"Darach Mhor" (Irish for :Great Oak") takes it's name from the wonderful old oak tree which stands sentinel over our garden in Kelso Rd., Yallourn North. Darach Mhor was originally the Yallourn north Egg Farm owned by the Peerless Family. When we arrived in 2010, there were no signs of the old egg farm, the sheds having been long since demolished. The resulting paddocks were home to a handful of s
heep and goats;the old people were gone and the house sat forlornly awaiting it's future fate, whatever that might be. A flock of white cockatoos had made their home in the old oak tree and loudly resented our appearance on the scene. Over a period of a year we renovated the old house and established a new espaliered orchard and covered vegetable garden. Existing citrus trees were incorporated into a new citrus orchard, and old fashioned perfumed standard roses in shades of red lined the pathway to the house. Our neighbours (children of the Peerless family) delighted in the addition of our flock of hens, whose cackling brought back pleasant memories of the old egg farm days. A later addition was two hives of bees, who feasted on the extensive lavendar plantings amongst other things, creating a delightful local honey. We gain a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction growing and producing fresh produce from our own efforts. we aim at being as sustainable as possible with the space available to us and we delight in sharing the fruits of our labours with others.
