Not too far from Melbourne, you’ll discover a magical garden bursting with beautiful flowers and calm lakes. Spanning over 14 acres, Blue Lotus Water Garden has multiple ponds, lakes, ornamental bridges and more enchanting features. Here, you’ll find the biggest display of lotus and waterlily flowers in Australia, and quite possibly in the Southern Hemisphere. Wander through the scenic trails, and feel blown away by the vast array of water flowers, exotic blooms and unique plant displays. Blue Lotus Water Garden will reopen to the public for its 19th season on Thursday December 26, and run until April 21.
Blue Lotus Water Garden
Wander the gardens and explore dreamy lakes, vibrant floral colours, exotic plants, waterfalls, fountains and more. This year, the warm and humid weather has been kind to the garden, and the gardeners are expecting their best display of lotus flowers ever.
You’ll find new artistic lotus fountain sculptures, as well as bigger fountains throughout the gardens and updates to the Fairy Garden. There’s also a new family picnic area called Frog Hollow, decked out with giant frog statues.
They will also launch a new flower event in March next year, and showcase a massive display of blooming begonias. More information about that will be revealed closer to the date.
In the meantime, here’s what you can look forward to.
Lotus Flower Season
When: December 26 to March 20
During this time, you’ll see their spectacular display of lotus flowers. Explore Cochrane Lake and admire over 70 varieties of waterlily flowers. Marvel at their prized collection of Claude Monet’s original waterlilies, straight from his garden in Giverny, France.
Walk down the middle of the lake by crossing a series of bridges, including their iconic red arched bridge. After that, follow a sandy pathway and have a picnic nearby.
On Lotus Lake, you’ll discover over ten thousand blooms on display. Some of these blossoms are as large as a dinner plate. Some of the flowers can stand up to 2 metres above the water, and reach 40 cm in diameter. Flowers grow across the whole surface of the lake, so that everywhere you look, you’ll see brightly-coloured blooms. Discover the Golden Lotus exhibit, and see one of the largest lotus flowers on the planet with over 80 petals.
Then, journey along Lotus Wetlands and lose yourself in their forest of flowers. Within Lotus Wetlands, you’ll find bogs and ponds filled with native wildlife, as well as other beautiful flowers such as petunias, canna lilies and hibiscus.
Head to Tropical World to find native lotus and waterlilies from northern Australia, as well as other exotic tropical plants. Don’t miss the Giant Amazon Lily, which can grow lily pads that reach 1.5 to 2 metres in diameter.
Autumn Flower Season
When: March 21 to April 21
During late March and April, you’ll lose yourself in a kaleidoscope of colour. See thousands of flowering perennial and other plants, such as salvias, bougainvillea, sunflowers and more.
Feel amazed by their Avenue of Begonias, and see the largest hanging basket display of begonias in Australia. This stunning avenue will greet you near the entry, and run through the entire length of the gardens. See over 200 hanging baskets, filled with thousands of colourful begonias of all shapes and sizes.
There’s also plenty of fun for the kids, with a Fairy Garden filled with whimsical cubby houses, a rainbow slide, giant flowers and mushrooms, a fairy village, flower boats and more. Go on an adventure along the Dragons Trail, and weave your way through the garden.
You’re welcome to pack a picnic or use the barbeque areas, or pop into the café or grab an ice cream from the kiosk on weekends and public holidays. The café is outdoors, and set along the edge of the waterlily pond, so you can take in splendid views of the flowers.