Aerial view of Brynhyfryd – Photo courtesy of Picture Ipswich – Memories of Blackstone and Brynhyfryd, Ipswich, an oral history with Jesse Edwards

Spring is in the air and the people of Ipswich can start enjoying the fruits of their labours in the garden. Flowers, trees and bushes are all blossoming and showing their prettiest faces. Of all the gardens, that Ipswich has had the pleasure of enjoying, the best by far would have to be the gardens surrounding that wonderful castle Brynhyfryd.

Brynhyfryd was surrounded by fifteen acres of gardens, most of which were terraced to cope with the steep slope of the hill. The hill was barren of soil and consisted mostly of hard rock, so hundreds of dray loads of soil were transported up the hill from the paddocks below. Mr. Thomas, owner of Brynhyfryd, was very keen to be as self-sufficient as possible and manure from the stables and dairy went onto the garden and orchard. The orchard included mangoes, grapes, peaches, guavas, citrus fruit and passionfruit. A huge vegetable garden that included every known type of vegetable was also grown there.

There were also flower gardens that provided fresh flowers for the house and beautiful magnolia trees grew either side of the steps. Exotic plants were grown in bush houses and some of the first gloxinias were grown there. A large glass house held a collection of ferns and plants. All of these gardens were looked after by a permanent gardener who lived on the property with his family.