Photo by local photographer Darrel Kolsky – Instagram @dkolsky
This weekend is your last chance in 2017 to take in the colourful sights and the intoxicating scents at Tulip Top Gardens.
As the Canberra region has welcomed the warmer weather, Tulip Top Gardens has welcomed thousands of visitors with an eruption of flowers. Sprawled over ten acres in Sutton in the Yass Valley, visitors can spend the day getting lost amongst the blooms.
The garden of magnificent tulips and other spring flowers creates a spectacular display as hundreds of blossom trees nestle between the flowers, providing a magical pathway to the cascading waterfall, complete with the whimsical soundtrack of instrumental music.
Photo by local photographer Darrel Kolsky – Instagram @dkolsky
It is like stumbling into an oasis, the gardens are in the hidden valley, adjacent to the Federal Highway, and are only visible upon entry. Having driven past the sign for Tulip Top Gardens hundreds of times over the years on my drive from Canberra to Sydney, there is no hint from the highway of what a sensory delight the visit would be!
For my first visit to Tulip Top Gardens, I was expecting to see an abundance of tulips and other flowers, but I wasn’t expecting to be transported into another world – a floral haven – with beautiful manicured lawns and bursts of colour everywhere.
Photo by local photographer Darrel Kolsky – Instagram @dkolsky
Photo by local photographer Darrel Kolsky – Instagram @dkolsky
Owners Bill and Pat Rhodin have been opening their beautiful garden to the public for 20 years now, coinciding with Canberra’s Floriade season. Not only have they created a beautiful landscape for visitors but a fun festival atmosphere. Upon entering I saw lots of happy dogs, who are welcome throughout the gardens (provided that they are on a leash, with a pickup bag at the ready), groups of friends and families setting up picnics under the trees and photographers eager to capture the perfect blooms. There is music playing, market stalls, nursery sales, food stalls and lots of happy faces.
The admission price includes a free sausage sandwich and access to a free tea or instant coffee station. Local award-winning winery Summerhill Road Vineyard is on hand during the weekend for tastings and sales and there is an irresistible smell of Dutch pancakes in the air. For our afternoon in the gardens, we nabbed a spot under the shade of a tree, grabbed our free snags, a bottle of wine and soaked up the magic of the gardens.
This upcoming weekend may be the last opportunity for the year to visit, but it is also the best time to visit as the gardens are currently in their prime and looking magnificent.
When: 16 September – 15 October 2017, 9 am to 5 pm daily.
Where: Federal Highway, Sutton NSW
More information: wwww.tuliptopgardens.com.au
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