2020 marks the fourth year of the Secret Gardens tours. Our mission is to share the sublime beauty of some of the Ranges most spectacular, rare and exclusive gardens. This year is no different. We welcome you on a journey into nature that we hope will enliven your spirits, inspire wonder and tickle your imagination.
In keeping with our tradition, each tour day features one very 'Secret Garden.' A brief description of each destination is mentioned below, alongside a close up, mystery image to help keep you guessing.
This year features a special Accessibility Tour. This event has been curated for people with specific mobility needs. Please click here for more information.
Hosted by the not-for-profit Dandenong Ranges Tourism Network, Secret Gardens of Dandenong Ranges is a locally produced event that draws on the shared knowledge and resources of our committee; horticultural guides, patrons and partners.
The Secret Gardens tours is proud to bring you a program that is unique to the area, rich with local history and horticultural knowledge and speaks to the genuine love of this place we call ‘home’. Dandenong Ranges Tourism acknowledges the generous support of our partners, Yarra Ranges Tourism and Yarra Ranges Council.
Eddie Wasbutzki is the current head gardener of the historically significant Beechmont Gardens in Olinda, a garden guide with Botanica, and also looks after his own 2-acre garden in Emerald. A passionate gardener and plant expert, Eddie's career spans more than 35 years in both the floristry and nursery industries, including the establishment of the Lone Hydrangea Florist & Nursery in Hawthorn and 16 years at Cloudehill Nursery.Eddie’s knowledge of the Dandenong Ranges gardens and its flora is exceptional. As he escorts you through exquisite secret gardens, Eddie will inspire you by sharing his enduring passion for plants.
Virginia Heywood is a keen gardener with 3 acres of garden on a 16 acre property in Seville on theWarburton Highway. After spending 20 years in London she returned to Melbourne at theend of the 90s and did a Cert IV at Burnley College. She is also a guide at the RoyalBotanic Gardens in Melbourne, is part of the team for the 3CR Garden Show on Sundays,and is Secretary of Plant Trust which is concerned with preserving garden plants as they can so easily disappear over the years.
