The influence of gardeners who have migrated from their homelands is apparent in Australia, as well as New Zealand, says Gillian Vine.
Migrants carry ideas and practices from home and gardening is no exception.
In this country, the majority of early horticulturists trained in Scotland or England, although there were a few Irishmen.
Continental Europe was not well-represented in the line-up, with a notable exception being Dunedin's Charles Sonntag (1822-1897), whose Kaikorai nursery specialised in fruit trees, roses, dahlias and trees for re-afforestation.
Landscapers were virtually unknown until Christchurch-based Alfred Buxton (1872-1950) came on the scene.
Across the Tasman, things were a little different with more European settlers.
Germans were prominent in South Australia and Queensland from the 1830s, while groups of Swedes, Norwegians and Danes arrived from about 1840, with Italians and Greeks a significant 20th-century influence.
Among the Danes was Paul Sorensen (1891-1983), who arrived in Victoria in 1915. Not only did the young man have formal horticultural qualifications, but he had worked in Germany, France and Switzerland, including a period with a landscaping company.
By the 1920s, his work was centred on the Blue Mountains inland from Sydney, creating gardens for wealthy clients such as Mabel, Lady Fairfax, widow of the newspaper titan.
The largest and most famous, though, was Everglades, created on a sloping property on the outskirts of Leura for Belgian-born Henri van de Velde, who owned carpet-manufacturing company Feltex.
Van de Velde bought the 6ha property in 1932. The upper part had been an orchard, left to go wild after being ravaged by a bushfire two decades earlier.
Below the orchard, the ground dropped steeply to the Jamison Valley and the soil was poor and sandy.
It sounded unpromising but Sorensen had the areas for planting dug to a depth of 60cm-90cm, rocks removed and more soil added, enriched with humus to give plants a good start.
Stone taken from the site was used to create the impressive drystone walls and paths that are a feature of the garden.
Constructed without heavy machinery, 14 stonemasons were at work at any time.
Beyond the formal terraces, rocks - ''as big as can be handled'', Sorensen said - were arranged in natural-looking patterns around an existing group of old man banksias (Banksia serrata), a small tree he loved.
Although a skilled horticulturist, generally Sorensen left the choice of flowers to his client, concentrating on trees and shrubs.
Pin oaks and American red oaks are a feature of the upper terraces and a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipiferum) thrives by the squash court.
The appropriately named Cherry Terrace is gorgeous when the trees are in bloom and enhanced by the use of blue spruces as a backdrop.
The upper garden is at its best in early spring when the tightly packed azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower.
Massed planting of shrubs was one of Sorensen's trademarks and it works well in the Blue Mountains, where summer drought is not uncommon.
Like the bluebell walk above it, the azaleas are at their peak early in spring.
The stone paths, a Sorensen trademark, make it easy to get around, although they can be slippery on a wet day.
The paths link the informal and formal areas, preventing too abrupt a change. In the same way, ''windows'' in the wall of the courtyard beside the Art Deco house give a glimpse of the bush beyond.
For any gardener wanting to achieve a smooth transition between disparate areas, the principle remains as relevant as it was when Sorensen worked at Everglades.
Another feature, the Garden Theatre, incorporates the porch of a 19th-century Sydney bank.
The building was demolished to make way for Feltex House and the porch taken to Everglades in 1938. Conifers were planted as the stage's wings and among the major productions staged there was a 1941 performance by a leading Russian ballet company.
Few would have the site - or funds - to replicate that grand theatre design but smaller salvaged items can enhance almost any property, while Everglades' Bacchus fountain, designed by Danish sculptor Otto Steen, is a reminder of how attractive a well-placed water feature can be.
Visitors come away from Everglades with an appreciation of the contribution three migrants have made in creating the garden considered Australia's best example of Modernism.
Gillian Vine visited Everglades as the guest of Blue Mountains Tourism. (www.visitbluemountains.com.au) and stayed at the Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort, Fitzroy St, Leura (www.leuragardensresort.com.au).
