Rotary’s Garden Design Fest is celebrating the work of talented garden designers with five of the 29 gardens on display on Saturday and Sunday in the Ballarat area.

These included the works of Jennifer Clancy at the Lal Lal Estate, Mark Bickerdike at a Cornish Street property in Buninyong, Paddy Milne at a property on the corner of Russell and Sturt St along with a vertical garden at St Legers Close, both in Newington, and Perry Lethlean at Lake Wendouree Parade. 

Lal Lal Estate, a historic merino wool production property with botanical gardens, was opened to the public for the first time. 

Rotary Ballarat Clubs and Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens worked together to help put on the event with the common goal of supporting the Gate Keeper’s Cottage refurbishment. 

Lorraine Powell from Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens said a bus load of visitors from Melbourne toured all the gardens and had taken particular delight in the Lal La Estate and the Cornish Street property in Buninyong. 

“Getting behind somebody’s private garden gate is such a privilege,” she said. “And when you think of it we have one of the best regional botanic gardens and this event is to support something within that space.”

Some of the designers were available at the properties to talk in detail, while volunteers said with the blue skies and sunshine the festival had attracted good numbers.