The Gardens of Melbourne by Ali Kayn
	Grey Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne	If Melbourne is one of the most livable cities in the world, its appeal must surely be in the restaurants, cafes, galleries and gardens. Few people dare to boast about our weather, except that we can have all four seasons in a single day.
	The joy of Melbourne is that when the weather is nasty, we can gather somewhere inside and eat well and drink some of the best coffee in the world. And when the weather is nice, we can hunt out picturesque spots, most of which have good cafes from which we can look out the windows at some lovely display of nature.

	Am I joking? Just a bit, but it is a fact of life that every public place, be it park or historic site, or museum invariably seems to have somewhere to sit down and power through a Devonshire tea (tea or coffee and scones with jam and cream).
	Royal Botanic Gardens photo © Ali Kayn 1996 Some of the best eateries in Melbourne are near beautiful gardens, which isn't difficult considering just how many public gardens there are in Melbourne.
	Melbournians and Melbourne visitors have a wide range of parks and gardens to visit. Unlike public trust gardens in England, for example, which are sometimes criticised for their similarity, Melbourne's trust gardens are individuals. In England, pleasure grounds changed with the fashions, and when their designs began to be protected, many reflected the tastes of the same period.
	In Melbourne, the pleasure grounds are a closer reflection of the original landscape designs for the properties. For those who are botanically inclined, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne have a variety of special interest collections . If your tastes are more Victorian (era), why not visit the grandeur of Como House, or the elegant pleasure gardens of Rippon Lea? Rippon Lea Fernery photo © Ali Kayn 1996

And if your tastes run to bush settings and the sound of spring water, there is always the William Rickett sanctuary nestled in the Dandenong Ranges. It's a combination gallery, reserve, and political/environmental statement.

William Rickett Sanctuary © Ali Kayn 1996

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Pictorial Guide to Melbourne and Victoria Festivale Online Magazine Celebrate Everything! www.festivale.info ISSN 1328-8008 disclaimers | contact the editor | Festivale revision history Published in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia copyright © Festivale 1999 All rights reserved 4-May-1997 Last updated: Dec-1999 Last tested: 15-Jan-2009 Last Compiled: 08-Aug-2014 Entire site refreshed: Dec 2008-Feb 2009 | Site URL transferred: Jan 2005 (previously www.festivale.webcentral.com.au)