This morning, we depart Melbourne on a northerly drive to arrive at The Garden of St Erth. This garden of the Diggers Club is set within the magnificent Macedon Ranges. Upon arrival, take a tour with the head gardener before enjoying lunch in the garden. Afterwards, we visit Babbington Park for a private tour of the organic kitchen garden and farm of local chef Annie Smithers.
Depart Melbourne for the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. Our first visit is to the stunning Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. We explore the gardens during a guided tour, which highlights Australia’s native plants set along beautifully designed landscapes. Afterwards, we meet the head gardener at Heronswood for a private tour of the wonderfully designed and diverse gardens there. We also see the Seed Preservation Garden before sitting down to lunch with Diggers Club Founders, Clive and Penny Blazey. We end the day with a visit to 'the engine room’ at Diggers Club Headquarters to see the trial beds and packing area and to learn more about the operations of the Diggers Club.
Today we are invited to visit two wonderful private gardens on the Mornington Peninsula. We have exclusive access to explore these gardens – which are not open to the public – during guided tours with their gardeners. They will share the history and stories behind these gorgeous properties, one of which is the charming Bulldog Run, owned by the Baillieu family. Relax this evening with a pre-dinner drink in the garden of our Botanical Guide. Then return to our hotel for a Farewell Dinner.
After breakfast we visit a private garden before enjoying some free time for lunch in the lovely town of Flinders. This afternoon we return to Melbourne for a guided tour of the Test Garden, which makes up part of the Laak Boorndap urban garden. This innovative, new project is unique in its design, focusing on biodiversity, planting density and climate resiliency within an urban area. At the conclusion of our tour, we return to the Melbourne Marriott Hotel.
