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Enjoy the Magnificent Dandenong Ranges
while staying
at Katandra Gardens
Experience
the peace, tranquility, bush scents and birdlife of Katandra Gardens
with its 8 acre paradise.
The Dandenong
Ranges
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The Dandenongs with their lush mountain scenery,
their craft shops and restaurants will be a
place you will not wish to miss.
No visit to the Dandenongs will be complete
without a trip on Puffing Billy as it wends
its way through forest glades, tall treeferns
and puffs its way to Emerald and back to Belgrave.
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Take time to visit the Dandenong Ranges National
Park and Sherbrooke Falls. Hopefully you
may catch a glimpse of a lyre bird. Call in
at Grant's Picnic Ground to see all the parrots
coming down amongst the tourists.
Enjoy the tall mountain gums and the beautiful
tree ferns.
Stop at the craft shops, sit and enjoy afternoon
tea looking out over the panoramic views and
lush mountain plants.
Do call in to visit William Ricketts Sanctuary
with its amazing collection of Aboriginal sculptors.
A place of beauty, spiritually reflecting one
man's remarkable philosophy.
For the garden lover there are so many places
to visit. The National Rhododendron Gardens
are set amidst great Mountain Ash with 40 hectares
of showcase gardens, Katandra Gardens
with its diverse range of Australian plants
is just a short distance away, the Alfred Nicholas
Gardens are renowned for their extensive water
features and Tesselaars Tulip Farm attracts
thousands each year during spring.
Because of its rich mountain soil the Dandenongs
is known for its beautiful gardens and the numerous
nurseries and market gardens as well as the
lush forest walks and scenery.
Drive around the Dandenong Ranges searching out the wonderful
gardens, the Wandin museum and walk through
the Dandenongs parks, walking trails and forests.
Take time to ride on Puffing Billy. No visit
to the Dandenongs will be complete without a
trip on Puffing Billy as it wends its way through
forest glades, tall treeferns and puffs its
way to Emerald and back to Belgrave.
Tulip Farm. Silvan
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Walking through the bushland
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Rhodendron Gardens, Olinda
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Silvan Reservoir and Park
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Warratina Lavender Farm, Wandin
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Mont De lancey Homestead, Wandin
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Katandra Gardens
- Accommodation
Stay at Katandra Gardens so that you can truly enjoy this magnificent
part of Victoria. Freely wander along the winding
pathways at this truly amazing garden lover's retreat.
Katandra Gardens
- Enjoy the Gardens
An
Open Garden Scheme Garden
Featuring Australian
Native Plants
Katandra is an Australian
aboriginal word meaning "Song of Birds" and in this
garden the birds do just that. Over 75 species
of birds have been recorded in the gardens. The property
was purchased in 1976 as a working orchard of cherries
and plums. About one acre was cleared of fruit
trees to start the home garden in 1977.
In 1989 the cherries and plums were bulldozed
and Dot was very keen to have a few gum trees.
These were planted, then Bob, in particular, developed
a strong interest in the Australian flora and quickly
added more Australian plants and a "few" more gum
trees. Bob learnt how to propogate the Australian
plants and soon the garden was doubled in size.
Not content with a small garden the O'Neills soon
were looking to add more and more garden beds until
today the garden of 8 acres is stopped only by the
fencelines. The whole property has been turned into
one of the most fascinating of gardens. An extremely
extensive range of Australian "Wildflowers" with numerous
collections has been landscaped into mulched garden
beds. The property holds the OPCA collection
of Australian Correas or "Bush Bells" as some like
to call them.
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A quiet stroll around the garden will bring you in close
contact with the amazing plant and bird life.
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The gardens offer
peaceful surrounds, magnificent views, a place to
walk around and commune with nature. and an opportunity
to see the honeyeaters, blue wrens, wattle birds,
fantails, willy wag tails, thornbills, grebes and
many other birds which frequent the gardens. Visitors
are able to wander the gardens, filming the plants
or identifying some of the 70+ species which have
been recorded in the gardens over the paast few
years.
In 2005 Bob was awarded the prestigious "Gardener
of the Year" by ABC's Gardening Australia
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New Holland honeyeater sitting on our "acorn banksia"
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Bob was presented with the Golden Spade as "Gardener of the Year
2005."
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Blandfordia grandiflora or "Christmas Bells" as most people know
the plant.
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Owners: Dot &
Bob O'Neill.
Phone (03) 5964 4523
(International +61 3 5964 4523)
Fax (03)
5964 4605
(International +61
3 5964 4605)
Address: 49 Hunter
Road, Wandin, Victoria, Australia. (Melways
Map 121 C3)
Email : Click to send us an email
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Yarra
Valley Accommodation, Yarra Valley Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
