Spring is here, and if you’re keen to see the blooms, there’s lots of seasonal festivals to enjoy, like the Tesselaar Tulip Festival and the Blossom Festival. And if leisurely strolls through a park or garden is more your style, Melbourne has plenty of those too! See the bright wattle trees in Wattle Park, smell the roses in Victoria State Rose Garden and more. And, high up in the misty Dandenong Ranges, there’s one garden that you can visit that’s filled with spectacular spring flower displays. Plan a visit to Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, a 50-hectare cool-climate destination filled with thousands of colourful flowers. It’s beautiful all year round, and spring is particularly stunning, with blooming daffodils, cherry blossoms, camellias and more at their peak. It’s free to visit, and open daily from 10am, with last entry at 4:30pm.
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden
Located just outside of Olinda, this gorgeous garden is packed with over 15,000 rhododendrons, and was once known as the National Rhododendron Gardens. But, there’s plenty of other beautiful flowers to see, including 12,000 azaleas, 3,000 camellias and 250,000 daffodils. Amble along the winding network of paths, and feel astounded by the sheer number of plants and flowers.
The main track is a 3.5km circuit, where you’ll see a small pond, an ornamental lake, sprawling lawns and different garden displays. But, you can also choose your own adventure along the secondary paths, where you’ll stumble across a grove of cherry trees, pretty meadows and a mix of native and exotic trees. Bring a picnic to enjoy while you soak in the sights, hear the singing birds and smell the fragrant air.
Located 500 metres above sea level, the plants up here bloom later than in the suburbs. In early spring, you’ll see camellias and magnolias flowering, as well as the golden mile of cheerful daffodils. By mid to late spring, the azaleas and the rhododendrons reach their colourful peak. During this time, the Cherry Grove is also in full bloom.
This beautiful destination first opened in 1960, and in 2023, the Chelsea Australian Garden was added to the space. This part of the garden is a large-scale recreation of the ‘Australian Garden’ which won Best in Show at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show in London. It’s packed with 15,000 plants from 400 different Australian species, as well as a cascading waterfall and peaceful billabong.
Things to know
Since this botanic garden is set within the Dandenong Ranges, it is quite hilly, and can be challenging for some visitors. The main paths are wide and sealed, but there are some long and steep sections to be mindful of, particularly on the return walk from Serenity Point. Most of the secondary paths are gravel. Unassisted wheelchair access is not recommended. But, you can book garden bus tours, so you can sit back, relax and take in the picturesque sights, while listening to commentary from the team. These tours do not run on public holidays.
This garden is quite popular, particularly in spring, and it can get quite busy on weekends. If you’d like to aim for a more peaceful experience, try to arrive on a weekday, or early in the morning. Parking on-site can be limited, and you might have to park nearby at places like Olinda Recreation Reserve or the former Olinda Golf Course. Alternatively, you could also take the bus to Olinda, and walk from there.
While you can bring a picnic, there aren’t any bins, so remember to take your rubbish with you. If you’d like a memento of your visit, there is a little gift shop at the garden entrance. There’s also a cafe, which is typically open for coffee and a light brunch on weekends. But, during spring, it’s open daily.
Dogs aren’t allowed to come along.
For more information, click here.
📍24 The Georgian Rd, Olinda VIC 3788
