Six gardens in Burra will open together, each with its own unique characteristics. Some are leafy and full of flowers, while others feature climate-compatible, water-efficient plants, and one has a distinctly Mexican feel.

Purchase tickets for entry to all six gardens for just $25 at the Burra Tourist Office in Market Square, Burra.  No concessions.

The gardens are all within walking distance, and a map will be provided with garden addresses and a suggested route to take. 
Burra Tourist Office 8892 2154.

Boehm's Retreat

The impressive 1800s Georgian-style heritage house is built close to the street frontage. In the narrow garden beds on each side of the front door, the flowers of ‘Honey Dijon’ standard roses and mounds of pretty seaside daisy complement the mellow stonework of the building.

Most of the sloping garden is to the side and behind the house, where stone retaining walls create a series of level terraces connected with steps and ramps. Lawns and pleasant outdoor seating areas have lovely views of the surrounding countryside, and several cascades and ponds add the tranquil sound of water. Exotic and native trees and shrubs shelter extensive colourful plantings of annuals, spring bulbs and perennials.

Boehm’s Retreat is a beautiful, well-maintained garden featuring a diverse array of interesting plants.

• Morning and afternoon teas - scones
• Display of horse-drawn vehicles, vintage & classical cars

Morse Cottage

Behind the historic Morse Cottage, built around 1860, is an impressive plantsman’s garden filled with a wide range of native and exotic plants. The Mexican-themed entrance to the garden is colourful and bright with touches of vivid blue and yellow paintwork and pots of vibrant annuals in colours that pop against the crisp white gravel of the paths that lead through the garden.

Unusual plants mingle with succulents and other hardy species, making an interesting mix of varied foliage textures and flower colours. Mature trees enclose the lawn and garden, providing some shelter from the winter frosts and the summer heat.

A well-grown collection of succulents in containers sits in a protected spot on the front verandah, and there are some interesting pieces of garden art.

Somerset Garden

Somerset is a large rambling country garden, beautiful in spring when the many deciduous trees are in blossom, hundreds of bulbs are flowering, pockets of annuals add bright colour, and a wisteria covering the front wall of the garden is a show-stopping display of purple.

There are several levels on the sloping block, featuring pleasant sitting areas, lawns, and a circular pond that is home to water lilies, aquatic iris, and fish.

Mature trees create a leafy feel, and among them are flowering shrubs, perennials, and bearded iris, as well as tulips, Dutch iris, and narcissus. Also present are fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs.  Several hedges add touches of formality, and large potted ferns and shade-loving plants thrive on the sheltered verandas—an impressive, mature, leafy garden.

White Cedars

White Cedars is a compact cottage garden named for the white cedar trees that line Queen Street. Those along the garden boundary feature a pretty mix of succulents and pelargoniums planted at their base.

The garden, with its amazing, diverse, and colourful plant collection, is tucked behind a stone cottage that was formerly an Indonesian restaurant. The entrance is through a rose and flower-covered arch, and beyond are gravel paths bordered with a harmonious mix of foliage and flowers, closely planted and thriving together.

A sunny sitting area is backed by a very old stone wall, decorated with an ornamental blue wooden-framed window and the rich red flowers of a climbing rose.

Very well maintained, this is a delightful and surprisingly small gem of a garden.

Ali's Garden - Ilased

In the front garden of Ilased, a row of olive trees clipped into lollipop standards catches the eye, but most of the garden has been established on the slope behind the house. Sections of stone walling have been used to create level areas for a lawn and several pleasant sitting spots that are shaded and enclosed with a range of hardy trees and large shrubs.

The seasonal Burra Creek is located at the bottom of the garden, and a path through a group of trees leads to a small memorial garden featuring native plants and a seat with a view over the creek bed area.  Pots of well-grown herbs and succulents, along with garden art, add interest, and there are two decorative white dovecotes. There will be blacksmithing demonstrations and live music at intervals throughout the day.

• Blacksmithing demonstrations
• Live music throughout the day

Pip's Garden

The white picket fence that borders Pip’s Garden perfectly complements the cottage and her pretty patch of garden with its delightful assortment of climate-compatible plants. In spring, the blossoms of crabapple and Prunus trees, the blue flowers of California lilac, purple rosemary, and lavender, a tree-sized vivid red bottlebrush, bulbs, daisies, and annuals create a bright and beautiful combination of colours.

Succulents planted in an old wheelbarrow and others in bright blue and white containers make eye-catching displays. Several large pots are planted with colourful annuals. A walk with some steps leads to a dry (most of the time!) creek. A majestic old peppercorn tree with a vast, gnarled trunk provides shade and shelter, and there are fruit trees and chooks.

• Florist demonstrations
• Plant sales

Devonshire teas and light meals will be available at the beautifully restored Burra Railway Station.

Built in 1870, the station building was in a derelict state when the Friends of the Burra Railway Station restored it and added Edie, a 1917 Commonwealth Railways dining carriage.

Enjoy refreshments in the station dining room or the old-world charm of the dining carriage between 11 am and 3 pm each day.