Simon Gaythorpe Open Garden, Olinda

Visit this spectacular one hectare hillside garden in the Dandenongs. Simon Gaythorpe has created a stunning garden full of rare and exotic plants – having been inspired by a garden his grandparents created decades earlier.

The beautifully landscaped grounds display his design philosophy, where a wide diversity of plants means there is something in flower through all seasons. This is highlighted in the informality of meandering, often almost concealed, pathways and wonderful deep herbaceous borders.

A vegetable garden where many things are allowed to self-seed is a joy – if a little bit willful – and there is an extensive berry orchard. Foxgloves are a continuous theme throughout the garden. On a larger scale, there are mature trees throughout including a Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata), certain Magnolia varieties and Rhododendron grande.

To Simon, the informal and natural design evokes a sense belonging and soulfulness in the garden.