Good evening,

We took a drive out to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne this morning. A total of 363 hectares of heathlands, wetlands and woodlands are accessible to the intrepid. What sounds on the surface to be a bit dull, was a most enjoyable visit.

Specifically, within the boundaries of the overall property, is the Australian Garden. According to the literature, it contains 100,000 plants, 100 trees in 15 different landscaped environments. To me the most impressive element was not so much the flora, but the way it was layed out. Lots of variation and creativity which made the tour most interesting. The attention to detail in flower beds no bigger than two metres by five metres was incredible. Some of the exhibits discussing drought-tolerant plantings and the use of water features were also excellent.

It only takes a couple of hours to do the Australian Garden justice but more if you wander further afield (lookouts, picnic grounds etc). Volunteer master gardeners are available to share their knowledge and educate the vistors. The gift store had interesting stuff and we enjoyed a tasty lunch in the cafe which featured local produce, both food & wine.

Go take a look for yourself would be my recommendation. These pictures are a bit dull, but if the sun comes out, take your camera and you should get some really interesting shots of the native Aussie landscape.

Bye for now, BomberBoy