreads across the intersection of two creeks and the land slopes down to the creeks. In some places the slope to the creek is quite steep. This complicated surface area is at once an advantage and a disadvantage in the design, remediation and maintenance of the gardens.

While the primary heritage section of the garden is on gently sloping land on top of the rise near Grose Street, the remaining areas of the site provide an interesting contrast by virtue of their changing topography, aspects and relationship to the two creeks. The site offers ample opportunity for reinforcing and extending existing views and vistas.

The Braes lies between an urban environment and a semi-rural one and this enhances the interest in the views of its surrounds.

The main views from The Braes of the surrounding countryside can be obtained from the knoll on which the heritage garden is sited. Looking south, a vista along the valley is seen, revealing fine stands of tall Sydney Blue Gums rising out of a forest of various other eucalypts.

Geology and Soils

The Braes sits on deep layers of Narrabeen Group sandstone with varying depths of sub-soil including outcrops of clay. The topsoil is good in parts, although the steepness of the slopes makes some areas prone to erosion.

In those areas where the radiata pines were growing, the soil exhibits the typical ill effects of those trees. The soil lacks nutrients, particularly minerals and remediation of the Ph was and continues to be needed wherever they have been.

Both the water quality of the ponds and the soils in each area have been independently tested and remedial action taken to supplement the soil nutrients.

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

Conservation Management

The core objectives for the management of the garden included:

• The conservation and management of the heritage elements of the garden
  
• The design and establishment of new gardens to compliment the heritage garden
  
• The improvement of the water courses on the estate and the protection from pollution coming from other properties.
  
• The establishment of attractive and functional curtilage with neighbouring properties including the National Park and community land
  
• The appropriate remediation of all disturbed areas
  
• The establishment of a good relationship with the community for better appreciation and protection of the Braes.

This program was also developed in parallel with extensive architectural planning in relation to the siting of a new principal residence on the knoll, reflective of a garden estate of comparable scale, so that in 50 or 100 years time, appropriate resources exist in relation to accommodation, irrigation, propagation, while retaining the heritage attributes and enhancing the garden environment.

The development of a garden on a complicated and extensive site like that of The Braes requires a combination of continuous maintenance and a series of major projects.

Environment

Bushfire hazard
The Blue Mountains has a history of severe bushfires which have caused loss of life and major damage to property over the years. The Braes shares a common boundary with the National Park extending for approximately 200 metres. Accordingly it and the surrounding residential properties are vulnerable to bushfire hazard by reason of their position. No fire trail clearance from the boundary has been undertaken in the National Park. Consultation between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Council and The Braes management should be undertaken in regard to this.

The property is also vulnerable by reason of the types of trees and shrubs in the heritage garden. The entire property requires constant bushfire hazard reduction and this has been incorporated in the management program. The Council and Bushfire Service guidelines for this are used as a guide for appropriate action.

To ensure adequate supplies of water for bushfire control, a bore has been sunk in the northern garden area to act as a safety precaution in the event that the dam resources were exhausted in supporting community protection. This would be available to supplement the water stored in the ponds on the Gordon Creek and lying in the wider parts of The Braes Creek all of which would be available for firefighting.

Wildlife
Native fauna is abundant in this area. The bird population on the property is extensive. We do not always welcome the growing white cockatoo population which has migrated from the drought stricken west. They damage young plants of all types.

The frog and yabbie population in the creeks are active and also appear to be breeding well. Reptiles common in the Blue Mountains such as the red-bellied black snake and the tiger snake are also seen from time to time. Bandicoots make holes in the lawn looking for grubs and beetles. Funnel web spiders are ever present. Foxes invade the property and are difficult to keep out. Our gardens are regularly dug up by foxes following the use of blood and bone and manures.

Erosion
In 1996, the main areas of serious erosion were in the creeks themselves. The banks were not stable and were damaged by run-off from various parts of the higher ground (within and beyond the property). Agricultural drainage pipes and an extensive network of rubble drains have been installed on the slopes in all garden areas and work goes on to keep the creek banks stable.

