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Western Australia

October 28 and 29 October 2023. Daily 10am – 4pm.  $5/person/garden – Cash/Card.

Six (6) Garden Venues – Follow road signs at strategic intersections and purple flags to each garden.  

Contact garden owners for more information and regarding disability and bus access for groups.

 Some food and drink on the trail.  Book local lunch time venues well in advance. 

A huge thank you to the property owners.  So much work has gone into having their gardens open for you to view.    Also thanks to all the volunteers who have manned the Visitor Centre, the rose garden and all the willing helpers at all the gardens.

THE GARDEN VENUES

1. FERGUSON VALLEY VISITOR CENTRE in Dardanup Town

5 Ferguson Road, Dardanup, 6236.  Tel: 97281551 info@fergusonvalley.com.au

Information, Garden Stalls, Sausage Sizzle by West Dardanup Fire Brigade.  The Trail “hub” starts here.

Garden trail map and catalogue available here which showcases all venues on the trail.    Additionally, general tourist information is available too plus an array of different and interesting art and craft items for sale.  We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who staff the visitor centre.

Enjoy visiting the  FV Visitor Centre – so much helpful information and gifts to see here – situated in the old school house.   Also this is a good place to start the open garden trail.  

 Take a short walk around Dardanup on the Heritage Trail – map at VC.   https://dardanupheritagecollective.org.au/sites-of-interest/heritage-trails/ 

Rose Garden:  The South West Rose Society Garden showcases a magnificent array of roses. Rose information books that detail every variety featured in the garden plus details on the memorial garden therein.  A volunteer member of the rose society in attendance daily from noon – 3pm.  These volunteers give so much of their time to this magnificent show of roses.

Horticulturist – Ben Vreiling – both days Ben is available for any orchid and gardening enquiries.  Ben specialises in orchids – he brings with him the Bunbury Orchid Society exhibit.

West Dardanup Fire Brigade – Sausage Sizzle

RT Arts Sculpture Truck:  Bob Turner is a creator of upcycling old farm and rural implements into garden art.  His truck of wood and metal sculptures is fun and fascinating.  Take the time to talk to Bob about the history of each piece.

Ferguson Valley Flower Farm – Saturday only.  Come and see what flowers Pat has for you.

Leschenault Biosecurity Group……..STOP GARDEN ESCAPEES!  Did you know that most of our significant environmental weeds are actually “Garden Escapees” that invade bushland, river systems, pastures and more? 

Wild Designs by Jacqui – Leadlighting and mosaic sculptures in glass.

Chris and Dave’s Compost  – quality odourless compost, made locally containing only hormone free chicken manure and broken straw.  Buy by the bag or enquire for bulk quantities and delivery to your door.

Simply Seedlings – Laura Tottle.  Vegetable, herb and flower seedlings and “worm wee” for healthy plants. Many varieties of seedlings – tomatoes, capsicums, zucchini, beans, parsley, mint etc.

 Sausage Sizzle; Garden Stalls and Information.  Public toilets.  

 

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2)  LONICERA – Ebony and James Hawksley

679 Ferguson Rd, Ferguson 6236  M: 0423 650630. E: ebony@nannuphideaway.com.au

James and Ebony and their children have created a truly magical and vibrant garden! The combination of a fragrant honeysuckle arch , Australian natives, climbing roses, and a vegetable patch creates a feast for the senses with the delightful aroma and the beautiful colours that fill the garden.

The young family has put much effort into making their garden sustainable and abundant.

Explore the garden, starting from the front garden with the Australian natives – enjoy a coffee -while taking in the view from the elevated outdoor entertaining area. Walk through the cottage garden to the rose archway, where the climbing roses create a stunning display. The 20-meter archway is a sight to behold. The vegetable patch with its 15 beds of produce and the chicken coops are a source of pride and nourishment for the family and friends.  The rose gazebo overlooking the stone fruit orchard and the small flock of sheep and lambs make a peaceful and picturesque spot to relax and appreciate the beauty of the garden. Come and share this garden journey with us. It’s a labour of love and a testament to lots of hard work and dedication. We hope it brings everyone else as much joy as it does to our family.

Features:  Jitter Bug Coffee Van on site.  Lambs to pat.  Ducks and chickens to see.  Nala the dog might say hello to you too.  Child friendly.  Proceeds to Dardanup Primary School.

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 3). CARLAMINDA – Helen and David Humphreys

813 Ferguson Road, Ferguson 7236. Mob: 0422095870 Email: hello@carlaminda.com.au

Carlaminda is steeped in local history and has been in the Humphreys’ family for over 40 years.  Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Ferguson Valley, the homestead is framed by an English-style country garden with the main focus in October being the heritage roses. The orchard is home to over 100 different fruit trees and nearly 50 vines and bushes.  It is a working farm with homestyle gardens requiring work and dedication.

