Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens is home to Australia's oldest & most famous hedge maze, a beautiful circular rose maze, and the year round flowering Lavender Labyrinth - all set among 25 acres of world acclaimed gardens.

The traditional Hedge Maze is planted with more than 1000 cypress trees and thousands of metres of pathways. Now more than 3 metres high and 2 metres thick, the Mazekeeper clips the hedges 3 times a year to keep it sculpted into a curvaceous challenge that will delight & inspire.

The Lavender Labyrinth is planted with year round flowering lavender and the view from the centre over the lavender rows is spectacular. More than 3000 lavender plants are planted overlooking the impressive Arboretum, and the Lavender Display Gardens features more than 40 different lavenders, providing an insight into the history of lavender.

Ashcombe's circular rose maze was the first of its kind planted in the world with 1200 rose bushes of over 200 varieties chosen for their colour & perfume. The object is to find your way to the centre - and then find your way out. Or you can just stop and smell the roses

Visitors are welcome to wander through the gardens on the self guided Garden Discovery Trail. The Famous Great Ashcombe Gnome Hunt is fun for all ages.

The Ashcombe Maze Cafe features vaulted ceilings & towering windows overlooking the gardens. Fully licensed, the café offers light lunches & snacks featuring local produce, great coffee and a selection of delicious cakes and cookies. The famous Ashcombe 'rose petal' scones are a must to try.

Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring - there is always something beautiful to be experienced at Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens.

Cost

Payment methods accepted

Local directions

The easiest way to get to Ashcombe Maze is to follow the M1 (Monash Freeway) from Melbourne and take the Mornington Peninsula/Hastings exit. This will lead you onto the Westernport Highway (A780) and lead you to Hastings. Keep following the "Flinders" road signs (C777) and look out for the brown tourist Ashcombe Maze signs to guide you to Shoreham which is located 7 kilometres before the township of Flinders.

Facilities

Activities

Tourism awards

2010  - Victorian Tourism Awards  - Finalist

Opening hours

Also part of the Mornington Peninsula Attractions Pass - Check website for further details.

Daily
10:00am -5:00pm
Open 364 days (closed Christmas Day). Extended hours during summer holidays.

Memberships

• Inbound Tour Operators Association
• Tourism Alliance Victoria
• Visitor Information Centre

Disabled access

Compacted gravel pathways. Ramp access to cafe. Unfortunately due to their age, the hedge maze and rose maze are now too narrow to fit a wheelchair or pram through

Additional business information

A Brief History of Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens
Originally a beef cattle and sheep property, Ashcombe Maze was part of a much larger farm owned by the Burston family for generations. The oldest trees on the property are the large Cyprus trees planted more than 100 years ago as windbreaks. In the 1950's the Lombardy poplars were planted, and the gardens were established when the property was further sub-divided and sold. John and Sally Daly established a few acres of gardens (mainly planted with Australian natives) and planted the hedge maze in the late 1970's. The Maze Café was built using mud bricks made from the clay from Lake Ashcombe. Over the years, thousands of tons of rock have been used in the landscaping, major plantings of conifers and deciduous trees put in place, and the gardens extended to the current 25 acres. Arthur Ross took over as Maze Keeper from John and Sally in 1998. Over the years he has put his own stamp on the property and each year more improvements are made. The Maze Café has been extended and the Gardeners tool shed converted in the "Cypress Cottage" Gift Shop using planks from trees grown on the property. The Centre garden has been remodeled to include the fountain that is there today and millions of bluebells planted in the lower woodlands. In 2005 the Pot Garden underwent a major face lift and the Rose Maze was extensively refurbished and enlarged. In 2006 the year round flowering Lavender Labyrinth was planted along with the Lavender Display Gardens. The work continues... "The great thing about working with nature, is seeing the results!"

Don't forget, now is the time to book your group/club's next visit!
Ashcombe is the ideal venue for your garden club, probus club, senior club or social group's next outing. Group discounted prices are avaialable for admission, with personal guided tours available by one of our gardeners, or try a packages including morning or afternoon tea, luncheon or team building activities.

What's happening in the gardens?
The bluebells are just starting to burst into flower and the winter roses have given us a wonderful show and continue to do so. The magnificent magnolia in the pot garden has been complimented by all who have visited as well as the rhododendrums scattered throughout the property. Of course the camelias have created a winter colorscape amongst the lush green of the gardens. The great rose prune was finalised at the end of July - a very late flowering season this year - and already have strong growth and we estimate the first blooms to start appearing in October. Ashcombe gardeners have also been planting, planting, planting with lots of new plants both annuals and perennials.