Tucked into seven acres at East Warburton, Habitat Nursery and Orchards is a family-run retail nursery and pick-your-own orchard owned by Wolfgang and Annie. It brings together a year-round plant nursery, seasonal fruit and nut picking, ornamental display gardens, a bonsai collection, and picnic and fishing access along the Birrarung (Yarra River), which runs through the property. The owners grow their fruit without pesticides.
The gardens are the heart of the place: mature camellias and rhododendrons described as around sixty years old, with more than 200 varieties on show, alongside a large native Australian garden. Wolfgang’s bonsai collection anchors the site, supported by a bonsai care and revival service, lessons, and an orchid shed. The retail nursery sells hand-raised, hardy plants suited to local conditions, including orchids, ferns, azaleas and natives, and you’ll also find homemade jams and chutneys and pond supplies for sale.
Pick-your-own is seasonal. Blueberries, raspberries and youngberries are ready from roughly December to March, while chestnuts and hazelnuts follow from mid-March to May. Picnic and barbecue facilities are available (a small cleaning fee applies, and the barbecue should be booked ahead), and you can fish in the stretch of the Yarra that crosses the property.
The nursery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm year-round, closed Monday and Tuesday but open on public holidays. During berry season it opens seven days a week, 10am to 5pm. The camellia and rhododendron display gardens are best seen from June to November, on weekends and public holidays or by appointment. The property is on Hazelwood Road with entry via Stuart Road; it’s worth calling ahead before you visit to confirm current hours and seasonal picking.