Lambley Nursery

I visited Lambley Nursery about which I’ve heard much praise, on the 24th of September, when Instagram told me the garden was at its loveliest and again on the 2nd of October 2023 when girlfriends – and very knowledgeable – gardeners were free to go. This post is mostly so I can keep the photographs. The gardens were certainly looking lovely in September. The cherry tree avenue was in full bloom. Beautiful, and as you can see it was a glorious day.

The beds of poppies were also at their peak. Look at the pencil pines beyond – so regular. My mother planted two pencil pines either side of the back gate to our garden in Watchupga and she could never get them so uniform, one was higher than the other.

Poppies en masse are so pretty. But you need lots of space, they’re an untidy plant. And always a risk in a vase if their heads don’t pop up.

Beautiful beds of different coloured tulips. Also at their peak. Mary and Kevin in the background.

Lots of different colours – not sure what you would call this one, maybe cerise.

And this one maybe plum. I should’ve cropped my shadow out of both these pictures.

And here’s a bed of yellow tulips with the poppies in the background.

Of course there were beds of poppies and tulips together. Great combination. But space! You need space for these displays.

There were single tulips popping up around the different beds. Amazing colours.

Dramatic two tones like this one.

And different types like this frilly one.

I was also interested to see these trees that had featured in the Lambley Nursery Instagram feed. My mother always told me you need blue in a garden to highlight the other colours – and as I have found when the echeum from her garden flowers, bees love the colour too. These are Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and according to the nursery are easy to grow. I just don’t have room!

Back in October the cherry blossom was gone, as were the tulips although the poppies remained blooming. This time I took a photo of an avenue the nursery is famous for. Depending on the season under the ornamental pear trees they grow jonquils or snowdrops – they were just finishing – and Japanese anemones – which were just starting. Always white flowers. Would be spectacular with them in bloom. And I love the blue bench at the end.

I was struck by two perfectly round bay leaf trees on my first visit. Here is one on its own – I love the perfectly round shadow. As you can see another picture perfect day in the country.

And here are the two together standing like chubby sentinels opposite their slimline compatriots at the other end of the flower beds still full of poppies.

Here’s another well known part of this nursery; it abounds the residence and is very pretty.

I purchased a number of plants as I did on my first visit, but the star was this lovely peony rose.

I bought it because I thought the one my mother bought me about twelve years ago, maybe even longer, was dead. I think this every year, but even knowing it’s capacity for springing into life from the dead stick it looks like for so long, I was fooled again. Trimming the garden for a party I found hidden away under the camellia and nandina – actually not under, but way up in the air, the second of what had been two flower heads. It’s a beautiful colour, and similar to my new one.

That’s the beauty of gardens, they always surprise you. Anyway I recommend a visit to Lambley nursery. It’s at 394 Lesters Road, Ascot, Victoria. Outside Ballarat, you get there going through Creswick. I recommend following them on Instagram; very informative. They also run guided tours of the gardens which would be good. Apparently its been on the market for a while but I was told the owners only want to sell it to people who will cherish it as they have done. We’ll see.