EDEN GARDENS AND GARDEN CENTRE
Reporter: ADAM DIGBY
Right in the heart of suburbia, in North Ryde, we have stumbled upon a real oasis - a place of inspiration and beauty…a real Garden of Eden…. and very aptly named Eden Gardens! It’s a horticultural centre with beautiful display gardens, café, a retail garden centre, gift shop and education classes. So whether you’re looking for outdoor or gardening materials, or just a place to chill out, Eden Gardens is the place to go!
Eden Gardens opened in November 2004. Spanning 2.3 hectares, it is a real suburban oasis. Founded by Simon Ainsworth who had the dream of creating a beautiful and inspirational gardening space, this place is so much more than just your average Garden Centre. Here you can not only buy plants, furniture and bits and pieces for the great outdoors, you can also stroll through the beautiful display gardens, marvel at the art in the gallery or take part in their horticultural classes. And when you’re done, relax with a tasty treat in the café.
Eden Gardens and Garden Centre is open daily 8:30am – 5:00pm
Garden Centre and Retail
Eden Gardens stock a large range of good quality plants and garden products. With their industry contacts, they can also source hard to find plants, products and information for customers. They also provide pest and disease diagnosis, home delivery and a home gardening service.
The bookshop is perfect for sourcing specialist gardening publications, but there is also a range of other titles and kids’ books. At the gift store, you can pick up some gourmet delights, pampering products, toys, jewellery and soft furnishings.
Art Gallery
Botanical and gardening related art is displayed in a dedicated art gallery space. The exhibitions change regularly and entry is free. If you fall in love with a piece on display you can purchase it and take it home.
Exhibitions change regularly and they may feature photography, illustration, painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, jewellery, printmaking and drawing. Entry is free.
Display Gardens
Perfect for a relaxing stroll, the display gardens range from a grotto to Australian plantings, and they are guaranteed to inspire your own garden creations.
Conservation and sustainability are part of the Eden Gardens philosophy. All water is collected and stored and recycled on site. The water features throughout the display gardens show how to integrate water features in your garden while saving water.
There is a lot to discover…tucked away at one end of the display gardens is an outdoor garden amphitheatre seating 200 people to be used for performances and lectures. And for the kids there’s an enclosed dedicated play garden complete with giant beehive.
The Café
The Dragonfly Café is not your typical “nursery” café. Open for breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon tea daily, you’ll find dishes like “roast field mushrooms o sourdough with fetta & pesto” for breakfast and “Slow cooked Moroccan lamb with tabouli, hummus, feta, mint & yoghurt on turkish” or “grilled market fish on roasted garlic mash with salsa verde, lemon, eggplant & caper dressing” on the menu for lunch. It reflects the best of seasonal produce. For a sweet treat, there are cakes by Adams Cakes and Chocolates Turramurra. With a specific children’s menu and indoor and outdoor terrace seating, this is also a great place to take the kids.
Dragonfly Café is open daily 8:30am – 5:00pm
Eden Education
Eden Gardens run a range of courses, workshops and lectures throughout the year, including children’s activities. Courses include introductory floristry, gardening skills and native garden workshops. For more details on when the courses are held, check the Eden Garden website or call them.
The Organic Gardening Workshop includes an introduction to permaculture systems, no-dig gardening, composting and worm farming, organic fertilisers, companion planting, crop rotation and natural pest and disease control.
Organic farming is similar in many ways to traditional gardening before the evolution of chemicals. Organic systems involve growing plants without synthetic chemicals, fertilisers or genetically modified organisms. These systems encourage plants to be strong and less susceptible to attack from pests and disease.
Tai Chi in the Gardens sessions are held on the second Saturday of each month (except April) and follow the Tai Chi Qigong and Wu Tai Chi styles. The practical sessions use simple and gentle exercises incorporating breathing and visualisation techniques to promote balance, coordination and relaxation.
More Information
Eden Gardens and Garden Centre
301 – 2307 Lane Cove Rd
North Ryde
Open 7 days
Ph: 9491 9900
www.edengardens.com.au