Each September, just as the hills around Daylesford are turning gold with wattles and the first warm days hint at spring, Verna Baker opens her garden gates at Boots Gully for Friendship Garden Day.
The event is more than a garden open day – it’s a much-loved local tradition. Verna started Friendship Day more than 20 years ago as a way of sharing the beauty of her daffodils with the community while raising funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Over the years, it has become a fixture in the spring calendar, drawing garden lovers, plant collectors and neighbours from across the district.
This year’s event will be held on Sunday, 14 September from 1:00 to 4:30pm at Verna’s Basalt Rock Cottage Garden nursery, 607 Basalt Road – just a 10-minute drive from Daylesford.
Visitors can wander through more than 40,000 daffodils in over 400 varieties, blooming alongside tulips, hyacinths and other spring delights. The rambling garden is a treasure trove of antique farm machinery, winding slate and stone paths, and established native trees and shrubs.
There will be plenty to take home, with plants, bulbs, vegetable seedlings and native trees for sale. Tea and coffee will be provided, and guests are invited to bring a small plate of food to share. Entry is by donation, with all proceeds going to the Royal Children’s Hospital cancer ward.
“It’s a chance to enjoy the beauty of the season, share a cuppa with friends and neighbours, and support a really important cause,” says Verna. “The daffodils are at their very best in mid-September – it’s just magic.”
Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as the ground may be damp. The event will be cancelled if wet weather is forecast.
For more information, phone Verna on 54 764 201 or 0401 159 506.
