The Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges have rich soils that create ideal conditions for top ornamental gardens, plant nurseries, and landscape designers in Melbourne. Some designers have been recognized internationally with gold awards for their Australian Show Gardens.
The region offers abundant opportunities to immerse oneself in nature and enjoy the outdoors. From fresh air and stunning views to wildlife and gardens, there is plenty to experience and enjoy.
Quality local food and wine, breathtaking scenery, romantic hideaways and un-boring adventures can be experienced with Yarra Valley Winery Tours.
Visit the gardens in the hills for more
The Dandenong Ranges offers a lush and picturesque setting, with towering gum trees, green ferns, scenic steam trains, and charming lunch spots, making it an ideal destination for a weekend retreat.
This green area near Melbourne is a popular getaway for many residents, transitioning quickly from the urban sprawl to a lush retreat.
The Yarra Valley, located near Melbourne, offers a landscape of rolling hills with over 70 cellar doors and abundant fresh produce, making it a popular weekend getaway for residents of Victoria's capital.
In addition to wineries and scenic landscapes, the gardens of the Yarra Valley are also worth highlighting.
Coombe The Melba Estate
The Coombe Estate Gardens in Yarra Valley have been open to the public since 2014. The three-hectare gardens were previously hidden behind a 600-meter cypress hedge but can now be visited through guided tours, which can be booked with tea or lunch at the winery estate.
Celebrated opera singer Dame Nellie Melba sought refuge from her performances here in the early 1900s. The botanical garden's tranquil setting, filled with unique plants and old trees, likely provided a peaceful escape for her.
The secret garden offers a variety of pathways, lawns, tunnels, and parks to explore.
Coombe Estate in the Yarra Valley features a well-designed garden by William Guilfoyle, who also designed the Victorian Royal Botanic Gardens.
Alowyn Gardens
Alowyn Gardens is a botanical garden that spans almost three hectares and features eight unique display areas, including an edible garden, a French garden with a lavender field, a birch and casuarina forest, a 100-metre wisteria arbour, and an ornamental parterre garden with symmetrical box hedging.
The grounds here are extensive and impressive, making it possible to spend an entire afternoon exploring them.
If you're impressed by the horticultural craftsmanship, consider visiting the onsite nursery at Yarra Valley Garden to purchase some bulbs for planting at home.
If you're hungry after exploring Alowyn Gardens, you can visit the Maple Courtyard Cafe for freshly baked scones and a flat white.
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden
Located near Olinda, the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, formerly the National Rhododendron Garden, is a significant botanical attraction.
The botanic garden houses a diverse range of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, and other plant species across nearly 40 hectares. The garden's highlight is the 15,000 multi-coloured Rhodies that bloom in spring, creating a beautiful display of colours on the hillsides. This collection is the largest of its kind in Australia.
The botanic garden is a popular spot for picnics, with lush green lawns perfect for setting up a blanket and enjoying a meal. Visitors can also take a guided park tour on the 'garden explorer' electric bus.
Cloudhill Nursery and Gardens
Cloudehill in the Dandenong Ranges features a diverse collection of plants, including European beech trees, Japanese maples, bamboo, ornamental grasses, and bluebells.
The venue hosts twilight events from December to March to enjoy the soft evening light and beautiful green surroundings. Past programs have included Shakespeare productions, operatic performances, and string ensembles.
Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens features a rustic restaurant called Seasons, which offers fresh, seasonal produce grown on the property's kitchen garden with a beautiful outlook.
Skyhigh Maze
The top spot at the hills offers views of the city skyline and the Dandenong Ranges National Park for those who enjoy both gardens and scenery.
The SkyHigh Maze allows visitors to uncover four secrets, including sculptures, butterflies, and illusions, all set within a lilly pilly hedge puzzle. Additionally, the Mount Dandenong attraction features an English garden with mature blackwoods. Families with children may be interested in the series of 'Children's Festivals' hosted by SkyHigh Maze throughout the year, which includes various activities and games.
Events to watch for
Tesselaar Tulip Festival
The Tesselaar Tulip Festival features over a million blooming flowers, market stalls, and entertainment, making it fun.
The annual event usually occurs between mid-September and mid-October, with various themes to choose from throughout its four-week duration, including Turkish Weekend, Children's Week, and Food, Wine, and Jazz Weekend.
A tractor-train ride is available for children and those with limited mobility issues. Visitors can bring their picnic and enjoy the view of the sea of flowers while spending the day on the lawn.
Warrratina's Harvest Lavender Festival
The four-hectare lavender farm in Wandin North, located on the southern end of the Yarra Valley, holds a Harvest Festival every November to mark the beginning of the lavender season.
The Warratina Harvest Lavender Festival offers a variety of activities, including live music, a local maker's market, and more, in addition to the opportunity to explore rows of fragrant lavender plants.
Yarra Valley Spring Plant Fair
The Yarra Valley Spring Plant Fair, held at Romantic Nursery in Wandin North, features over 5,000 plant varieties, including rare ones not typically found elsewhere. The event includes talks by gardening experts and horticultural professionals.
Cherryhill Blossom Festival
This family-owned orchard is filled with cherry blossom petals during the spring season for two weeks between late September and early October.
CherryHill's 34-hectare Wandin East orchard offers the opportunity to see beautiful blooms in person, food vans, live music, craft stalls, and house blossom gelato during the annual festival.