Ziebell’s Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden has introduced horticulturalist guided tours of its heritage-listed garden, which dates from the 1850s.

The garden’s professional horticulturalist, Christine Burke, has tended Ziebell’s Farmhouse garden for nine years.  From her extensive experience, she has created a talk and tour about the geology, plants and the history of this heritage-listed cottage garden.  Christine has also drawn on the knowledge of descendants, especially Sylvia Schultz, who tended the garden for over 80 years and with whom Christine worked for several years.  Younger descendants still volunteer to tend the garden and, in doing so,  maintain the continuous commitment to the garden by Christian and Sophia Ziebell and their descendants from the 1850s to the present day.

Described as one of the finest small cottage gardens in Melbourne, it features over 70 roses including one planted in the 1860s. It is tangible evidence of the love of beauty and culture that existed at Westgarthtown, which is an historic dairy farming settlement established by German and Wendish emigrants.  Ziebell’s Farmhouse is Victoria’s oldest German emigrant building and is now an accredited museum and the cultural interpretive centre for Westgarthtown

Regarding this new initiative, Garden Co-ordinator,  Gillian Borrack commented, “Our new garden tours are another way we share these historic and beautiful gardens.  Christine’s knowledge, along with that of the descendants’, have created insights that few people get to experience.  We hope our heritage garden and tours contribute to the appreciation and significance of heritage gardens.”

What:                   Ziebell’s Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden Horticulturalist Tours

When:                 1pm Wednesday  3^rd  March,  then the first Wednesday of each month.

Cost:                      $10 per person with a minimum of 6 required for a tour to proceed.

Bookings:            Essential one week prior to tour date. Bookings at www.westgarthtown.org.au

Where:                 Ziebell’s Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden, Cnr Gardenia Road and

Ainwick Crescent, Thomastown.