For Alexandra Munro and her partner, John Klugt, it’s their “dream business”.
The couple has transformed the former Paul Sorensen nursery at Leura into a beautiful cafe/shop and have employed a groundsman to restore the beautiful gardens where the master plantsman once plied his trade.
The pair were literally strolling past the Herbert St site when they saw a “For lease” sign. They chatted with the owner, who has developed the townhouses adjacent to the land, and signed a deal.
“He showed us around and we just fell in love with it,” said Ms Munro.
Their first plan was knocked back by council so they worked with a town planner, dug out all the approved DAs and worked within them to create their business.
Ms Munro, a keen gardener, has a background in HR and Mr Klugt also owns Caffeine Gasoline in Leura.
When they took out the lease, the glasshouse was “an absolute mess”, said Ms Munro. They spent about five months cleaning it and fitting it out. It’s now an airy space selling locally-made wares including decorated tiles, macrame, candles, skin care products, prints and greeting cards.
In the garden/arboretum, initial work has involved weeding, pruning and laying mulch. Ms Munro is looking forward to autumn when a row of 24 copper beech trees beside the glasshouse will put on a radiant display.
The food is necessarily simple, as there is no kitchen on site, but there’s a wide selection of teas, coffees, cakes and light snacks.
There are also ready-made picnic baskets for sale. Filled with cheeses, olives, meat, dips and crackers, visitors can take them into the gardens for some al fresco dining.
Paul Sorensen, the famous Danish-born landscape gardener who had such an impact on Blue Mountains gardens, established the nursery in 1920. He raised his family in the house on site and planted hundreds of cool climate trees in the arboretum, which was designed to give customers an idea of what mature specimens would look like. Under each large tree were smaller plants of the same species for sale.
The nursery finally closed in 1989, six years after Sorensen’s death.
The site was subdivided and 20 townhouses built in one area.
