The Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival is not only a chance to enjoy good food, entertainment and fun, one of the most popular events of the 10 day event is the Open Gardens.
This year nine gardens will open their gates for visitors, including seven floral/home gardens and two organic edible gardens providing an insight into fruits and vegetable growers on the Granite Belt.
Times for this year are Saturday 24 February 10am – 1pm, Sunday 25 February 10am – 4pm, Wednesday 28 February 10am – 4pm, Friday 1 March 10am – 4pm, Saturday 2 March 10am – 4pm and Sunday 3 March 10am – 1pm.
Granite Gardens will not be open on Wednesday or Friday and the two productive gardens also have limited opening times. Tristan Pabst will be open on Sunday 25 February (same hours as everyone else) while Bridget opens on the Wednesday 28 (same hours as other gardens).
Cost: $30 for an All Gardens Pass (only available online) or $5 per person, per garden if paying at the gate. Passes can be scanned multiple times for entry at all locations.
More information on garden opening times www.appleandgrape.org Telephone: 07 4681 4111.
Braeside Homestead –
28 Crystal Mountain Road, Dalveen
“Braeside”
Heritage listed Braeside (built in 1874) is a luxury accommodation destination with a lush 12-acre of formal and park gardens that have been developed over a 10-year period. The terraces define the incredible design, with pathways and avenues that are surrounded by a combination of formal, native and exotic plantings, providing a truly all-year-round immersive garden experience that any gardener would love to enjoy as the seasons change. The gardens at Braeside provide an amazing environment in support of the luxury accommodation available so guests can relax and soak up the rural lifestyle experience of years gone by.
Stanthorpe Serendipity
93 College Road Stanthorpe
Built 120 years ago on 1.7 acres, this sprawling Queenslander sits elegantly among the extensive gardens. Make your way through the huge cottage garden at the front, peek into the past in Bert’s Old Shed or sit quietly by the goldfish pond. With quirky outbuildings, native gardens, sweet roses and wisteria covered arbours, this garden has a lot to see. This is the first time in 20 years that the garden has been open to the public. Built in 1903 for the mayor, the house was used as a girls boarding school in the 1920s. Throughout various owners the house has been kept to its original design with all original windows, tongue and groove timbers and high ceilings, whilst lovingly maintained over the years.
Accommodation Creek Cottages –
123 Sundown Road, Ballandean
After the drought year of 2019, the gardens of Accommodation Creek Cottages underwent considerable landscaping, planting, propagation and regeneration. The owners consider themselves first time gardeners and have experimented with spring flowering annuals and bulbs. Set amongst ancient gum trees and bordering the historic Accommodation Creek, site of one of the area’s earliest settlements, the garden offers beautiful views across a peaceful dam, the Sundown Valley and the blue peaks of the Girraween and Sundown National Parks.
Wahroonga –
54 Lock Street, Stanthorpe
“Wahroonga” means place by water and is a fitting name for this historic home built in the last century. Placed on Quart Pot Creek, the garden shifts between informal areas of native grass plantings, majestic trees and camelias to more formal sections of dry walls, long wisteria walkways and garden rooms filled with colour. A hedged avenue on the south-east side of the garden leads you down to the creek. At the end of the wisteria arbour stand beds of magnificent roses. And nestled in the garden is the beauty of this family home.
Diamondvale Estate
26 Diamondvale Road, Diamonvale
As the very first bed and breakfast in the region opening some 25+ years ago, there is a lot to see on this 30 acre property. Owners Rachael and David have added loads of planting over the past 3 years, upgrading garden areas around the 4 cottages to enhance the natural bushland and granite. You will discover emerging planting including an olive grove at the entrance, camelias around the 1907 homestead and established eucalypts amongst the grounds with plenty of places to sit, enjoy the creek views and the peaceful surrounds. The garden is still a work in progress and shows what can be done in a short space of time. Join us for a cuppa and cake in the Pioneer Hut after your stroll.
Granite Gardens
90 Nicholson Road, Thorndale
The property has endured the climate extremes of the past few years but is now beginning to flourish. Bringing a garden back to life has not been an easy task, but equipped with a growing knowledge of the Granite Belt environment, the current owners have planted many deciduous trees to take advantage of the beauty of autumnal colours. Large garden plots gave way to grassed areas, an aged rose garden became a parterre and aromatic plants such as salvia, rosemary and lavender now grow in abundance. Natives and other flowering plants are great attractions for the birds that regularly visit. In tribute to the original garden, rambling, bush and tea roses have been planted closer to the house. The centerpiece lake in the middle of the property lends a tranquility to Granite Gardens which is surpassed only by the magnificent Swamp Cypress which takes pride of place.
Chillawong gardens
772 Rivertree Road, Rivertree
This magnificent garden shows what can be achieved in a short timeframe. Although the house was only completed in 2020 the design, construction and planting of the garden began earlier. Extensive efforts to establish a level site over several years has resulted in a series of distinct areas including an established formal garden and pool area, a long terrace and a deciduous woodland. The house garden, facing due north and set back from the retaining walls, gives plenty of room for the decorative gardens with masses of heritage roses, four arbours around a roundel and vegetable garden. The creation of a diverse and rich environment remains a clear goal for the owners.
Bridget’s Garden
20 Nelson Cres, Stanthorpe
Bridget has been growing organic produce in her market garden for over a decade, recent additions in the kitchen garden are 8 raised garden beds. Vegetables, berries, fruit and herbs are sold at the local Granite Belt Farmers Market which are on every Saturday in the Railway precinct. Excess tomatoes are processed into passata and paste or sundried. There is a variety of garden art throughout the garden from local artists, some for sale. Join us in the pavilion for a cup of tea after a tour of the garden. Open one day only during the Open Gardens showcase at Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival.
Heart and Soil’s Garden
438 Marinis Road, Mount Tully
“Heart and Soil Australia” is a chemical free, diverse, mixed farm, focused on regenerating the landscape by rotationally grazing cattle and goats and nurturing a no-till market garden. Tristan, Jess, Claudia and Florence strive to grow nutritious and delicious produce for their local community by following the soil health principles.
