Open Gardens Victoria - Alvie Lodge

Join us at this inspirational Mt Waverley garden opening for one weekend only with Open Gardens Victoria

Alvie Lodge is a beautifully laid out 600 square-metre garden, positioned on a block that gently curves across an extended street frontage in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne’s south east. Dominated by two majestic old eucalyptus trees, the garden has been lovingly nurtured by owners Trevor and Kay De Jong for 24 years and is filled with many treasured plants.

Taking full advantage of the property’s large frontage, the De Jong’s have planted out two extensive and deep verge gardens, filled with drought-tolerant, bee-friendly plants, including salvias, the yellow-button flowers of Santolina maganica and the winter-flowering Euphorbia melliferea (or honey spurge), ensuring the garden needs virtually no supplementary water.

Horticulturist and landscape designer Prue Metcalfe designed the rear garden in 2016.

“The backyard inspiration came after visiting beautiful Cloudehill Gardens in the Dandenong Ranges,” says Kay. “I wanted something classical to fit in with the house— a rectangular pond, paving within a very formal framework, a lovely green hedge, and classical planting.”

Visitors are encouraged to explore the winding paths and discover hidden places and nooks.