Ever look around and wonder where the year has gone?
It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating the start of 2012 on a balmy summer evening and now I’m madly trawling the net for kids’ Christmas presents.
Before I find myself talking about the best place to buy cooked prawns, stocking fillers and tinsel, I decided to take some time to smell the proverbial roses . . . literally.
The Victorian State Rose Garden is just down the road, next to Werribee Mansion, and even for a ‘black-thumb’ gardener like myself, it’s a surprisingly satisfying place for an aimless wander or peaceful contemplation.
At the moment, it’s looking truly spectacular.
More than 5000 roses are on display with names such as Aspirin, Brass Band and Iced Parfait are delighting visitors with their colour and perfume.
The magic they provide is in no small way due to the efforts of 140 volunteers who lovingly spend more than 7000 hours each year tending the garden beds that are collectively shaped like a rose in bloom from above.
Add to that some good rainfall, lovely sunshine and a brand spanking new entrance archway and it’s little wonder this world-class attraction is seen by more than 200,000 visitors annually.
VSRG Supporters president Veronica O’Brien has just been honoured with an Australian Rose Award which recognises her years of exceptional service to the garden and local tourism.
It’s an honour well-earned and richly deserved.
So, before the Christmas vortex sucks you into its swirl of presents, prawns and pavlova, take yourself for a calming stroll around the garden . . . and smell the roses.
Emma Sutcliffe is a freelance writer on Facebook at ‘Little River Emma’.
