Open Gardens Victoria will open Mimosa, a beautiful Dandenong Ranges garden in Sassafras, on the weekend 28-29 October.
Established circa 1910 as a private summer residence, this historic hills garden has a fascinating horticultural history.
Set within three acres of temperate rainforest, Mimosa’s gardens have been progressively enhanced from a rumoured Edna Walling 1930s design and feature an eclectic mix of large specimens of native and European trees, many over 100 years old.
A number of picturesque, meandering moss-covered trails wind their way throughout the garden.
The property was originally established by G H Doery of Canterbury. During WW1 the Doery family offered up their extensive home and gardens, ‘Highton’ in Mont Albert Rd, Canterbury (now part of Camberwell Grammar School), as a convalescing hospital for returned and injured soldiers and relocated to Mimosa, where the property and gardens were significantly extended, landscaped, and planted as a more permanent residence.
A highlight of the garden is the 620-square-metre sunken lawn, excavated by hand during the 1930s, along with the construction of the impressive 4.2-metre-high and 40- centimetre-deep deep stone retaining wall at the northern end.
Featuring a small wooden gazebo, the sunken lawn evokes the feeling of a magical and secluded forest clearing, and is a popular and charming location for small wedding ceremonies.
Mimosa’s original glasshouse, which is still in operation, was built around the same time.
Visitors will find it filled with exotic plants.
At the base of the garden, a deck with seating extends out over Sassafras Creek.
This delightful garden provides all-year-round greenery with an explosion of colour in spring from the sequential blooming of a collection of very large magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons and a superb Paulownia in full flower.
Mimosa is located on the lands of the Wurundjeri people.
Open Gardens Victoria wish to acknowledge the Traditional custodians and we pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
The gardens can be found at 24 The Crescent Sassafras, and will be open from 10am til 4:30pm on Saturday 28 October and Sunday 29 October with morning and afternoon teas available.
TICKETS: Adults $10, Students $6 (with ID card), under 18 free, available at the gate or via trybooking.com/events/landing/1056134