Weeds and invasive flora/fauna
When the property was acquired by the present owner, the garden was infested with blackberry, montbretia, St Johns wort, English broom, privet and cotoneaster, all listed as noxious weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. Twenty other varieties of weed were identified on the property at that time. Large stands of cotoneaster and bamboo have been completely removed.

Our horticulturalists have reduced the weed infestation to a relatively small size. The considerable growth of ivy on trees has also been systematically removed. The other weeds are dealt with during routine maintenance.

They are:

• flatweed (in the lawn),
• blackberry (particularly from National Park),
• buttercup (creek banks)
• montbretia (creek banks),
• flickweed (creek banks),
• herbaceous weeds (in the garden beds).

Trees
In pursuing the policy of consistency of cool climate plantings to enhance the values established by the heritage garden, established trees of the following types have been added to the garden over the past ten years:

• Acer saccherinum
  - Silver Maple
• Acer japonicum f.acontifolium
  - Japanese Downy Maple
• Acer palmatum dissectum Inage Shidare
  - Weeping Japanese Maple
• Acer palmatum reticulatum 'Rubrum'
  - Purple Leaf J.M.
• Acer palmatum Sangokako
  - Coral Bark Japanese Maple
• Acer platanoides
  - Crimson Sentry
• Acer platanoides
  - Crimson King (Norway Maple)
• Acer rubrum
  - October Glory - Red Maple
• Betula pendula
  - Silver Birch
• Betula pendula 'Dalecarlica'
  - Cut Leaf Birch
• B. platyphylla szechuanica x B. pen. Purpurea 'Crimson Frost'
  - Purple Leaf Birch
• Cornus florida
  - Dogwood
• Cornus florida 'Rubra'
  - Red Dogwood
• Cupressocyparis leylandii
  - Leighton Green / Castwellan Gold/Gold Rider/Naylors Blue
• Fraxinus angustifolia Raywood
  - Claret Ash
• Ginko biloba
  - Maidenhair Tree
• Liriodendron tulipifera 'Fastigiatum'
  - Liriodendron - Tulip Tree
• Malus floribunda
  - Japanese Crabapple
• Malus floribunda 'Pendula'
  - Weeping Japanese Crabapple
• Malus ioensis 'Plena'
  - Tall Standard Crab Apple
• Malus ioensis 'Purpurea' Rubra
  - Crab Apple
• Prunus campanulata
  - Flowering Cherry
• Prunus Cerasifera 'Nigra'
  - Plum
• Prunus persica 'Versicolour'
  - Persica Peach
• Prunus serrulata 'Sekiyama' (Kanzan)
  - Flowering Cherry
• Prunus 'Shirotae' Mt Fuji
  - White Flowering Cherry
• Pyrus ussuriensis
  - Manchurian Pear
• Rhododendron (species & cultivars)
  - Rhododendron
• Salix babylonica var. pekinensis 'Tortuosa aurea'
  - Golden Corkscrew Willow
• Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'
  - Tortured Willow
• Syringa hyacinthi 'Cora Brandt'
  - Lilac (white flowering)
• Syringa vulgaris 'Mme Lemoine'
  - Fragrant Lilac (white flowering)
• Tilia cordata
  - Linden Tree - Winter Orange
• Ulmus glabra Camperdownii
  - Weeping Elm
• Ulmus parvifolia 'Todd'
  - Chinese Elm
• Ulmus procera 'Van Houtii'
  - Golden Elm

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The Braes and surrounds including Leura Oval and the Blue Mountains Heritage National Park.

Existing Topography

Illustrates minimum top soil depth and variable layers of clay and sandstone fissures.

Image of Cedars, Maples, Dogwoods and Japanese Cherries.

View through the garden to untamed National Park — no significant bushfires have been recorded for several years.

Family of ducks in the frost.

A contented reptile sunbaking on the banks of The Braes Creek.

Rare shot of yabbie spawning in the grotto.

Diversity of trees at the base of the eastern terraces.

Native and exotic trees on nothern boundary in Autumn.

Wollemi Pines: The Braes Garden has three first generation Wollomi Pines.