Upcoming Gardens

NOTE: Opening times are different for this Open Garden and will only be open on the Saturday, click find out more for times and program. Visit three community gardens in one day and see how these gardens grow food and community, each a little differently. Thanks to City of Darwin for supporting this event with a Community Grant and Tall Tale Audio for the technical production.

Ed’s Dried Fruit stall was a fixture at the Nightcliff Markets for nearly 20 years and now Ed is opening his garden to visitors. You’ll find bananas, paw paws, pineapples and jakfruit growing. Desert roses, begonias and bromeliads also feature along with chooks, fish ponds, vegetables and herbs. Birds, lizards, goannas and tree frogs abound.

A very special and private garden, full of interesting plants and unusual decorative items. Paved paths wind past fascinating corners and plant groupings. Look up, look down – there’s lots to see in this delightful space and always new sights to be found. Welcom-ing patios and decks on both sides of the house provide great garden viewpoints. Brilliant mosaics and decorative items are a feature in this perenially-popular garden.

A large 5 acre garden on Darwin’s northern urban outskirts. The current owners have cleared over 3 acres of coffee bush and replanted with natives, creating a low maintenance and waterwise garden. The top 2 acres of the block are planted with tropical plants. The block was used by the military in WW2 and paths, ponds and many features of interest abound. Friendly chickens and a peahen roam the 5 acres.

Mother's Day weekend - bring mum along to this one. Super stylish suburban garden expertly crafted on permaculture principles. This garden caters to all taste, from composting and worm farming to ornamental plants to the native garden and stingless bees. The owners can provide a wealth of personal knowledge on ways to get the most from your garden. Grab yourself a ticket in the raffle with $1200 worth of prizes up for grabs.  The first prize is a day fishing charter for two worth. Gate takings will raise funds for Harvest Corner Community Garden and the food and refreshments are being run by Palmerston Good Shephard Lutheran School. Plants will be for sale from one of our previous Open Garden Host Ester.  So grab a lovely bromeliad plant for mum too.

After this garden suffered considerable damage from Cyclone Marcus in 2018 the owners created a fresh tropical outdoor space in just two years. Lots of hard work, new garden beds, fertiliser, hand watering and a wonderful array of plants from local sellers and friends ensured their success, combined with local gardening knowledge.

This rural garden houses an impressive collection of plants, including desert roses, orchids, cactus, bromeliads and a variety of brilliant bougainvilleas that provide bursts of colour. Every turn brings another plant variety or ten.  Asian fruit trees are scattered amongst established trees, garden artworks hide in the foliage and some plants and trees are even used in homeopathy. This garden is fundraising for St Francis of Assisi Church. Admission is paid on entry at the garden - Cash or EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free Admission is paid on entry at the garden - Cash or EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free

Surrounded by units the owner has cleverly planted and landscaped this pocket-sized garden to create a funky, urban hideaway putting nearby neighbours out of sight. A series of intimate outdoor rooms are designed to be experienced from both inside, the renovated 70's duplex, as well as outside.Due to the small size of this garden a limit to visitors at any one time may mean there could be waiting periods (some shaded seating will be provided on the verge).  PAWS Darwin will be serving drinks. Admission is paid on entry at the garden - Cash or EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free

Watergardens, exotics and so much more.  This one is not to be missed.  The owners have built up not only an amazing nursery with waterlilies, lotus, water plants, bromeliads, air plants and exotics but an extensive garden of ornamental beds and ponds discovered by winding paths with surprises around every corner. Creative sculptures and garden art feature alongside an interesting reuse of water tanks with a couple of water-loving residents. Fundraising for Paws Darwin. Admission is paid on entry at the garden - Cash or EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free

An old school Tropical garden, hugging the slope on a large Stuart Park block.  Massive clumps of gingers and heliconias punctuate the space, bromeliads, caladiums, cordylines, palms, ferns, hibiscus......... if it grows in the tropics it is probably here.  A pool now transformed into a pond and so much more. Come and lose yourself in this cool shady garden. Fundraising for Wildcare. Admission is paid on entry at the garden - Cash or EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free

