By JESSE GRAHAM
TWO DANDENONG Ranges gardens will be opening their gates to the public this weekend, with never-before-seen treasures on display for the annual Open Gardens season.
John Rayner’s Brookdale Farm in Emerald and Emily and Simon Mildren’s The Old Bakehouse in Macclesfield will be open to the public on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February.
The opening is part of Australia’s Open Garden Scheme, where residents with interesting, immersive and incredible gardens open their gates to the public to enjoy the scenery.
Ms Mildren said The Old Bakehouse featured plenty of perennial species in the front gardens, a walk through five acres of natural bushland, an orchard and beehives, with antique and vintage items nestled throughout.
She said the weekend would be the perfect time to visit, with many flowers starting to bloom in the warmer weather of the past week.
After taking part eight years ago, Mr Rayner said this year would be the second time he opened his doors for the Open Gardens, with plenty of new sights and surprises for visitors.
“I work in horticultural teaching and research, so this is a bit of a lab for me to try out different plants and see how they perform over time,” he said.
“There’s quite a lot of plants there, a lot of flowers, grasses and succulents – there’re fruit trees, a large, walkable spiral of big grass and several hundred sunflowers planted on the fence-line.”
But plants won’t be the only attraction to the gardens, with Brookdale Farm featuring a coffee cart and The Old Bakehouse having plants for sale on the day, as well as a sausage sizzle.
Both gardens’ owners will be donating profits from the day – Mr and Ms Mildren are supporting the Macclesfield CFA, while Mr Rayner will be donating to Global Gardens of Peace, which helps to set up gardens for children in dangerous or war-torn countries around the world.
Both gardens will be open from 10am to 4.30pm on 14 and 15 February. Entry is $8, with children younger than 18 admitted free.
For more information, visit www.opengarden.org.au
