Some photographer friends suggested Cloudehill Nursery & Gardens as a photo shoot location. They were right on the money, Cloudehill is a photographer's paradise! Even in the height of a hot Melbourne summer, Cloudehill has retained its verdant beauty and splendid array of flowers.
A pathway leads down to splendid garden beds
The six photographers in the group quickly made for the flower beds, where there were abundant opportunities for macro photography. Many butterflies flitted around the flowers. There is also a pond, complete with a few water lilies, around which small blue dragonflies darted.
Aerial macro view of one of the flowers
The bees love Cloudehill too!
Even if you're not a photographer, there are many things to attract you to Cloudehill. Anyone with an eye for the aesthetically pleasing will enjoy the gardens. There are extensive grounds (about 4 hectares or 10 acres) around which to ramble (not all are manicured gardens). There are about 50 items of garden art scattered around the grounds. Eastern Spinebill birds apparently frequent the gardens, though I had just a fleeting glimpse of one.
Some of the garden beds at Cloudehill
There is also a restaurant at the top of the hill (Seasons at Cloudehill), offering indoor or terrace seating. Its position means there is a great outlook over the grounds. However, I found the food to be a little on the expensive side, and the menu perhaps too heavy for a hot summer's day.
Cloudehill is available for functions including weddings/wedding receptions. I think it would be a lovely venue for a wedding.
Guided tours of the gardens are held each Sunday at 2.30pm.
I can imagine the autumn colours will be stunning at Cloudehill and I am planning another visit in few months' time.
