4 gardens to visit in spring

Spring in the North West starts with tulips. Table Cape’s fields peak from late September into October, Wynyard Tulip Festival celebrates the season, and then the rhododendrons take over until mid-November. The weather is changeable in spring, so pack accordingly.

Here are four gardens, in the order you’d drive them heading back from Wynyard towards Devonport Tasmania. Visit them as a road trip or pick one and make an afternoon of it. Flowering season shifts a little every year, so check with each garden before you set off.

1. Wander the tulip fields at Table Cape Tulip Farm, Wynyard

If spring in the North West has a headline act, this is absolutely it. Hectares of tulip fields turn Table Cape into a patchwork of beautiful colour from late September into October, and the farm opens daily for the peak weeks. Plenty of opportunities to wander around and take pics. Take a look at the indoor floral display and grab some bulbs to take home so you can try your luck in your own garden.

The Wynyard Tulip Festival happens on a Saturday around mid October each year and draws more than 20,000 visitors. The festival is free, with shuttle buses running between it and the farm.

Good to know: The farm charges its own entry, and the bloom follows the weather. Check the farm’s website for opening dates before you go.

 

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2. Get lost among the rhododendrons at Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden, Romaine

About nine kilometres from Burnie, Emu Valley covers 11 hectares and more than 24,000 rhododendrons and companion plants, laid out by where they grow in the wild. That means a loop from the Himalayas to New Guinea without a passport. It’s run by volunteers as a not-for-profit, and there’s a cafe open daily for when the walking works up an appetite.

Good to know: Peak flowering is mid-September to mid-November, with the big-leaf varieties earlier. There are lots of small paths, so allow more time than you think, and keep an eye out for the resident platypus and echidna.

 

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3. Take the long way inland to Kaydale Lodge Gardens, Nietta

Head inland from Ulverstone, about half an hour’s drive, and you’ll find Kaydale Lodge Gardens. It started as a bare paddock in 1979 and has been a family project ever since, and it’s now two hectares of cool-climate garden that has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens.

Early spring means daffodils, and the planting keeps changing from there, with peonies and wisteria still going in December. Stop for morning or afternoon tea or a light lunch, or stay the night.

Good to know: Leven Canyon is seven kilometres away, so the two make a good pair.

 

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4. Finish among the trees at the Tasmanian Arboretum, Eugenana

Twelve kilometres south of Devonport Tasmania, the Tasmanian Arboretum is a good last stop before the ferry. It’s a tree park, 66 hectares of it, planted in collections by region of origin, with a lake, a creek and plenty of open parkland. More than 80 bird species have been recorded here, and the lake is known for platypus, usually early or late in the day.

Good to know: It’s open every day, with a small entry fee. The kiosk runs in the warmer months, so bring a picnic if you’re not sure.

 

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Make a trip of it

Wynyard and Burnie make easy bases for the first two, and Devonport Tasmania works for the Arboretum.

Back later in the year? Sunflowers, dahlias and autumn colour are covered in Three Bloom’in hot spots.

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