Departthe Melbourne Marriott Hotel at 8.30am.  

This morning visit Cruden Farm, the former home of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. Take a tour of the manicured gardens and peaceful walking areas set amongst interesting bushland and lakes. The sights and scents at Cruden Farm constantly alter throughout the seasons, and there are many plants and trees to be discovered.

Next, we arrive at Heronswood to tour the Heronswood Garden with Head Gardener, Bill Bampton where you will see the new Seed Preservation Garden. 

Next enjoy lunch with Diggers Club Founders, Clive and Penny Blazey, in the historic Heritage Home. We will then head ‘behind the scenes’ at the Diggers Club to see the trial beds and packing area to learn more about the Diggers Club operation.

Three Nights: Melbourne, Marriott Hotel 

Lunch and Dinner 

Travel up to the majestic Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Victoria’s premier cool-climate garden. With breathtaking views over the Yarra Valley, the garden features important collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and more, in a setting of native and exotic trees. Travel to the Diggers Club Garden, Cloudehill to enjoy lunch at Seasons Restaurant. 

Afterwards enjoy a tour of the garden by Jeremy Francis. Continue onto Pirianda Garden to take a tour with Diggers CEO, Tim Sansom and Peter Teese, owner of Yamina Rare Plants, where they will discuss why Diggers believe that alongside growing our own food, planting trees is the most important thing we as gardeners can do.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning visit the Diggers Club, Garden of St Erth set in the magnificent Macedon Ranges. Take a tour of the garden with Head Gardener, Julian Blackhirst before enjoying lunch in the café at St Erth. We then travel onto the private garden of Simon Rickard, an enthusiastic gardener and plantsman. He was head gardener at the Diggers Club until 2009. Overseeing the gardens at Heronswood and the Garden of St Erth. 

Return to Melbourne for a Farewell Dinner this evening. 

Breakfast, Lumch and Dinner

Take a tour through the prestigious horticultural institution, Burnley, with Professor John Rayner, senior lecturer of Urban Horticulture. Stroll through the nine-hectare gardens which are home to nearly 1000 different species of plants, including some of the oldest trees in Melbourne. The gardens have evolved since the 1860’s as a location for research and teaching. 

Have a glimpse of the classrooms and tour of the Burnley rooftop garden. We then enjoy lunch at the Royal Botanic Gardens overlooking the lake, before taking a tour of the Children’s Garden with Principal designer and Landscape Architect Andrew Laidlaw. 

We then visit the Indigenous Plants Heritage Walk, Jakobi to learn how plants are intricately connected to Aboriginal culture and how traditional bushfoods can be used in our cooking today.

 
At the conclusion of our tour, guests will be returned to the Melbourne Marriott Hotel at 5.00pm.

Breakfast, Lunch