There’s something wonderfully fleeting about Melbourne’s peony season. For only a few weeks each spring, the extravagant blooms arrive in a riot of colour and lush, ruffled petals—before disappearing again until next year.
From 30th September to 4th November, 2026, The Diggers Club will celebrate one of the world’s most beloved flowers with a month-long Celebration of Peonies at Cloudehill in the Dandenong Ranges.
Set across Cloudehill’s five-acre cool-climate garden, the celebration will showcase more than 120 different varieties of peonies, alongside rare blooms, floral installations, specialist growers, garden tours, workshops and plenty of opportunities to take some flowers home.
Over 120 types of peonies in bloom
Visitors can wander through the gardens at their spring peak, discover fresh-cut and potted peonies, browse rare varieties and stop for a photo among the event’s floral installation.
There will also be complimentary garden tours, workshops and the chance to meet specialist growers and learn more about growing and caring for peonies at home.
For anyone who has ever wanted to turn their own garden into a springtime flower display, the Diggers Club garden shop and nursery will also stock cut and potted peonies throughout the celebration.
With the flowering season lasting only a matter of weeks, the event offers a limited window to see the flowers at their seasonal best. Peonies have been cultivated and celebrated for thousands of years, with the flower holding particular cultural significance in China, where it is known as the “king of flowers”.
They’re prized for their extravagant blooms, lush petals and rich fragrance, while their relatively short flowering season makes their annual arrival all the more anticipated.
Although peonies are traditionally coveted as cut flowers, selected varieties can also be grown in Australian gardens, meaning the celebration is as much about learning how to grow them as it is admiring them.
Meet the growers behind the blooms
Specialist growers will sit at the heart of the celebration, giving visitors the chance to hear directly from the people cultivating some of these remarkable plants.
Marie Jordan of Fresbrook Peony Farm will bring three decades of peony-growing experience to Cloudehill, sharing her knowledge with visitors throughout the celebration.
The program will also venture beyond peonies. Peter Harris, who has worked in horticulture for more than 35 years, will showcase Pacific coast irises. His career has included work with Melbourne City Council’s Fitzroy Gardens and Chandler Nurseries, as well as establishing his own nursery.
Meanwhile, Peter Haeusler will bring rare and hard-to-find clivia varieties to the event. Together, the growers reflect The Diggers Club’s focus on specialist horticulture and on connecting gardeners with the people preserving and cultivating unusual and remarkable plants.
Make a spring day of it
Visitors can spend the day exploring Cloudehill’s five acres of cool-climate gardens, joining a complimentary tour, browsing the garden shop and nursery, taking part in a workshop or settling in for a meal at the garden and restaurant.
There will also be mini-courses and other activities throughout the month, making the Dandenong Ranges destination an easy excuse for a spring day trip from Melbourne.
And, naturally, there’s plenty of potential for flower photography, with peonies in bloom across one of Victoria’s best-known cool-climate garden settings.
One of the standout events in the program will be a peony drawing and watercolour workshop with Melbourne artist Sarah Hankinson on Sunday, 4th October.
Held at Cloudehill’s Seasons Restaurant, the two-hour workshop will guide participants through drawing and painting peonies from observation, exploring line, tone and composition.
Hankinson, author of Art Class: Flowers and Foliage, will lead the session, with morning tea included. Participants will leave with their sketches, mixed-media studies and finished artworks. The workshop costs $140 for Diggers Club members and $200 for non-members, with bookings available.
Key details
What: Celebration of Peonies
When: 30th September – 4th November 2026
Where: The Diggers Club at Cloudehill, Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
Throughout the month-long celebration, visitors can explore the gardens, see more than 120 varieties of peonies, shop for cut and potted flowers, meet specialist growers and take part in workshops, mini-courses and complimentary garden tours.
With peonies offering only a brief burst of spring colour, the season at Cloudehill is one for flower lovers to catch while it lasts.
