Spring at Nooroo Garden Mount Wilson – what an absolutely amazing time to visit the Garden.
I’ve previously been there for the fall colours in autumn (you can check out my blog post here) but I must say I love it even more in spring. And you’ll be able to tell as this post is going to be pack-filled with photos!
As I travelled from Sydney to Mount Wilson on the Bells of Line Road through Bilpin and Mount Tomah, the visuals of acres and acres of bushland destroyed by the summer 2020 bush fires were very confronting.
While I’m glad to see that plant life is slowly returning, according to experts it could take centuries for the ecosystem to recover.
More devastatingly, many native wildlife such as kangaroos, wallabies, possums and wallabies would have been wiped out by the fires.
Nooroo Garden at Mount Wilson
So I was especially happy to note the gardens at Nooroo were protected from the bushfires. And many flowers were in bloom when I visited on the weekend in middle of September.
Nooroo Garden is located at Mount Wilson of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. It is significant as an example of one of the eight foundation houses of Mount Wilson. This famous garden was largely created by the Valder family (Peter Valder, a well-known academic botanist) over seventy years after 1918.
The current owners, Lorraine and Tony Barrett, are a very charming and friendly couple who purchased the property in 1992, and they have done a marvellous job maintaining the gardens of their predecessors.
In 2020 the garden celebrated its 140 years!
3 things you shouldn’t miss when it’s spring at Nooroo Garden:
- The Flowers – Seriously this is a no-brainer when it comes to planning a visit to Mount Wilson. And if you can time your visit(s) to Nooroo Garden to catch sight of the various blooms, even better. Around early to mid September, you will see the magnolias, azaleas, cherry blossoms, daffodils, bluebells. Middle to late October, wisteria, lilac, roses, etc will be in flower. While nature can be unpredictable when it comes to the timing of flowers coming into blossom, there are still many varieties of plantings to make your visit worthwhile. It’s open every day during the peak of spring and for good reason.
- Photography Opportunities – family or group pics, individual pics, couple pics. Make sure you bring along your best equipment. There will be lots of opportunities to capture moments with stunning backgrounds. If you’re planning to have photos professionally taken, this can be organised with the owners in advance.
- Chatting with the Owners – If you have a chance, it’s always great to have a chat with the owners. They are more than happy to share the highlights of the garden at the time of your visit. And maybe even some gardening tips!
While Nooroo is particularly well-known for its wisteria, which is usually in bloom around mid to late October, there were plenty of other flowers to enjoy while I was there. Magnolias, daffodils, cherry blossoms, camellias, rhododendrons, the list goes on. All the different varieties of flowers were gorgeous.
When you arrive at Nooroo at the Church Lane entrance, besides being greeted by the friendly hosts, you will be welcomed by a number of stunning magnolia trees near the owners’ residence.
Our Own Hanami Session at Nooroo Garden
After exploring the garden for a while, we decided that we should pick our picnic spot and set up our rug right in front of this huge weeping cherry tree! It was our own version of a hanami (meaning “flower viewing” in Japanese) session.
You can imagine this would have been a very popular spot for photo moments!
More Flowers at Nooroo Garden
Here are more pics for you to enjoy!
Now should I visit Nooroo Garden again in October to view the wisteria trees in bloom?
For more details on visiting times, etc, the Nooroo Garden Facebook page would be the best place to check out the latest news.
[Update Dec 2020: Nooroo Garden has now closed for 2020 and will re-open in 2021.]
While Nooroo Garden does not presently host wedding ceremonies or receptions in the garden, they welcome couples seeking to have their engagement and wedding photographs in the garden. Please contact Nooroo Garden directly.
And we’ll love to create special bouquets or personal flowers for your engagement or wedding photo shoot. Please enquire with us.
