Category: Festival of Gardens

2024 Castlemaine & District Festival of Gardens – save the dates


Private gardens put on a show in central Victoria this November

Explore stunning private gardens during the Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens this November. A curated selection of 24 gardens will open their gates to the public for nine days during Melbourne Cup week, from Saturday 2nd until Sunday 10th November.

A number of properties are located in Castlemaine itself; while others can be found a short drive away, in outer-lying areas of the Mount Alexander Shire. How many you visit is entirely up to you, as this is a self-guided experience.

The theme of the festival, The Art of Gardening, celebrates the creativity of gardeners who have turned their patch of soil into environmental masterpieces. Like artists, gardeners employ all the essential elements of art in their creations: colour, line, shape, form, tone and texture while adding in a good number of the principles as well: contrast, balance, emphasis, proportion, repetition, rhythm, pattern and unity.

Visitors will be inspired as they meander around a diverse selection of gardens, with their creators on hand to share their knowledge. Several properties offer plants and handcrafted items for sale, providing an opportunity to take home a memento of your visit.

The festival showcases grand country gardens, historic gardens, verge gardens, sculpture gardens, town gardens of many varieties and a purpose-built accessible garden. Regular visitors will be delighted to see a number of gardens which have been part of the festival for many years, together with thirteen exciting new gardens to discover.

A souvenir festival program will be available for purchase from August, when you will also find an overview of the gardens on the website www.festivalofgardens.org. In the mean time you can stay up to date by following the festival on Facebook @CastlemaineDistrictFestivalOfGardens and Instagram @festivalofgardens or by signing up for the occasional e-newsletter from the website.

Entry to each garden costs $5 per adult, children free. Payment is by cash, direct to the gardener at the gate.

Castlemaine is approximately 120 kilometres north-west of Melbourne: a 90-minute drive from Melbourne city centre and a short drive from Bendigo and Daylesford. It can also be reached by train on the Bendigo line. Bus groups are welcome at most properties. For those travelling from further afield, there are numerous accommodation options in the region and the Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre offers a booking service.

2020 Castlemaine & District Festival of Gardens cancelled

The 2020 Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

After much consultation and amid great heartache, the uncertainty of the restrictions associated with COVID-19 has forced the Committee of Management of the Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens to make the decision to cancel the 2020 Festival, due to take place across the Melbourne Cup week.

In announcing the cancellation, Peter Morris, chair of the Committee says, ‘The Committee is deeply disappointed that, because of the Coronavirus, we have to cancel the Festival for 2020. The Committee greatly appreciates the goodwill and support of those who open their gardens. Without such goodwill and positive assistance, it would have been impossible to hold each Festival.’

It is thought that some gardens may open at the time planned for the 2020 Festival; mainly rural gardens where social distancing is easier to achieve. As a gesture of goodwill, the Committee resolved that, whilst not under the auspices of the Festival, it would assist those gardeners who open independently by way of promotions on the Festival website and other digital channels. This is seen as a way in which recognition can be given to the much-valued contribution of these gardeners.

There are plans for committee member, Geoff Hocking, to produce an information sheet detailing those gardens who choose to open, including maps. It is also proposed that a ‘virtual tour’ of the gardens which planned to open this year will be produced and shared on the Festival website and social channels.

To stay up to date visit www.festivalofgardens.org or follow them on Facebook @CastlemaineDistrictFestivalOfGardens and Instagram @festivalofgardens