Telopea Gardens, a remarkable 10-acre garden set within a natural amphitheatre, will open to the public on 20 and 21 September as part of Open Gardens Victoria’s spring program.
This dynamic, ever-evolving garden showcases a wonderful mix of native and exotic plantings, elevated views, and rare botanical specimens—offering visitors a garden experience that’s anything but ordinary.
Located halfway between Emerald and Cockatoo in the scenic Dandenong Ranges, Telopea is more than a garden— it’s a decades-long labour of love that began in 1978, when the property was little more than pine trees, wild blackberries, and a few prized proteas.
Over time, the garden has been transformed into an expansive sanctuary of diversity, contrast, and discovery.
“Telopea is not a typical manicured garden—it’s a working garden in the cut-flower industry and always a work in progress. We focus on year-round interest through foliage, unique forms, contrasting structures, and rare plants that many visitors may not have seen before,” says owner David Hoskin.
The garden’s structure is informal and responsive to the site’s natural contours, creating sheltered microclimates and offering striking views from the upper levels across contrasting textures and tones below.
Visitors can explore:
• Panoramic vistas from the upper slopes, taking in the vibrant textures, tones, and silhouettes of mature oaks, elms, beeches, birches, maples, magnolias, and conifers.
• Meandering paths that lead through a rich understorey of exotic and native shrubs, perennials, and bulbs—where rare, unusual, and hardy plants await around every corner.
• A remarkable two-acre succulent and cactus garden, affectionately known as ‘The Prickle Patch’, filled with drought- and heat-tolerant plants thriving on a challenging north-facing slope.
• Flourishing displays of proteas, leucadendrons, and waratahs reflect the garden’s ongoing role in the cut-flower industry—its name, Telopea, is a nod to the striking waratah, one of the first species cultivated on the property.
Telopea is also a haven for birdlife, with King parrots, rosellas, honeyeaters, and robins among the many species drawn to its diverse plantings and natural structure.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy plant sales of selected varieties grown on-site, as well as tea and coffee. A portion of the proceeds from the weekend will be donated to the State Emergency Service (SES).
Whether you’re a keen gardener, a plant enthusiast, or simply someone looking to experience something unexpected, Telopea offers a rich, rewarding visit—and a glimpse into a garden shaped by resilience, curiosity, and an enduring love of plants.
ADDRESS: Telopea Gardens 80 Beaconsfield-Emerald Road Emerald VIC 3782
OPEN: Saturday 20 September and Sunday 21 September 10am – 4.30pm
TICKETS: Adults $10, Students $6, under 18 free Tickets at the gate or via Trybooking
