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I am always looking for a beautiful place to take Reg for a walk, provide some eco therapy and entertainment close to nature along with our exercise and material of interest to share with my readers and record here for my own satisfaction.  Beautiful gardens will increasingly go on our walking tours list of things to do and things we have done and loved having done.
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Queensland

Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Cootha
Located 7km from the city this 52 hectare garden is over 20 years old.  There are over 10,000 plant species.  The visitors centre has maps and suggested walks. It's open daily from 8am to 5.30pm (Sep to March & 5pm (Apr to Aug) Free tours by volunteers leave the information kiosk at 11am and 1pm Mon to Sat

Boyce Gardens Toowoomba
Over 60 years old and covering 6 hectares it was designed by Mrs Harriet Boyce.  It's open Tues and Thurs from 11am to 4pm and by appointment

Greenlaw Toowoomba
Spectacular views, mature cycads, cool climate trees and shrubs.  Six diffferent gardens in one.  They will open anytime as long as you call first and there is a small entrance fee.

Japanese Garden Toowoomba
Has only been only for just over 10 years so it is relatively young but well worth a visit. It's open daily from 7am to 7pm

Scented Garden Toowoomba
This sensory garden donated to the city in the mid 1970s is best visited in Spring and Summer.  It's open daily.

Jimbour House Dalby
Started in 1925 this garden has grown to include 350 roses, very old Moreton Bay Figs, masses of gloriously coloured bougainvillea and sweeping lawns.  It's open daily unless raining.

The Fushsia Farm Mt Tamborine
This one hectare display garden is best visited from Sept to Nov.
It's open all year from 9 to 5

Green Mountain Botanical Gardens via Canungra
Extraordinary walks are conducted by the O'Reilly family which has been at this site since 1911.  Best time to see the garden in flower is from the end of Aug to the beginning of Oct.  It's open daily.


New South Wales

Saumarez Homestead Armidale
This garden has been developing since the late 1800's and features many mature plantings.  It's open 10am-3pm Mon to Fri and 2-5pm on weekends.

Elizabeth Farm Parramatta
First planted in 1794 it's one of the earliest gardens in Australia.  It's open 10-4.30 Tues to Sun.

Fagan Park Galston
Covering 10 hectares the garden is best known as one of many nations.  It's open 7-5 daily.
 
Government House Sydney
Located within the Royal Botanic Garden the garden ahs been developing since the mid 1800's.  It's open daily 10-4

Lisgar Gardens Hornsby
Developed in the 1920's this garden is a fine example of terracing down a steep slope.  It's open weekdays 8.30-3.30

Mt Annan Botanic Gardens Mt Annan
410 hectares and some 5000 speciaes with 4.5 hectares of teraced hillside.  It's open daily 10-4 over Winter and 10-6 in Summer.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
Sited where the first farm was established in 1788 the 30 hectares are a showcase of beauty and peace.  It's open daily

Vaucluse House Vaucluse
A fine example of a mid nineteenth century garden, restored in the 1980s.  It's open Tues to Sun 10-4.30

Bacchante Gardens Blackheath
This garden of 18.5 hectares features rhododendrons and is open dialy from 9am

Everglades Leura
Designed by Paul Sorensen this garden is over 60 years old and is open daily 9am to 5pm

Lindfield Park Mt Wilson
Steeply sloping 2.4 hectares, over 2000 azaleas.  Open daily from 10am

Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens Mt Tomah
A fine example of cool climate gardening.  Open daily from 10am

Ivanhoe Mudgee
Large circular rose garden in yellow and red.  Open daily.

Miss Traill's House Bathurst
Begun in 1845 this garden has been maintained since Miss Traill's passing in 1976 by the National Trust.  It's open daily.

Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre Cowra
Created out of the tragedy of war this garden was created in the spirit of reconciliation.  Cherry blossom season is in October but any time of the year is good.  Open daily from 8.30am

Foxglove Spires Tilba Tilba
The garden of your childhood dreams, with 100 year old Norfolk Pines, 55 metre long arbour of Manchurian Pear, walkways of crabapple, oaks, bluebells and daffodils.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm

Wollongong Botanic Garden Keiraville
Adjacent to Wollongong University, the 22 hectare garden was first planted in 1965.  Extensive rainforest areas as well as woodland gardens.  It's open daily .


 
Australian Capital Territory

Lanyon Tharwa
Laid out in the 19th Century this garden is great to visit any time of the year.  It's open Tues to Sunday from 10am to 4pm

Parliament House Gardens Canberra
23 hectares of landscaping around Parliament House feature large areas of green turf and an impressive selection of native species.  It's open daily.

Sculpture Garden Canberra
Stretching over 3 hectares from the northern face of the National Gallery of Australia to Lake Burley Griffin, this garden is designed to display a variety of sculptures. It's open daily.


Victoria

Como House South Yarra
A fine example of a 19th century garden, the central part dates from the mid 1800s.  It's open daily 10am to 5pm

Rippon Lea Elsternwick
Developing  since the late 1800s it features a lake, grotto, waterfalls, fernery and a conservatory.  It's open Tues to Su 10am to 5pm

Royal Botanic Gardens South Yarra
Work on this garden began in 1846 and now has over 49000 individual plants of some 12000 species.  Gates open 7.30am daily.

