Garden DesignFest 2024

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, Garden DesignFest is a biennial fundraising event organised by the Rotary Clubs of Kew and Brighton North, Vic, featuring the work of professional garden designers in an open garden format. On Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17, gardens will be open from 10am until 5pm.

Since the inception of Garden DesignFest in 2004, more than $700,000 has been raised for charities that contribute to the wellbeing of Victorians. Garden visitors have the opportunity to support the designated charity through ticket sales and a raffle. The nominated charity for 2024 is Impact for Women (impactforwomen.org.au), which aims to make a difference to Victorian women escaping extreme violence at home.

PICTURED: A Rob Mihailescu design at Mount Martha.

This year’s much anticipated weekend will showcase beautifully designed gardens, offer expert advice, and provide insights and information for gardening enthusiasts of all ages and experience. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore stunning private gardens, each with its unique design, careful choice of plants, and particular landscaping focus and features. Designers will be on hand to discuss their work and their approach to challenges of the site.

The work of new and upcoming designers will be featured, as well as some of Victoria’s established and leading design landscape architects.

A variety of gardens will be highlighted across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. The Rotary Clubs of Brighton North and Kew are excited by the opportunity to encourage creative, bold, innovative, versatile, practical and responsible gardening in our Australian gardens.

Gardens included will cover a range of landscaping styles and approaches to plant choice, from the use of native plants through to more traditional garden styles, and will encompass design considerations such as the inclusion of colour, texture, plant form and size, and a variety of landscape approaches including low maintenance, climate sensitivity, water conservation, or a seasonal focus. 

Bus tours are an option, with Rotarians acting as bus leaders, and with morning tea and lunch provided, and information on each garden visited. Typically, the tour covers between six and eight gardens and is an excellent way to visit a number of properties in the company of like-minded gardening enthusiasts.

MAIN PICTURE: A Steve Taylor design at Mount Martha.

For further information, including ticketing details for the open gardens, booking details for the bus tours and weekend passes, visit gardendesignfest.com.au.