Over 30 years, this garden has transformed from a rural bush block into range of contoured established gardens. While some of the original cycad palms and tall natives have been retained, it now boasts an assortment of bromeliads, orchids, cactus, frangipani, desert roses and fruit trees. Wander through pathways that lead to somewhere different each turn - with eye catching rockeries, fish ponds and creeping arches dotted with statues. After years of battling spear grass, weeds, white ants, cyclones and bush kids it is still a work in progress.This host gardener’s charity to start the 2022 season is Environment Centre NT. In addition, there will be a huge range of NT native plants for sale from Territory Native Plants and the Top End Native Plant Society. COVID-19 rules apply as per NTG Health directions.Admission is paid on entry at the garden - EFTPOS (preferred) Adults $7, under 18's free

Synonymous with this gardens theme name – Drift, this rural acreage features some decorative driftwood pieces throughout the property which will capture your attention. With a history of goats, dogs, chooks and children, the owners Justin and Vicki, have created a garden with separate spaces that allow you to drift from one area to another. There are raised vegetable gardens, a large fire pit entertaining area for the dry season, a pool entertaining area with a pizza oven that leads to a pathway surrounded by largely native bush that winds its way to a breezy hill a nice place to sit quietly and bird watch. This much loved garden is supporting Variety as their charity as well as having driftwood pieces to purchase along with a huge range of NT Native plants amongst other things, this Virginia Mid May garden is worth seeing. Admission is paid on entry at the garden, EFTPOS preferred -  Adults $7, under 18's free.

‘Resided in for over 20 years, John and Patricia Fleming have built on the remnants of what was originally ‘Simply Palms Nursery’ an Emu residing where the Deer once were.’ A large well established beauty, the gardens consist of palms and trees adorned with old growth vineage, set out by an under scale of bromeliads, paved pathways and featured ponds. With a delightful children’s garden for the kids to experience, and stunning water features surrounded by sculptured art, this open garden is definitely one for the whole family. Raw timber slabs and timber furniture will be available for purchasing Supporting PAWS this jewel is a special place to visit. Admission is paid on entry at the garden, EFTPOS preferred -  Adults $7, under 18's free.

This inspiring garden has been developed over 20 years to be a productive food and flower garden with a zero-dollar budget – so from shared cuttings, seeds and seedlings. The owner’s aim is to prepare meals based on the garden produce and grow flowers for cutting and donating to a community group. Everything on the site is reused and recycled as mulch, compost, containers, trellis and growing frames to avoid contributing to landfill. A wide range of edible plants includes gingers, bamboo starfruit, chillies, rambutan, soursop, pineapples, bananas, eggplants, sapote, jackfruit, cocoa and cooking herbs. Heliconias, ornamental gingers, lotus, bat plants and orchids are among the flowering plants. The charity benefitting from the weekend opening is the Nusantara Foundation. Tea and coffee will be available and Indonesian plants will be for sale. Admission is paid on entry at the garden, EFTPOS preferred -  Adults $7, under 18's free.

This extensive rural garden has plantings of native and exotic trees, shrubs and groundcovers around the house, and regenerating bush on the remainder of the large block. Since last opening in 2019, shortly after cyclone Marcus, the garden has developed in both tree height and shade density.

Ester and Anthony moved to their property eight years ago to build a sustainable living garden.  They needed more space having outgrown their suburban yard where they cultivated tuberoses as cut flowers.  Starting as a jungle, full with large trees, shrubs and vines they have created designated theme gardens around bromeliads, fruit trees, frangipanis and enjoying the changing colours of the flowers and foliage.  The vision is to build a retreat with edibles and medicinal herbs for sharing and teaching others how to utilise.Cooking demonstrations will be held at 11am and 2pm. Food tastings will also be available.