Summer Garden Exploration of Tasmania with Sue McDougall

Day 1 Monday 31 January, 2022 Hobart
Tour members will meet at Hobart airport. Please book a flight to arrive in Hobart no later than 1.30 pm. We will have a guided tour of picturesque Hobart before visiting the ‘Patch’ at the Hobart Botanical Garden, an inspiring example of an urban community garden that was first started in 1995. We will see beautiful roses, lovely daisies and gorgeous mature trees in the Botanical Gardens. In the evening we will enjoy an included welcome dinner to meet Sue McDougall.

Day 2 Tuesday 1 February, 2022 Hobart
This morning will be free for individual exploration. In the afternoon we visit Corinda, an enchanting inner-city garden positioned around a beautifully restored Victorian house. A pleached linden tree walk in the shape of a U is under planted with clipped box hedges, frames the garden. Flower-packed perennial beds overflow with colour, contrasting with an intricate, stylized parterre and a profusion of hostas, lilies and other shade-lovers under mature trees, one of which is a 100 year old magnolia tree.

Day 3 Wednesday 2 February, 2022 Hobart
We drive through the apple-growing area of the Apple Isle to the Huon Valley to visit Eggs & Bacon Bay Cottage. The charming cottage sits on 0.2 hectares on the edge of the Huon River, a peaceful spot just up from Eggs and Bacon Bay, about an hour south of Hobart. Looking out across a magnificent sea of colour, it is impossible to believe that there was no garden here at all when Anne Le Ferve moved in just before the Christmas of 2000. In the afternoon we visit Susan McKinnon’s stunning garden. A landscape gardener who loves herbaceous perennials and grasses. We will enjoy her unique style.

Day 4 Thursday 3 February, 2022 Hobart
In the morning we visit Crawleighwood Garden. This wonderful two hectare garden is nestled in the picturesque hills at Nicholls Rivulet near Cygnet in the beautiful Huon Valley. The garden features lush woodland and rainforest with myrtles, rare and unusual plants, a wide variety of deciduous trees including maples, meandering paths, stone walls and a Gondwanan arboretum. In the afternoon, we visit Inverawe Native Gardens, Tasmania’s largest landscaped native garden. We will learn about the challenges faced by early botanists in dealing with native plants.

Day 5 Friday 4 February, 2022 Launceston
We travel, via the slopes of Mt Wellington to visit Janet Good’s garden. This gorgeous higher altitude garden has an English garden feel with masses of roses, hostas and perennials. We stop at Ross, renowned for its convict-built bridge, before reaching Launceston.

Day 6 Saturday 5 February, 2022 Launceston
Today we explore historic Woolmers Estate, one of the most historically significant heritage properties in Australia and home to the National Rose Garden of Australia. Covering two hectares, the garden provides visitors with a unique journey through the evolution of the rose. The garden is home to all the recognized rose families. We will also see the Heritage Vegetable Garden which houses heirloom vegetables and fruits, not commonly found today. We travel nearby to visit the historic gardens of Brickendon. First settled in 1825 by William Archer, it has been owned and farmed by the same family for over one hundred and eighty years.

Day 7 Sunday 6 February, 2022 Launceston
This morning we visit Panshanger, an elegant house and garden in the Greek revival style. The long entrance avenue and surrounding parkland are heavily wooded. A finely worked nineteenth-century iron gate opens to a flower garden full of roses. There is a unique pigeon tower positioned to be seen from the house terrace. In the afternoon we travel just out of Launceston to visit Entally House, the first National Trust house in Australia. Built in 1820 by Thomas Reibey, the house has an elegant garden set in forty-five hectares.

Day 8 Monday 7 February, 2022 Launceston
Today we enjoy a visit to Bridestowe Estate lavender farm, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere. It will be in full flower at this time of year. It is set in a picturesque setting with mountains rising up in the distance and fertile farming land in the foreground. We will have a guided tour to see the inside of the operation and time in the attractive gift shop. We travel to Clarendon, one of Australia’s great Georgian houses. It was completed in 1838 for wealthy wool grower and merchant James Cox. The house and gardens have been restored to their original condition.

Day 9 Tuesday 8 February, 2022 Devonport
This morning we visit the glorious garden at Culzean. Many of the significant trees of the over 150 year old garden were planted in the 1870’s. The one and a half hectare lake is the centre piece of this spectacular garden. Sue will point out the highlights of this wonderful garden. Later we visit Old Wesleydale, a peaceful English garden abounding with hedges and walls, productive potager and lovely vistas. Features include a walled garden, picking garden and glass house, the terrace garden and new aviary building, ha-ha wall, Lake Walk and sculptured elephant hedge. We check into our Devonport hotel late afternoon.

Day 10 Wednesday 9 February, 2022 Devonport
A highlight garden visit to Wychwood Garden and Nursery this morning. It has been designed with fluid lines and sensuous curves. Borders full of perennials, old and new species roses and grasses are found within these boundaries. There is also a productive fruit and vegetable garden and a heritage apple orchard. We continue with a visit to Kaydale lodge, a unique large country garden spanning two hectares with features such as woodland ponds, streams, waterfalls, pear walk, stonewalls, fritillaria meadow, massedtrilliums, a dry zen garden & more. We will enjoy a guided tour of the garden,which has been designed and maintained by the Crowden family, who are allkeen gardeners. Their innovation and styles are reflected throughout thegarden. This evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate theenjoyable time we have had in Tasmania.

Day 11 Thursday 10 February, 2022 Departure
We will first visit the Tasmanian Arboretum. It consists of thirty-three hectares of peaceful treed landscape covered with gorgeous leaves. We continue to the airport early afternoon and the tour concludes Please don’t book flights before 3.00 pm.