Waratah at Karwarra Gardens
If you've ever considered creating a native garden at home, want to learn more about Australian plants or just feel like relaxing in a garden,
Karwarra Australian Plant Garden is definitely worth a look.
This two hectare area of garden is located on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama, in the Dandenongs, on the eastern edge of Melbourne. It's free to enter and open from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Following winding paths, you wander among tall gums, tree ferns, the occasional pond (with tadpoles) and a huge array of flowering trees, shrubs and smaller plants. According to the staff, there are 1,400 different types of native plants (I'll admit I didn't count them all).
The garden was established in 1971. It's owned and operated by the shire council with support and assistance from the Friends of Karwarra group.
Paper daisy, Karwarra
More colour
I've visited in Winter and Spring – in both seasons there's a breathtaking multitude of colour. There are lots of plants that flower in Summer and Autumn too. And there's a plant nursery where you can buy tube stock of native plants for a pretty reasonable $3.
Good selection at Karwarra's plant nursery
For anyone considering setting up a native garden at home or in pots on a balcony, Karwarra is a useful place to visit to get ideas. It's interesting to see how good this kind of garden can look. If you have questions, I've found the staff and volunteers to be friendly and knowledgeable.
Winding paths
The gardens are also a pleasant place for a picnic, with occasional benches and areas of lawn suitable for laying out a picnic blanket. While there's quite a lot of shade, it's worth bringing a hat and sunscreen in summer.
Lawn for picnicking
It's also an attractive spot for weddings, which are permitted by arrangement. Contact details for Karwarra are
here.
If you're travelling by car, Karwarra is on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road - approach from either Olinda or Montrose. There's also a bus service. The bus timetable and route is
here. (You get off at Kalorama).
And if you're in the mood for more gardens, there are plenty to beguile you in nearby Olinda and Kallista – the
Rhododendron Gardens,
Cloudehill,
Alfred Nicholas Gardens and
George Tindale Gardens.
Surely that's enough to satisfy even the most dedicated garden-buff.
