Our gardens
WHY IT MATTERS
Preserving garden traditions
The unique gardens of Heronswood, The Garden of St Erth and Cloudehill are living treasures, showcasing sustainable and organic gardening techniques, and preserving traditions, historic buildings, heirloom seeds and plant varieties for generations to come.
Our mission is to connect future gardeners to the rich heritage of Australia's own gardening culture which can be experienced firsthand in our Foundation gardens.
Without any government funding, we rely on our members, visitors and the generosity of our donors to help fund the ongoing cost of the gardens.
Heronswood
Heronswood is the home of The Diggers Club, and the first public garden in Australia to be certified organic. The garden is a living catalogue of plants found in our magazines and books.
Showcasing the best flowers and plants for Australian conditions, the garden changes throughout the year and peaks in summer with wonderful planting combinations of summer perennials and heirloom vegetables. Visit Heronswood for garden inspiration year round,
Visit Heronswood
The Garden of St Erth
With a history going back over 150 years, Diggers has been caring for this unique property since 1996. The National Trust cottage houses our garden shop and nursery, with the gardens spanning over 4 acres of food, cottage and bush gardens suited to the cold winters and hot dry summers.
The Diggers Club purchased the Garden of St Erth from Tommy and Penny Garnett. Tommy was a passionate plantsman, school principal, garden editor of The Age, and he used the garden to acclimatise many rare, exotic plants and trees. Additions have included the rose and berry gardens, the Garnett Education Centre and restoration of the Bush Garden in 2012 by landscape architect, Andrew Laidlaw.
Cloudehill
Cloudehill gardens were established by Jeremy Francis, and is now an internationally acclaimed garden in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges.
With 25 different areas to explore each with its own character and season of interest, the gardens range from formal with clipped hedges and topiary as you enter, through to the more relaxed bulb meadows in the lower sections of the garden.
SUPPORT US
Donate to help preserve our gardens
Through our partnership with The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, you are able to make a tax-deductible donation to help preserve our gardens.