Mt Dandenong was the destination for our Christmas trip again this year.
Our first stop was the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society, where we had our morning tea complete with Christmas Cake. After an informative talk from volunteers, we divided into smaller groups for a tour of the gardens.
As it was a warm day it was lovely walking beneath the large shady trees. The hydrangeas were in bloom and made a beautiful display, as well as many other exotic and native species in full flower.
The Mt Dandenong Hotel was the venue for our lunch and many of us enjoyed a traditional Christmas meal of turkey and ham followed by a delicious plum pudding.
Our second garden was Karwarra, an Australian native garden and nursery set on 2 hectares in Kalorama. The garden, designed by Kath Deery, opened in 1971 and since then has had much renovation and rejuvenation. Karwarra is also responsible for the GPCAA (Garden Plant Conservation Association of Australia) Boronia and Telopea (Waratah) collections. The nursery has an excellent range of native plants for sale and many members purchased small tubes and pots to take home.
It was a really terrific day, and a big thank-you to Wilma for organising the visits for us.
