Werribee State Rose Garden
This weekend, we went took time to smell the roses - figuratively and literally.
Melbourne is on a heat roll! We have had a good few weeks of sunshine and thought of taking the folks to the Werribee Zoo Safari. The best thing about this tourist place is that Werribee State Mansion, State Rose Garden and the Werribee Zoo are also in the vicinity. Which means if either of them is not your thing, you can easily move on to the next. This article is solely about the rose garden and this does not imply that we did not have a great time at the zoo. The safari was good but we enjoyed the garden more.
Smell the Roses
It is my second visit to the rose garden. I know of many who visit the zoo and are oblivious to the next door neighbour. I don't think that it is fair but that could be just me.
To take in the beauty
I told ya, the best things in life are for free. As you enter, there is a spectacular display of 5000 varieties of roses which have been nurtured over 5 acres. You are hit by a colour bomb as you walk into the garden. You simply have to stop and smell the roses!
As you continue taking in the sights, the scene just gets better. The beautiful gazebo, at the heart of the garden, has a nice Victorian vibe and the aisle is lined with roses bushes. We visited the garden in early February. In spite of the heat over the past few weeks, the garden was in full blooms.
Volunteers work precariously for the upkeep of the garden. Awarded the International Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2003, it was the first rose garden outside of Europe to receive this award and the only one (at that time) cared for entirely by volunteers.
Amongst the roses
The garden has a well-curated show of roses. There was a constant stream of people taking pictures with the beautiful blooms. We were no exception! The garden does have benches where you can just take a break.
The lawns surrounding the garden are perfect for a family picnic. We spent two hours just walking and looking for photo opportunities. The arches or the runners? It's hard to choose where to pose, so you might as well pose with both!
My mother thoroughly enjoyed the roses and can't wait to go again.
Roses
