It was a beautiful sunny summer morning on Thursday 9th December when we left Chambly for our Christmas Trip to Alowyn Gardens at Yarra Glen. We arrived at 10am just in time for a scrumptious morning tea of scones, jam and cream sitting in the shady gravel courtyard.
We then had 2 hours to explore the 4 acres of magnificent gardens. It is designed along symmetrical lines, which are blurred by the softness of the trees. There are 5 distinctive garden areas; a silver birch forest, an edible garden, a formal parterre garden built along 17thcentury design principles, sunken rose garden with its fountain centerpiece, and a large perennial border for Spring and Autumn colour. Throughout the garden various vistas are glimpsed from the wisteria and rose covered arbor of the many courtyards and garden spaces. It is no surprise Alowyn was named the ABC Garden of the Year in 2008.
It was very hard to leave this beautiful garden, but our legs and stomachs were requiring some sustenance, and our lunch was waiting for us in Yarra Glen at the Grand Hotel. All enjoyed a very tasty 2 course lunch and we had plenty of time to sit and chat.
We still had time for a quick stop at ‘Kuranga Native Nursery’ in Mount Evelyn on the way home for some last minute Christmas present purchases.
