Discovering the Gardens

Welcome to Discovering the Geelong Botanic Gardens with our Volunteer Guides.  Our regular visitors enjoy the striking Silver Border, delight in the scent of the Heritage Roses in Spring, watch the dramatic display of the Perennial Border through Summer, and return for the Ginkgo as it turns butter yellow in late Autumn.  But there is so much more to explore:

• Free Guided Walks are offered on Wednesdays at 11.00 am and Sundays at 2.00 pm, weather permitting. Meet your Volunteer Guide on the front steps of the Botanic Gardens. 

• On some summer Sundays, the Discovery Table engages visitors with the selected plants, flowers and fruits that are on display and the opportunity to talk with a Guide.
  
  
• An annual program of monthly Discovery Walks promotes more in-depth and innovative stories of the Gardens.
  For these a gold coin donation is requested. The 2017 Discovery Walk Program is available for your calendar.
  
  
• Booked Group Walks are available and tailored to meet the walk theme requested.   Alternatively for ideas, see the list of themed walks, which may be available on request.
  Group Bookings must be made well in advance and attract a small fee request form - walk
  Pre-Visit Information

• Illustrated talks about the Gardens are available to community groups.  Please contact the Friends’ office for more details.   request form - talk 
  
  
• Self Guided Walks – can also be enjoyed if you prefer to wander the Gardens in your own time:
  
  • The Heritage Tree Walk describes some of the very rare trees at the Geelong Gardens including some listed on the National Trust (Victoria) Significant Tree Register
      
  • The Geelong Botanic Gardens were established in 1851 on 81 hectares; the Gardens and surrounding Eastern Park are heritage listed. This Introductory Walk takes you through the historic and contemporary parts of the Gardens. Available in the box at the front gate.
     
  • The Last Dragon is a picture trail of 11 images for families to enjoy. Counting the objects shown in each picture will give you the numbers 1 to 10, but one image is missing. Turn over to find out why we have a Dragon's Blood Tree, but no dragon.
  • Keep Your Eyes Peeled is an art themed picture trail for children.

 All of these activities are provided by our members, the Volunteer Guides

Some additional information is available for Children and Families visiting the Gardens

Plants in Focus

A monthly 'Garden Highlights' bulletin, featuring plants of particular interest, is available in the Gardens.  Previous issues are available in our Archives pages; Garden Highlights providing a comprehensive monthly overview of highlights for visitors.

Volunteer Guides regularly study plants in detail.  At each Guide meeting, one Guide presents research about a Geelong Botanic Gardens plant, for the benefit of other Guides.  These studies are now available in our Archives pages Plants in Focus.

Features for this month

Read about this month's 'Garden Highlights' - May  which features articals about the Maiden Hair Tree Ginkgo bilo, the Camellia walk, Rose hips and Wintersweet Chimonanthus praec.

Our monthly bulletin What's On

Also: