The grandest gardens to visit around the nation

Our guide to the best public and private gardens around the country.

The Roma St Parkland is an exquisite 16ha garden in the heart of Brisbane.

Spring is the perfect time of year to see gardens in full glory as flowers bloom and shrubs take on new bright growth. Visiting public gardens is an ideal place to see these displays en masse and they give us ideas, inspiration, motivation for what to do in our own backyards. Even if gardens are not quite our style, budget or scale, we always come away with ideas to implement in our own spaces, whether it is tree selections, clever plant combinations, effective use of garden ornaments or more practical things such as how to set up a composting area or garden shed. To kick off your spring inspiration, here are a few grand, large-scale public and private gardens, from around the nation. While it is tricky to choose only one grand garden from each state, these are my favourites – all for very different reasons, and all are unique in style.

Illalangi Farm in Barrabool, Victoria.

Illalangi Farm in Barrabool, Victoria.

VICTORIA

Illalangi Farm, 90 Polleys Rd, Barrabool. Open October 29-30

Illalangi Farm means ‘home on a hill’ and this private garden is perched high up with gorgeous views across the rolling Barrabool Hills. The Barrabool Hills, located 10 minutes from Geelong, is a small region in south west Victoria. In 2018 the owners embarked on building a new home and garden on existing farmland.

The project has produced a sculptural building and a drought tolerant, predominantly indigenous, garden that nestles into the contour of the landscape. The owners have been passionate about creating a refuge for wildlife and shelter, planting more than 4000 tube stock trees and shrubs on the site.

One unique feature of the garden is a 30m x 30m shelter designed by architect Sean Godsell, which hovers above the house and garden. This acts as a parasol for shade and shelter from the elements. Together with Sean and Eckersley Garden Architecture, the garden and planting design was produced.

Adjacent to the new garden project is a cottage garden and house with predominantly a succulent garden. This area was established by the current owners in 2014. With no access to town water, both gardens are an example of waterwise dry gardens built to survive in all weather conditions.

This is the first time this garden has been on display to the public, so don’t miss it.

opengardensvictoria.org.au/Illalangi-Farm

Also visit: Other grand gardens worth visiting are the Royal Melbourne Botanic Garden, Cranbourne Botanic Garden, Heronswood and Werribee Park Mansion.

Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane’s CBD.

Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane’s CBD.

QUEENSLAND

Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane CBD

For those who have never visited this amazing 16ha parkland in the centre of Brisbane, put it on your bucket list. Every time I visit, not only am I impressed by the gardens themselves, particularly their massed plantings of colourful themed bedding plants in the Spectacle Garden which looks great all year round, but especially in spring, the sheer number of people using the park. The Spectacle Garden is currently planted with 10,000 bedding plants including ornamental kale, primula, nemesia, snapdragons, osteospermum, daisies, poppies, sweet peas and ranunculus.

These are chosen for their colour and beauty, and they also attract local wildlife with the current blooms leading to an increase in bees and butterflies in the garden, plus an increase in water dragons who come out to eat the bugs. The garden also includes a special display to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Roma Street Parkland Volunteer Program. The display looks like a giant cake (complete with a cherry on top) and is made from kalanchoe flowers. The Spectacle Garden is replanted three to four times a year to ensure colourful displays all year round. Their next display will start being planted in late October or early November. You can even join a free guided tour of the Roma Street Parkland which are led daily by experienced volunteers.

Each tour goes for 60-90 minutes and covers a range of topics including 20 Years of Roma Street Parkland, Bush Tucker and Behind the Scenes.

Bookings are required. For more information about the Parklands or to book a tour visit romastreetparkland.com.au

The peaceful Drouhin garden at Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills.

Drouhin at Littlehampton.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Drouhin, 12 Mossop Court, Littlehampton. Open November 5-6

An avenue of mature trees leads into Drouin, revealing five acres of a stunning, colourful, flower-filled and extensively planted large garden.

There are more than 900 roses in all shades make a dazzling display when they are in bloom and these are underplanted with masses of annuals and perennials. There is also added pizzazz from the many climbers that cover arches, arbours, rose swags, a trickling water rill and a domed gazebo. There is a white garden with box hedges and white roses, a gazebo, a bog garden, an orchard, a vegetable garden, and a beautiful walled ‘picking garden’ planted with pretty old-fashioned plants including delphiniums, foxgloves, Queen Anne’s lace, larkspurs, alstroemeria and hollyhocks.

There is also a strong emphasis on colour and plantings include many salvias, iris, camellias, hydrangeas, a variety of shrubs, the roses and more than 12,000 bulbs.

New features include a prairie-style garden and a small Japanese influenced area, all with views across paddocks dotted with gigantic old gum trees.

opengardensa.org.au

Also visit: Other grand gardens in Adelaide which are open to the public include Adelaide Botanic Garden, Carrick Hill, Beaumont House and Urrbrae House in the Waite Arboretum.

The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

Colour abounds at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

This is such a stunning and interesting botanic garden, located in the most magnificent setting on Sydney Harbour, with views of the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
I highly recommend taking one of the daily guided tours with the knowledgeable volunteer guides to discover the heritage and plant diversity within the extensive garden. The wildflower meadow display (right) will in full bloom by early November and this is worth a look. This is more than just a patch of flowers, it’s an educational planting which is an integral part of sustaining and increasing beneficial bugs, birds, and pollinators within the cityscape.

Visitors can wander through winding paths within the meadow and as the blooms grow, they are almost human height. Whenever you visit, be sure to check out the latest immersive exhibition at the Calyx called ‘Love your Nature’ which opens on September 26 and explores the diverse world of plant-love in a kaleidoscope of colour, plants and passion. Installations in the Calyx are always spectacular and educational.

rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Also visit: Other grand gardens worth visiting are the Bronte House, Vaucluse House and Wendy Whitely’s Secret Garden.

Originally published as The grandest gardens to visit around the nation