The owners of this heritage estate in country Victoria say they created the garden of their dreams, while voters on realestate.com.au have crowned it Australia’s most iconic home.

If you’re a fan of gardens, you could do worse than to buy the very first plot planted by one of the country’s foremost landscape designers.

St Ambrose, at 7 Wood Street, Woodend in the charming Macedon Ranges northwest of Melbourne, was originally built as a schoolhouse in the 19th century before becoming Paul Bangay’s very first home.

Acclaimed landscape designer Paul Bangay’s first home, a manicured estate known as St Ambrose, has been voted Australia’s favourite spring garden property. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Mr Bangay, renowned for his precise angles and perfect symmetry, later moved to Stonefields near Daylesford, transforming an empty cow paddock over two decades into one of Australia’s most beautiful country gardens.

His original creation, now with its third owners since he left, has been voted Australia’s favourite ‘spring gardens’ home in the latest realestate.com.au iconic listing poll. Perhaps Mr Bangay cast a vote.

The current owner, who doesn’t wish to be named, said the 1.09 hectares of verdant splendour captivated him and his partner.

The property is spread 2.69 acres and is about 50 minutes from Melbourne. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“My partner is from England and he’s always wanted a country estate with a garden that reminds him of home.”

Fans of Mr Bangay’s work, they felt the garden was “overdeveloped”, so they took out around 40 trees, added rose gardens, hydrangeas and more perennials, and installed a gas-heated 20m wet-edge pool and spa. They even invited Mr Bangay back to help restore its former glory.

Today there are ponds, statuettes, tall manicured hedges and topiary, and plenty of spaces for decadent garden parties.

The four-bedroom home was originally a school house. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

“We basically created a garden that we wanted,” said the owner.

The house, beyond a stone driveway lined with pencil pines, is a stunner too. Lovingly extended since its schoolhouse days, it has large, light rooms, oversized windows and French doors flowing to terraces.

The current owners invited Mr Bangay back to help restore the gardens he established more than 30 years ago. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

The master bedroom has its own quiet rose garden, the sitting room a fireplace for lounging, and a separate one-bedroom guest space has its own private entrance.

The owner said they don’t just admire their garden from the house; they love being among its beauty.

“You can find your little nook and cranny and read, or lay out a picnic by one of the fountains.”

The house itself includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms and garaging for five cars. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

And the upkeep? The owner said it’s designed to be minimal, with app-integrated and fully automated irrigation, and a gardener popping by just once a week.

It’s for sale via an expressions of interest campaign with a guide of $6.9m–$7.5m. Agent Campbell Kilsby of Kay & Burton Bayside said interest is blooming despite the sluggish market.

“You’d be hard pressed to find a better garden in Victoria. Once you step into it, it’s like a wonderland,” he said. “To find a garden residence of this scale inside a township like Woodend is quite unique.”

One of the runners up in the realestate.com.au poll was landscape designer Paul Bangay’s current home, Stonefields, currently on the market with a $6-6.6 million price guide. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Bizarrely enough, the three runners-up in the realestate.com.au poll include Mr Bangay’s Stonefields residence at 20 Belty Drive, Denver — listed with a guide of $6m—$6.6m.

The four-bedroom Tuscan-inspired home comes with 15.8 hectares of gardens, oak-lined avenues, tulip displays and Mr Bangay’s trademark topiary.

The 39-acre property near Daylesford is one of Australia’s most treasured gardens. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

In Queensland’s Tamborine Mountain, four-bedroom ‘Foxlowe’ at 70 Hartley Road boasts two hectares of ornamental plantings and seasonal flowers, two 400-year-old figs and a citrus orchard — all offered at over $4.5m.

The sprawling Gold Coast hinterland property is for sale for offers over $4.5 million. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

While at 1020 Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls in the NSW Southern Highlands, a four-bedroom home listed for an undisclosed price is wrapped by two hectares designed by the late Peter Fudge.

A manicured estate with gardens by Peter Fudge was one of the runners up in the realestate.com.au poll of Australia’s best spring garden listings. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

There’s a waterlily-covered dam, silver garden, reflection pond, birch terrace and even a Manchurian pear walk.