Hunter Valley Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hunter Valley Gardens |
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The sign at the entrance to the gardens
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| Type | Botanical |
| Location | Pokolbin |
| Area | 14 hectares (35 acres) |
| Owned by | Bill Roche |
| Operated by | Roche Group |
| Visitors | 300,000 |
| Status | Open all year |
Hunter Valley Gardens is a huge and beautiful garden located in Pokolbin, which is in the famous Hunter Valley wine country of NSW, Australia. It first opened its gates in 2003. Today, it's open every single day of the year, except for Christmas Day.
These amazing gardens cover 14 hectares of land. Inside, you'll find 10 different themed gardens, places to stay, a shopping village, fun rides, special events, and dining spots. The gardens are also a very popular place for weddings and other big events in the Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley Gardens is actually the biggest display garden in the entire Southern Hemisphere!
Contents
History of the Gardens
Hunter Valley Gardens was created by the Roche Group. The founder, Bill Roche, had a lifelong dream to build a garden that many generations could enjoy. When he retired, he decided to make this dream come true.
Construction on the gardens started in 1999. A team of 40 to 50 landscape gardeners, engineers, and architects worked hard to build everything. The gardens officially opened in October 2003. The premier of New South Wales was there for the opening ceremony.
What You Can See and Do
Exploring the Themed Gardens
The gardens are made up of ten unique areas, each with its own special theme. These themes are inspired by different places around the world. You'll find both native Australian plants and exotic plants from other countries here.
There are eight kilometres of walking paths that connect all the gardens. These paths are also easy for wheelchairs to use. The gardens are home to over six thousand trees, six hundred thousand shrubs, and one million ground-covers.
Here are the different themed gardens you can explore:
- Border Garden: This garden looks like a classic French Parterre garden. It has neatly trimmed hedges and special trees like Hill's Weeping figs. These are shaped into interesting designs. You'll also see hand-carved Indian Marble water features and statues that show the four seasons.
- Chinese Garden: To enter this garden, you walk across green Chinese slate and through a traditional Moon gate. Two bronze Temple Guardians stand on either side of the gate. The garden has slow-growing grass, rugged rocks, and decorative raked gravel. Some of the plants here include Azaleas, Camellia sasanqua, Conifers, Bamboo, Cumquats, Persimmons, and Mulberries.
- Formal Garden: This garden is inspired by designs from France and England. It's one of the biggest of its kind in Australia. Manchurian Pear Trees line the garden. You'll also see 3000 Chameleon rose bushes, shaped plants called topiary, and perfectly mowed lawns. There's a Wishing Fountain here too. All the money from the fountain goes to charity.
- Indian Garden: When you enter the Indian Garden through its 160-year-old antique Indian Gates, you'll smell the aromas of India. Two bronze elephants stand guard at the entrance. Paths lined with Lilly pilly hedges lead to a mosaic of pebbles and ground-covering plants. The garden design includes Purple Ajuga and Variegated Dwarf Agapanthus. There's also an Indian Tea House with traditional decorations where you can sit and enjoy the view of the garden and its topiary elephants.
- Italian Grotto: The Italian Grotto has a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi. It's filled with beautiful pink Wisterias, bright red Bougainvillea, lemon, orange, and olive trees. You'll also find lavender and cascading Geraniums and Pelargoniums here.
- Lakes Walk: This garden has one and a half kilometres of pathways surrounding a beautiful waterway. The water is lined with perennial borders. You'll also find the Lakes Rotunda here. This garden is a very popular spot for weddings.
- Oriental Garden: This garden is influenced by Japanese and Korean garden styles. It features a two-story traditional Japanese pagoda surrounded by a koi pond. The garden floor is covered with Zoysia Tenuifolia, also known as Korean velvet grass. It forms soft mounds around rocks and pavers.
- Rose Garden: The Rose Garden is shaped like a corkscrew, which is a nod to the nearby Hunter Valley vineyards. It has over 8000 roses! Some of the rose types include Blue Moon, Bonica, Charles De-Gaulle, Double Delight, Fragrance, Freesia, and Marlena. In the middle of the garden, you'll see thirteen bronze statues. These statues are of Imelda Roche and her twelve grandchildren.
- Storybook Garden: The Storybook Garden is a fun place for kids. It has many statues and murals of famous nursery rhyme characters. You can find Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, and characters from Alice in Wonderland.
- Sunken Garden: The Sunken Garden has a tall, 10-meter high waterfall with a pergola on top. It also features a display of evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and flowers. The pathways are surrounded by hundreds of roses.
Shopping and Dining
The shopping village is located just outside the garden entrance. It's next to a picnic area, BBQ spots, a playground, and the Aqua Golf & Putt Putt course. The village has a collection of unique shops. You can find everything from delicious meals to jewelry and special clothing.
Hunter Valley Gardens also offers two places to stay. These are Harrigan's Irish Pub & Accommodation and Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens.
Weddings and Events
Hunter Valley Gardens is a popular place for weddings. They have different settings for ceremonies, including a special chapel. There are also many beautiful spots for wedding photos. They offer help from a wedding consultant, various reception venues, and catering options.
The gardens are also famous for the many yearly events they host. Besides these big events, they have talks about plants, festivals, and permanent Italian-imported rides.
Christmas Lights Spectacular: This is the biggest lights display in the Southern Hemisphere! It features over 2 million lights. This event has been held every year since 2007. The lights usually start in early November and stay on until the end of January.
Snow Time: This event happens in winter. The gardens open an ice skating rink, snow toboggan slides, and other rides. These activities are fun for most ages.
Mega Creatures: During the NSW school holidays, Hunter Valley Gardens displays many huge creature statues and animatronics throughout the gardens. You can see dinosaurs, giant insects, and even dragons!