Bringalbit Sidonia
A parkland of oaks, deodars, polars and pines.  The property has been restored and is divided into several distinct areas.  It's open daily from 9am to 6pm

Buda Castlemaine
1.8 hectare garden designed from 1863 by Ernest Leviny and promvides a complete example of a 19th centry garden.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm

The Garden of St Erth Blackwood
A pilgrimage for garden lovers, horticultural students and professionals this garden is a prime example of what can be done with a little imagination.  It's open daily from 10am to 4pm

Ballarat Botanic Gardens Ballarat
19th Century Gardenesque it also houses a conservatory for frost tender flowers.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Hamilton Botanic Gardens Hamilton
Gazetted in 1870, many important trees have survived - funeral cypress, Himalayan Oak, and a California Oak.  It's open daily.

Portland Botanic Gardens Portland
Established as Victoria's first settlement in 1834 the garden features a Moreton Bay fig which is over 160 years and a famous collection of dahlias.  It's open daily from daylight to dusk.

Werribee Park Werribee
Many original features of this garden along with the Italianate mansion have survived.  It's open daily from 10am to 4pm

The Alfred Nichols Memorial Gardens Sherbrooke
A 13 hectare sloping site features an ornamental lake and boatshed.  It's open 8am to 4.30pm daily.

Cloudhill Olinda
Created since 1990 this 2.2 hectare garden features a massive yulan tree imported from Japan.  It's open daily 10am to 5pm

Karwarra Australian Plant Garden Kalorama
2 hectares of more than 1300 species of Australian plants.  It's open Tues to Sun



South Australia

Adelaide Botanic Garden - Adelaide
Established in 1855, opened in 1857, this 41.5 hectare garden is an inspirational design on a grand scale.  It's open daily from 10am to 4pm.

Urrbrae Rose Garden Urrbrae
Created in 1870s the garden has been in redevelopment since 1994 and features signifcant roses from each decade.  It's open daily from dawn to dusk.

Wittunga Botanic Gardens Blackwood
15 hectares set around a one hectare lake with emphasis on Australian plants.  It's open daily from 9am to 4pm

Mt Lofty Botanic Garden Piccadilly
Large spectacular and devoted to cool temperate plants.  Good walking shoes are recommended or you can catch the bus on Sundays betwen 10am and 4pm.  It's open daily from 8.30am to 4pm

The Cedars Hahndorf
The home of Hans Heysen who loved his garden and it shows.  It's open Sun to Fri 10am to 5pm

Ruston Rose Garden Renmark
10 hectares of roses as well as daylilies, watsonias, and clivias.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm

Western Australia

Araluen Botanic Park Roleystone
Developed as a Grove of the Unforgotten for 89 Young Australian League members who were killed in World War 1, the 62 hectare site was taken over by the State Government in 1990.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm

Kings Park & Botanic Garden West Perth
The entrance of this 400 hectare park is marked by lemon-scented gums.  The Botanic Garden is located in the southern part.  It's open daily

Houghton WInes Gardens Middle Swan
Set in the grounds of Houghton WInes it features Norfolk Island Pines dating from the 1940s.  It's open dailu from 10am to 5pm.

University of Western Australia Gardens Nedlands
Initially designed around formal Mediterranean gardens the site now features a variety of styles.  It's open daily.

Old Farm Strawberry Hill Albany
Begun in 1827 it was restored in 1970 and now includes a fragrant garden and native garden.  It's open daily from 10am to 5pm

Tasmania

Bowood Bridport
Classified by the National Trust, thegarden takes up about 2.5 hectares of the 5000. It's open daily from 10am to 4pm

Arcoona Deloraine
Restoration of the garden surrounding Federation House (1892), began in the early 1990's.  It's open daily

Cataract Gorge Reserve Launceston
A slice of wilderness just 10 minutes walk from the city.  It's open always.

Entally House Hadspen
Thought to be built in 1819 it is set in 45 hectares of garden.  Open daily from 10am to 5pm

Franklin House Launceston
 A fine Groegian House built in 1838 has retained many of its original trees.  It's open daily from 9am to 4pm

Runnymeade Hobart
 A colonial house built around 1836 and now owned by the National Trust.  It's open daily from 10am to 4.30pm

Port Arthur Historic Site and Gardens Tasman Peninsula
There';s lots of reasons to visit this historic part of Australia and the gardens are one of the more beautiful reasons.  It's open daily from 9am to 5pm

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Reg and I had a great day together, preparing for our six-moth caravan tour, which begins in just a few days time. 

I dug the last of the potatoes and pulled out the remaining tomato bushes.

Reg has tied back all the climbers, the many climbing roses and the wisteria, grape, clematis and pelargonium’s and I had him prune the excessive canes from the climbing roses.

I dug out a rapidly multiplying iris clump, divided the iris into 6 generous size clumps and I planted them where I had dug out the potatoes.

I have anemones and ranunculus to plant and they are predicting rain on Tuesday so I will probably go and plant them as soon as the rain softens the soil.

I will need to prune all my bush and standard roses, just as they are coming into their autumn flush of flowers. I will just be brave, do it, and give a bunch of roses away to someone who will love them and look forward to the spring display of roses to come home to and hope to have the time to paint them this year.

 
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