22nd September 2021 / Prue Fletcher: Melbourne's Top 5 Secret Gardens

With all of Melbourne coming into full bloom, the news that social gatherings are back was met with open arms and what better way to celebrate our new found freedoms than to discover a new picnic spot or two in some of Melbourne's best kept secret gardens.

MARANOA GARDENS

Tucked away off the main strip of Balwyn, this impressive garden of lush green lawns, sweet-smelling wattle, ancient trees and native plants has everything you need to escape the daily grind. Take a stroll and you will discover an Arid Zone, Indigenous Garden, Rainforest and Cottage Gardens. With all plants labelled, it's an educational experience for keen or wannabe botanists. For those searching for peace and quiet, there's ample park benches for book-reading or for quiet reflection, but you'll have to leave your doggies and skateboards at home.

Yarrbat Avenue, Balwyn

HEIDE HEALING GARDEN

The Heide Museum of Modern Art sits on a 16-acre former dairy farm that was once the home of art patrons John and Sunday Reed. The museum has appointed Openwork to rejuvenate an overgrown series of garden beds that sit between Sunday Reed's original heritage-listed kitchen garden and the brick wall of the Heide cottage, where the Reeds once hosted many of Australia's most significant 20th century artists.

Due to open late 2020, Openwork's design for Heide's healing garden uses the study of 'proxemics' to define spaces that might help people reconnect with the world, post-pandemic.

7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen

ALOWYN GARDENS

Alowyn Gardens and nursery in the Yarra Valley just outside of Yarra Glen and if within your 25km limit should be on the top of your to-do list. Known for its cascading wisteria in Spring, these gardens are currently in full bloom and a sight for sore eyes!

With multiple gardens for you to enjoy, you can't go past the edible garden. Filled with vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, this is a garden you can smell, touch, taste, feel and enjoy all year round.

1210 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen

ALFRED NICHOLAS GARDENS

Popular for walks and perfect for picnics by the lake, the Alfred Nicholas Gardens are the original gardens of the historic 'Burnam Beeches Estate'.

Established in 1929, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens has extensive water features with waterfalls, an ornamental lake with the original boathouse and the George Tindale Memorial Garden, with flowering plants beneath Mountain Ash trees. The original Nicholas family home (built 1920s) can also be found here.

Many of the detailed plantings have been lost over the years but the structure of the garden remains and is emphasised by the many rock walls, waterfalls, upper pools and the magnificent lake.

1A Sherbrooke Road, Sherbrooke

SCHWERKOLT COTTAGE & GARDEN

Located in the outer eastern suburb of Mitcham, Schwerkolt Cottage is a historic museum complex surrounded by 2.25 hectares of bushland. Established in 1884, the historical buildings, walking tracks, cottage garden, barbecue area and family playground are the perfect place to explore early Colonial history in Whitehorse.

Deep Creek Road, Mitcham

** Please check websites on all of the gardens, as hours of operation may change due to current lockdown restrictions in Melbourne.