The 70 acre property is a beef cattle and bee farm with active beehives located away from the event areas.  Don’t miss the bee talks by Helen.  Walk the beautiful gardens, wander down to the highly productive orchard, bring a picnic, and take in the views while soaking-up the tranquillity.

Features: Bee talk:  Sat: 11am  Sun: 2pm – group on the main lawn.  Very informative.  Helen is a “bee guru” and a member of WA Apiarists’ Society.  https://waas.org.au

Facilities:  Child-friendly.  Toilet available.  Proceeds to Dardanup Primary School.

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4)  AVALONJane Field/Brad Reed

463 Wellington Mill Rd, Wellington Mill.  M: 0417837729 E:  avalonjane@me.com.

Avalon means a place of mystique and legend and the garden represents both.  The property was transformed from an apple orchard leaving 5 acres of terraced areas full of mature and deciduous trees.  Come and recharge your senses whilst lazily wandering the gardens.  Hear the birds, see the colours of camellias, azaleas, daisies and wisteria. Smell the natural perfume and taste the refreshments provided.  The gardens are child-friendly.  Put down a rug and bring a picnic – have fun.

Diana Neggo – Artist in the Garden. https://www.diananeggoartist.com

Picnic Cheer – styled picnic table displaying settings designs for picnic guests –  tablecloth, blankets, cushions at a table –  suitable for any age and ability. https://www.picniccheer.com.au

Linda of Lowden (Linda Bell) – Japanese Maple trees for sale.

Lois Doherty – Garden Jewels. Recycled beaded jewels and suncatchers to enhance your garden pots and plants. It’s a creative way to add a touch of sophistication and style to your outdoor space. Not only does it give your garden a unique and personalized look, but it also promotes sustainability by repurposing materials. Plus, the shimmer and sparkle of the beaded jewels can create a visually stunning effect, especially when the sunlight hits them. 

Facilities: Morning/afternoon tea available. View as short stay accommodation and wedding venue.  This property maybe for sale – enquiries contact owners Brad/Jane who are onsite.  Proceeds to Solaris Care and WMB Fire Brigade.

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5)  STONERIDGE – Jill and Tom Cross

513 Crooked Brook Rd, Crooked Brook.  M: 0418 281201. E: jill.cross@bigpond.com

Tom and I purchased our property, a bare bush block, in 1985 and built our house not long after
in 1988. Whilst raising our family we went about developing the garden. Gardening is in our
blood. My grandmother loved gardening and so did Tom’s mother and so did my mother.
The soil, sand over gravel, presented many challenges and we decided right from the start that
everything grown had to be hardy and was only going to receive a certain amount of TLC. This
was due to us wanting to spend most of our time with our young family and a farm as well as full-time employment for Tom, off the farm.  Our garden is grouped predominantly into native or exotic areas making for easy watering and maintenance. Tom has built all the paths and walls from stone found on the property. We are lucky to have a lot of bush on our property which provides natural bush vistas beyond the immediate garden.  Meandering paths leading to native or exotic planting areas making for easy watering and maintenance.

Features: Emma White – Ripple Grove Greenery Trailer, Denise Gillies – hand-drawn gift cards – https://www.facebook.com/lyndendaleartandantiques/

FacilitiesMorning/afternoon teas.  Toilet available.  Proceeds to Dardanup Heritage Collective

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6)  CROOKED BROOK FOREST – Forest Road, Crooked Brook   M: 0407 440 669.  Free entry.

Known as a ‘forest for all people’.  The Forest Path at Crooked Brook is a hidden jewel for those with limited mobility, providing easy access to an area of natural bushland in the Ferguson Valley, near Bunbury. The path features interpretive signage about the flora and fauna and plenty of bench seats.

Sunday only – free guided wildflower walks with Alison Melvin from Forest Explorer WA.  10am and 1pm.  1.5kms.  Bookings essential.  0427 98 11 87 Info@forestexplorers.com.au.

Crooked Brook Forest offers 4 walking trails including a sealed 600m loop ideal for spotting wildflowers. Explore walk trails, enjoy a picnic by the billabong, see the wildflowers and try to spot some of the abundant but shy local wildlife. In the forest, you may see the western brush wallaby, Gould’s monitor, grey fantail and the rare red-tailed black cockatoo.  Take a picnic and enjoy the forest…rest a while.  BBQs available.  Wheelchair toilet access.  Walk lengths from 600m to 10kms.  Disability access for paths.

Self guided wildflower walks all weekend.  Paths and trails are well marked.

Sunday only – free guided wildflower walks with Alison Melvin from Forest Explorer WA.  10am and 1pm.  1.5kms.  Bookings essential.  0427 98 11 87 Info@forestexplorers.com.au.

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/fergusonvalleyopengardens

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fergusonvalleyopengarden/

Thank you for visiting.

Details Available July 2020