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Blue Mountains Garden Guide

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount TomahCredit: Destination NSW

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, where 28 hectares of cool-climate gardens are waiting to be explored.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Blue Mountains Garden Guide

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Credit: Destination NSW

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, where 28 hectares of cool-climate gardens are waiting to be explored.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Hashtags #lovensw #newsouthwales

Best laid plans 

The sublime Everglades House & Gardens sits on 5.2 hectares of land in the village of Leura, around a five-minute drive from the main Blue Mountains town of Katoomba or a 90-minute drive from Sydney. Offering sweeping views across Jamison Valley, the heritage-listed gardens around a lovely Art Deco house were constructed by Danish-born landscape gardener Paul Sorensen in the 1930s. Sorensen took his inspiration from formal European gardens while remaining sensitive to the bushland setting, working with natural slopes and retaining native species such as banksias and eucalypts.

Highlights include the Cherry Terrace, with its line of weeping Japanese cherry trees, a cascading waterfall leading to the Grotto Pool and the Lookout, which provides views of Gordon Falls. Rare trees, shrub borders, woodlands and fountains add to the visual drama. Walk along winding paths lined with roses down to the terraced garden, pause at the tranquil reflection pool and choose a spot to sit down and inhale the invigorating mountain air. Everglades is open 10am–4pm from Thursday to Monday. 

Bright and beautiful 

One of the main attractions in Blackheath, a 15-minute drive from Katoomba along the Great Western Highway, Campbell Rhododendron Gardens was envisioned back in April 1969 by the Blue Mountains Nurserymen’s Association. Work commenced a year later, and the site was eventually named after local couple Olive and Norm Campbell — Norm was responsible for the original planning and design of the gardens, while Olive worked behind the scenes.

The gardens cover 18.3 hectares and boast swathes of bright flowering plants planted amid native eucalypts, deciduous trees, conifers, fern glades and verdant bushland. Designed to be beautiful all year round, this haven is at its most spectacular between early October and late November, when the rhododendrons and azaleas burst into bloom. A series of walking tracks lead to the valley floor and lake, so factor in some extra time to soak up the beauty by packing a picnic basket and rug.

Everglades Historic House and Gardens, Leura Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying a visit to the scenic Everglades Historic House and Gardens, Leura in the Blue Mountains.

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Everglades Historic House and Gardens, Leura Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying a visit to the scenic Everglades Historic House and Gardens, Leura in the Blue Mountains.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Credit: Destination NSW

Family enjoying a visit to the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah Credit: Destination NSW

Family enjoying a visit to the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Walking in wonderland 

Sitting at 1,000 metres above sea level in Mount TomahBlue Mountains Botanic Garden serves as a vast viewing platform for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and boasts stunning panoramic views. Focusing on the conservation of cool-climate plants, this magical garden offers 28 hectares to be explored at your leisure. Wander through various woodlands, learn about ancient Wollemi pines, treat yourself to some forest therapy and marvel at the diverse mix of flowering plants. 

The garden is also a natural habitat for wildlife — keep an eye out for brush-tailed and ring-tailed possums, sugar gliders, reptiles and over 150 species of native birds. You can also take guided walking tours, enjoy an art exhibition and purchase plants.

Grand designs 

Located 14km east of the township of Bell, the Blue Mountains villages of Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine are close neighbours, and both are ringed by rainforests and filled with historic houses and beautiful gardens. One of the finest is Windyridge Garden, which dates back to 1877 and was given a grand makeover by Rodger and Wai Davidson, who took the property over in 1995.

The Davidsons planted thousands of flowering plants and added a lily pond, waterfall, formal parterre garden, bluebell wood, rainforest and magnolia garden, all interconnected by cleverly designed walkways and enhanced by ceramics and bronze statues. Plantings include Japanese maples, camellias, azaleas and hydrangeas, some of which can be purchased at the nursery. 

Autumn, Mount Wilson Credit: Destination NSW

Fiery autumn leaves on trees lining a quiet street in Mount Wilson.

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Autumn, Mount Wilson Credit: Destination NSW

Fiery autumn leaves on trees lining a quiet street in Mount Wilson.

#lovensw #newsouthwales

Three Sisters, Blue Mountains Credit: Filippo Rivetti

Sunrise over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba.

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Three Sisters, Blue Mountains Credit: Filippo Rivetti

Sunrise over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba.

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