IT may be entering its 30th year but one Victorian festival retains the spring its tail.
Bright Spring Festival returns on October 20 and runs until November 6, with all the events that have made it a favourite of green thumbs for years – plus new gardens added to its open garden itinerary.
Gardens this year are:
Eagles Rest, an intense garden with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, many manicured and shaped for effect.
Shady Brook, with five acres of landscaped gardens featuring thousands of spring flowering shrubs such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and natives.
Chestnut Tree Holiday Units, Three acres of landscaped gardens – rock walls, hedges, standard lumas, natives, mollis, tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods, catalpas and more.
Heritage Shaddock Trees, two of the only four shaddock trees in Victoria. These trees are more than 100 years old and are listed with the National Trust.
Chalets Lumineux, a beautiful, mature landscaped garden, with silver birch, claret ash, liquidambar, azaleas, camellias, daffodils and more.
Norala Garden, a rambling, much-loved garden created by two ladies between the 1960s and ‘90s that reflects an old-fashioned pleasure in gardening.
Nightingales Apples, with many different varieties and colours of roses, rhododendrons and azaleas to view.
Buffalo River Native Nursery, a five-acre block containing mostly native plants with a small orchard and fruit and vegetable plots.
Homestead Estate Winery and Olive Grove, established in 1869, with original trees including magnolia grandiflora (1872), a grove of elms and a hoop pine.
Mountain Creek Artwork, including deciduous trees, Californian redwood and Himalayan cedars. Open studio/gallery, paintings and original handmade prints.
Mount Buffalo Olives, enjoy a self-guided walk through the olive grove and arboretum at the foot of Mount Buffalo.
Fredos Lane, a beautiful blend of deciduous, native and evergreen trees. Stone garden walls, statues, bird baths will delight.
Bright Community Garden, with more than 30 food trees, plant beds, compost and worm bays and more.
Bryadden, with a mixture of natives and exotics, a mud brick home, stand-alone power, abundant bird life and a well-used wombat hole.
Entry to most gardens is by donation: proceeds go to community and charitable groups.
A full program and map will be available at visitor information centres and various local businesses.
While in Bright, see its restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee shops, bakeries, specialty shops, breweries, wineries and chocolate factory. A Monster Street Market will held, plus fireworks and concert.
IF YOU VISIT …
Check out Mount Buffalo National Park for the amazing views and take in the spectacular wildflowers along the Bogong High Plains Road.
Bright and surrounds have many short, picturesque walking tracks, The easy, flat walk to heritage-listed Wandiligong, located six kilometres south of Bright, is highly recommended.
- Read more: Mother Nature shares her Bright canvas
- Read more: Spring into the garden
