Dandenong Ranges National Park protects tall Mountain Ash forest, fern-filled gullies, waterfalls and steep volcanic hills on Melbourne’s eastern edge. Its walking tracks, picnic grounds and wildlife make it one...
Dandenong Ranges Gardens
The Dandenong Ranges are renowned for their cool-climate gardens, where rich soils and mild mountain conditions support rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, maples, magnolias and towering exotic trees. The current Dandenong Ranges Point listings include Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, George Tindale Memorial Gardens, Pirianda Gardens, Mount Dandenong Arboretum, Karwarra Australian Plant Garden and Nursery, Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Garden and other specialist gardens across the hills.
The gardens are especially rewarding in spring and autumn, when flowering displays and changing foliage transform the landscape, although many remain attractive throughout the year. Visitors can combine garden visits with forest walks, village cafes, scenic drives and nearby lookouts around Olinda, Sassafras, Kalorama and Mount Dandenong.
Explore Dandenong Ranges Gardens
- Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden – Explore one of Victoria’s premier cool-climate gardens, known for rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, spring bulbs and the Chelsea Australian Garden.
- Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens – Follow winding paths to an ornamental lake, historic boathouse and some of the region’s most photographed autumn scenery.
- George Tindale Memorial Gardens – Discover an intimate garden beneath mountain ash trees, with magnolias, hydrangeas, camellias and seasonal colour.
- Pirianda Gardens – Walk through a hillside collection of rare and significant trees, particularly impressive when the deciduous foliage changes in autumn.
- Specialist gardens and arboretums – Visit Mount Dandenong Arboretum, Karwarra Australian Plant Garden and Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Garden for conifers, native plants and horticultural collections.
Browse the listings below to discover Dandenong Ranges gardens, arboretums and seasonal displays across the hills.
Dandenong Ranges National Park
Belgrave, VIC
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden
Olinda, VICDandenong Ranges Botanic Garden is a free, 50-hectare garden in Olinda, where cool-climate plant collections grow among tall native trees. Formerly known as the National Rhododendron Gardens, it combines colourful...
SkyHigh Mount Dandenong
Mount Dandenong, VICSkyHigh Mount Dandenong combines a broad Melbourne panorama with landscaped gardens, a hedge maze, picnic areas and a daytime bistro. The lookout is the main draw on a clear day, but the grounds make a longer outing...
William Ricketts Sanctuary
Mount Dandenong, VICWilliam Ricketts Sanctuary is an outdoor sculpture setting in Mount Dandenong, where ceramic figures emerge from rocks, tree roots and fern-filled forest. Created over decades by Victorian artist William Ricketts, it...
Emerald Lake
Emerald, VICEmerald Lake Park combines lakeside walks, picnic lawns, playgrounds and heritage railway activity in Emerald. Lake Treganowan and Lake Nobelius sit within a larger landscape of gardens and bushland, so the park can...
Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens
Sherbrooke, VICAlfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens is a historic hillside garden in Sherbrooke, known for its ornamental lake, small boathouse, mature trees and terraced landscape. The paths draw visitors downhill through a mixture of...
Warratina Lavender Farm
Wandin North, VICWarratina Lavender Farm is a small family-run property in Wandin Yallock, near the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Established in 1991, the farm grows, harvests, and processes lavender for its own body-care products...
RJ Hamer Arboretum
Olinda, VICRJ Hamer Arboretum spreads across the hills above the Yarra Valley at Olinda, combining forest walks with an open lookout and picnic facilities. Its planted tree collections form patches of woodland rather than...
Tim Neville Arboretum
Ferntree Gully, VICTim Neville Arboretum is a garden and recreation reserve on Dorset Road in Ferntree Gully. Its lake, wetland paths, picnic spaces and playground make it a useful family outing without needing to drive into the mountain...
Cloudehill Gardens
Olinda, VICCloudehill Gardens is a cool-climate garden in Olinda where clipped hedges, stone terraces and mature trees frame changing displays of flowers. Its sequence of garden rooms creates a different view at each turn, from...
Pirianda Gardens
Olinda, VICPirianda Gardens is an 11-hectare woodland garden in Olinda, where rare trees, terraced lawns and stone walls descend towards a fern gully. Developed largely by Harvey and Gillian Ansell, it rewards visitors who enjoy...
Kuranga Native Nursery
Mount Evelyn, VICKuranga Native Nursery is a destination for Australian native plants, garden inspiration and a meal at Paperbark Cafe in Mount Evelyn. Visitors can browse the growing collection, ask for planting advice and explore the...
King Henry’s Restaurant
Sassafras, VICKing Henry’s Restaurant, formerly known as King Henry Arts Cafe, operates at the same Sassafras address, 320 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road. Set in a former guest house dating from 1902, it combines a Henry VIII...
George Tindale Memorial Gardens
Sherbrooke, VICGeorge Tindale Memorial Gardens is a three-hectare cool-climate garden at 33 Sherbrooke Road, with flowering shrubs, lawns and winding paths beneath tall mountain ash. George and Ruth Tindale developed its diverse plant...
Mount Dandenong Observatory
Mount Dandenong, VICMount Dandenong Observatory is the summit lookout associated with SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, at 26 Observatory Road. Visitors come for views towards Melbourne, garden walks and a meal or picnic in the grounds. The name...
Doongalla Homestead
The Basin, VICDoongalla Homestead is a historic picnic and walking precinct on the western side of Dandenong Ranges National Park. The former mansion has gone, but its stone steps, garden setting and surrounding forest make the site...
Mount Dandenong Arboretum
Mount Dandenong, VICMount Dandenong Arboretum is a free, 16-hectare collection of trees on the mountain’s eastern slopes. It is a quieter option for a picnic and an informal walk, with groups of conifers and deciduous trees changing...
Hancock’s Daffodils
Menzies Creek, VICHancock’s Daffodils is a specialist daffodil grower in Menzies Creek, with seasonal bulb, potted-flower and cut-flower sales. Its former spring display garden is closed to public visits, so this is no longer a...
Karwarra Australian Plant Garden and Nursery
Kalorama, VICKarwarra Australian Plant Garden and Nursery is a free native botanic garden in Kalorama, tucked behind the Kalorama Memorial Reserve. Its two hectares show Australian plants in a landscaped setting, with a retail...
Tesselaar Nursery
Silvan, VICTesselaar Nursery is a plant and bulb business at 357 Monbulk Road in Silvan, on the eastern side of the Dandenong Ranges. Its seasonal range and growing advice appeal to gardeners, while the same flower-farm address is...
Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Garden
Sassafras, VICFerny Creek Horticultural Society Garden is a four-hectare ornamental garden maintained by volunteers near Sherbrooke Forest. Mature trees, flowering shrubs and specialist plant collections provide the setting for the...
Burnham Beeches
Sherbrooke, VICBurnham Beeches is a historic Art Deco estate in Sherbrooke, best known for the striking mansion designed for Alfred Nicholas and his family. Its streamlined form and woodland setting make it an important part of the...
Marybrooke Manor
Sherbrooke, VICMarybrooke Manor is a Tudor-style wedding and accommodation venue at 10 Sherbrooke Road, surrounded by eight acres of gardens and forest. Built in 1940 and listed by the National Trust, the manor offers an indoor...
What are the best gardens to visit in the Dandenong Ranges?
Popular choices include Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, George Tindale Memorial Gardens and Pirianda Gardens, along with smaller specialist gardens and arboretums throughout the region.
When is the best time to visit Dandenong Ranges gardens?
Spring is especially popular for rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and other flowering displays, while autumn brings colourful deciduous foliage. Many gardens are still worth visiting throughout the year.
Where is Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden?
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden is located in Olinda and covers around 50 hectares of hilly terrain, with extensive cool-climate plant collections and walking paths.
Are Dandenong Ranges gardens free to visit?
Several major public gardens can be visited without a general admission fee, although conditions can vary for special events, commercial gardens and seasonal attractions. Check the individual garden before visiting.