Exploring the Tranquil Oasis: A Guide to Alfred Nicholas Gardens
One of our favourite gardens is Alfred Nicholas Gardens in Sherbrooke. We visited during the summer and made plans to return in the autumn to see the English trees changing colours.
Picnic Lunch
Expecting to spend most of the day there, we packed the cameras and a nice picnic lunch with cakes and wine and set off. The gardens are in the Dandenong Ranges, and the property is hilly and steep, as stunning as the gardens are. Very hilly and steep. By the time we got back to the car, I had wished we had packed an oxygen tent instead of the wine. However, we drank it anyway. So we were sitting on the car’s tailgate sipping wine while everyone else going back to their vehicles looked just as winded and puffed as we were.
Burnham Beeches
Originally named Burnham Beeches, it was built in the 1920s and owned by Alfred Nicholas, the ‘Aspro’ magnate. The beautiful gardens cover about 13 acres and feature tree ferns, mountain ash trees, lakes and waterfalls. Walking down to the ornamental lake brings you to a small series of islands connected by footbridges At the end of one is a small boathouse.
The gardens are alive all season long with masses of plantings. We had hoped to photograph the gardens as the leaves turned. But the unseasonably warm weather had kept everything green. So we decided on the way out that we would have to back again next year, but much later in autumn.
The Gardens
The gardens are worth a visit, but plan your day well. Unfortunately, there is no cafe on site. You need to carry everything in if you plan to eat there. Bins are scarce, so we carried our rubbish around for a while until we found one. And bear in mind, it’s a long way back up! Take the paths. They are easier than the steps! As you can see from the images, we didn’t leave it late enough in autumn to get the shots we wanted. Consequently, another trip is planned for the future.