{"id":929945,"date":"2026-10-16T06:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T06:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/929945\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T06:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T06:32:16","slug":"in-1980-this-scientists-garden-in-the-dandenong-ranges-was-donated-to-the-state-today-its-thriving-with-colourful-spring-blooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/929945\/","title":{"rendered":"In 1980, this scientist&#8217;s garden in the Dandenong Ranges was donated to the state; today, it&#8217;s thriving with colourful spring blooms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens-bench-1024x683.jpg\"   width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"blue flowers blooming over a park bench in George Tindale Memorial Gardens\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImage: R Reeve via Flickr<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re chasing the flowers this spring, the Dandenong Ranges is a great place to start, with pretty spots like <a href=\"https:\/\/secretmelbourne.com\/dandenong-ranges-botanic-garden-spring\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretmelbourne.com\/dandenong-ranges-botanic-garden-spring\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_0\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/secretmelbourne.com\/alfred-nicholas-memorial-gardens-spring\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretmelbourne.com\/alfred-nicholas-memorial-gardens-spring\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_1\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden<\/a>. And if you\u2019re keen for more, you should add George Tindale Memorial Gardens to your list. This three hectare space flourished under the care of Dr George Tindale, a research scientist with the Victorian Department of Agriculture, and his wife Ruth, a passionate plant collector and gardener. Thanks to Ruth\u2019s careful planning, there\u2019s always something in bloom at the garden, with plants flowering throughout the year. And spring is particularly beautiful, with camellias, magnolias and more! The garden is open daily, and entry is free. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens-path-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"red flowering plants next to a path at George Tindale Memoria Gardens\" class=\"wp-image-57239\"  \/>Image: Lisa Hunt via Flickr <\/p>\n<p>George Tindale Memorial Gardens <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This garden was donated by Ruth after her husband\u2019s passing to the Victorian Conservation Trust in 1980. Walk along the network of interweaving paths, underneath a canopy of mountain ash trees, and see a diverse range of rare and unusual plants. These plants all thrive in the acidic soil, cool climate and shady conditions of the Dandenong Ranges, and the sheer variety reflects the Tindale\u2019s dedication to plant conservation. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens-hydrangea-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"purple hydrangeas at George Tindale Memorial Gardens\" class=\"wp-image-57240\"  \/>Image: R Reeve via Flickr<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In spring, the garden is bursting with blooming rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. In the Rock Garden, you\u2019ll see an assortment of dwarf daffodils, taller-flowering daffodils, American trout lilies, tulips, bluebells, fritillarias and even the blue-flowered Gentiana acaulis. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you explore the garden, listen out for the songs of local birds, and admire some sculptures on permanent display. Two of these sculptures were created by Ruth herself. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pack a picnic to enjoy on one of the four expansive lawns. As there are no bins, remember to take your rubbish with you. Dogs are welcome to come along, as long as they\u2019re on a leash.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens-picnic-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"people enjoying a picnic on the lawn at George Tindale Memorial Gardens on a sunny autumn day\" class=\"wp-image-57241\"  \/>Image: Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The upper end of the garden has sealed pathways that are wheelchair accessible with assistance. However, please note that some sections have uneven surfaces due to tree root growth. The lower end has unsealed and steep pathways, making them unsuitable for those with limited mobility. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a limited amount of parking available near the main entrance. Although it rarely feels crowded, spring weekends are busier than other days. Keep an eye on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parks.vic.gov.au\/places-to-see\/parks\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.parks.vic.gov.au\/places-to-see\/parks\/george-tindale-memorial-gardens\" data-action=\"text_cta_2\" data-category=\"click_non_sales\">Parks Victoria website<\/a> for any updates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccd33 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke VIC 3789<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Image: R Reeve via Flickr If you\u2019re chasing the flowers this spring, the Dandenong Ranges is a great&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":929946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[64,63,128],"class_list":["post-929945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/929946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}