Steep learning curve

Some gardeners might baulk at the prospect of gardening on a 33-degree slope with minimal topsoil. But horticulturist and gardening advisor Chloe Thomson and her Irish-born husband Gerard weren’t fazed at all when they bought their sloping site in Hurstbridge on Melbourne’s urban fringe eight years ago. In fact, the challenge appealed to Chloe far more than if the garden were flat. And over the years, the couple have turned the steep, bare land into a series of delightful, interconnected garden spaces that now surround their home.

The garden is filled with intriguing elements, and Chloe’s creativity, passion and motivation are expressed in every corner. There’s a cute recycled glass greenhouse, a couple of antique bedheads living new lives as quirky gates, and other rusty treasures. Possibly the most enviable is a gorgeous 150-year-old bathtub that Chloe restored herself… and has spent many an evening soaking in while watching the sunset illuminate mature gum trees and plumes of her favourite grasses.

The eucalypts were the only stars of the show in the early days, but they now share the spotlight with other plants that can cope with the steep site and minimal soil, because, as Chloe laughs, “the neighbour down the hill has all of my topsoil.”

Paper and sticky everlasting daisies (Xerochrysum spp.), giant feather grass (Celtica gigantea), common tussock-grass (Poa labillardierei), fruit and vegetable plants, and scattered silver-foliaged plants all lift and brighten the garden spaces. 

Chloe’s approach to her garden is to take small bites. She recommends embarking on small projects and finishing each one before moving on to the next, letting each space dictate what it needs.

The size and elements of every project are dictated by the garden’s incline. Steel edging and crushed rock toppings were chosen over conventional – and costly – retaining walls made from concrete sleepers. With no access for machinery, man and woman power has been the only way to go, with all the gravel, mulch, topsoil and plants bucketed in by hand.

There are numerous zones throughout the garden, each hidden from the next by astutely positioned clumping bamboo or vine-covered partitions. This adds to the intrigue of the outdoor space and leaves one to wonder what’s around each corner. Winding paths connect the zones and take you from the front garden, around the side and to the backyard, where a series of curved steel steps are the stunning centrepiece.

Bookended by old apple crates filled with seasonal vegetables, the steps provide practical and stylish access to the highest point of the block. Here, a gabion bench seat and raised lawn provide a worthy resting place and a beautiful view, aligning with the treetops below.

In the early days, the barren block provided the perfect mud pit for Chloe and Ger’s two young sons, Remi, now 10, and Hugo, 8. The couple created a toddler-friendly zone near the house, with a sandpit and a paved area where the boys could ride their bikes. These days, the kids hang out mostly in the front yard, where there’s enough flat space for a trampoline, basketball hoop and lawn.

Chloe’s go-to plants are those that flourish on the steep, soil-deprived slope, where there are naturally less nutrients and water. Many plants that grow in heavier soils, such as compacted clay, can withstand minimal watering, making them suitable for growing on slopes.

Her successes prove that just because there’s a slope, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a palette of bright, wild and eclectic plants! At the top of the slope there’s coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) and creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium), while surrounding the vegetable beds are a mix of foliage textures, including blue chalksticks (Curio repens syn. Senecio serpens), orange hyssop (Agastache mexicana), Cotyledon ‘Silver Waves’, Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) and Cineraria ‘Silver Dust’. Edible plants, including Salvia ‘Icterina’, lemon verbena and rosemary, also serve as ornamentals.

As the garden has evolved, Chloe has shared many of the family’s trials and triumphs on social media, including on her Instagram page @beantheredugthat, aiming to “open people’s eyes to the possibilities of what they can achieve in their own garden.”

Having completed agricultural and horticultural studies at university, Chloe sees herself as a horticulturist with many hats, and enjoys sharing her knowledge through her online gardening school. Check out more of Chloe Thomson’s gardening adventures here.

Photos by Virginia Cummins