Our Summer Holiday Part 5 ~ Ashcombe Maze & Gardens

Hi everyone, as promised this post is a follow up to my last post from Shoreham...lots of photos in this one so be warned...you might want to go get a cup of tea!

Ashcombe Maze & Garden is home to Australia's oldest & most famous hedge maze, a beautiful circular rose maze, and the year round flowering Lavender Labyrinth - all set among 25 acres of world acclaimed gardens.

The traditional Hedge Maze is planted with more than 1000 cypress trees and thousands of metres of pathways. Now more than 3 metres high and 2 metres thick, the Mazekeeper clips the hedges 3 times a year.

The first trees planted on the property over 30 years ago, the lush evergreen "Cupresses Macrocarpa" are stunning and have been featured in all forms of media both locally and internationally. The dense sculptured walls of the two hedge structures now stand two metres wide and three metres in height and are enjoyed by those who face the challenge to lose themselves.

Luckly we were not amongst the ones who became lost! :)

Beautiful archways hiding a whole new world every which way you turn...

This was my all time favourite part of the whole place, the hedging, the hidden door way, water, lavendar, big old urns, roses...ooh...so lovely!!!

Pink carpet roses fill the urns

Everything about this place was just so perfect...

the look, the smells & the sounds...all so perfect!

I think I could have sat there all day long...

What about this hedge with a door inside? How cool is this???

We found a big old pond full of huge goldfish...Jake wanted to take them home lol.

Sorry fishy but you cant come home with us today.

The water Lillies were so pretty...pinks and whites all over the pond.

We could hear lots of frogs and tried to spot them but no luck...maybe next time.

Another huge water feature.

Lavender.

The Lavender Labyrinth is planted with lavender flowers all year round and the view is spectacular. More than 3000 lavender plants featuring more than 40 different lavenders.

Ashcombe's circular rose maze was the first of its kind planted in the world with 1200 rose bushes of over 200 varieties chosen for their colour & perfume. The object is to find your way to the centre - and then find your way out. Or you can just stop and smell the roses.

This garden below was one of the last gardens we saw before leaving...it was so very different to the rose garden & lavender fields but there was just something about it that I loved...maybe it had something to do with this amazing water feature & the bright red colour against the old burt out colours?

How beautiful!

What a huge garden...I think I might sit awhile...

OK, off we go again down the path...

Love this pic of Jake!

Some of my favourite flowers...hydrangers

Roses

Sunflowers always make me feel happy!!!

Love the way these flowers have been displayed into these large barrels!

And more hydrangers but this time blue...my all time favourites!!!

Guess what??? We even found some mosaics hiding around the gardens...

And another here.

A great day was had by all at Ashcombe Maze & Garden.

Located at15 Shoreham Road, Shoreham, Mornington Peninsula.