The picturesque village of Blackwood is tucked in between the Wombat and Lerderderg State Parks. Surrounded by spectacular ranges, forests and deep gullies, Blackwood sits at approximately 560 metres above sea level and experiences the four seasons in all their dramatic beauty; with warm summers, mossy, foggy winters with flurries of snow, a cool, verdant springtime and spectacular autumns.

Autumn in Blackwood is indeed something very special. As the season deepens, each garden flaunts a whole new look, with vivid colour elevating a passionate green thumb’s hard work to the next level.

Tiny Blackwood is home to three unique nurseries set within incredible gardens to explore. Each garden is very different and equally spectacular throughout autumn. A tour of all three will inspire you to don the gardening gloves and get to work in your own green patch before the weather cools.

The Diggers Club Garden of St Erth at Blackwood is well known and loved for its popular nursery and wonderfully manicured gardens. The garden includes a food forest, with ripening espaliered apples, perennial borders in full bloom and edible gardens, much of which ends up on the menu at their Fork to Fork café. They have an extensive program of workshops and events on their autumn calendar, and you can even experience glamping in their ‘Garden Beds’, waking up to the morning sounds of this majestic garden. Some of their oldest deciduous trees will be displaying incredible autumn colour in the coming months, and the enormous tulip tree is one of many highlights.

Frogmore Gardens features seven acres of carefully curated garden rooms linked by grass paths and set before a spectacular forest backdrop. The garden was created from scratch just 18 years ago and is testament to the bold vision of owners Zena and Jack. From bare farm paddocks and just a few cuttings, they have created a wondrous haven. Autumn intensifies their carefully planted palette with turning leaves enhancing bold border plantings and green lawns leading you through the garden of perennials, hedges, grasses and trees. Frogmore Gardens will inspire you to tackle your next gardening project, and the nursery offers established plants for you to take home to get started. The garden is open to the public from the long weekend in March through to April 25.

Drive down a winding forest road through the tall eucalypts of the Wombat Forest, and as the forest opens, you’ll find the Plantsman’s Garden at Blackwood Ridge Nursery and Café. This carefully landscaped and manicured two-acre garden and nursery boasts an incredible collection of ornamentals, exotic and rare garden plants. Blackwood Ridge is the only 100% completely off-grid nursery and restaurant in Victoria – a great place to unwind, plan your dream garden and share lunch while enjoying a local wine or beer. The gardens surrounding the nursery and restaurant are open as usual, and the private gardens are opening for the first time this autumn: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm from the Labour Day long weekend until April 12th.

“At just over an hour from Melbourne, it’s easy to access the spectacular autumn gardens of Blackwood.”

Take a day to experience the three and witness the transition of seasons. Keep your eye on our social media accounts for autumn highlights in the region.

@daylesfordmacedonranges #bestautumnescape

@katherine_douglas_art

Garden of St Erth diggers.com.au

Frogmore Gardens frogmoregardens.com.au

Blackwood Ridge blackwoodridge.com.au

While in the area, pop in to Martin St Coffee for some of the best coffee in Country Victoria martinstreetcoffee.com