The gardens

Surrounded by century-old maple, beech, oak and cedar trees and filled with azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and dogwoods, the gardens at Dingleigh are the perfect spot to relax and explore. The front part of the garden is centred around the new wedding gazebo, with garden paths, stone statues and an array of exotic trees. The enormous Blue Atlas Cedar and Ghost Elm welcome guests as they arrive, and the weeping holly is one of only four registered in Australia. The gardens feature extensive stonework and the original water well next to the Writer’s Studio. The Reader’s Cottage looks out onto the open horse paddocks, backed by towering Manna Gums for which the Dandenong Ranges is famous. To each side of the property are two natural, free-flowing streams hidden under a forest of ferns. Over the past 10 years, the gardens have been cleared, tamed and regenerated and new areas are always being created.