Puppies and flowers, what could be cuter? You don’t have to choose! We have the best pet-friendly places around Melbourne to take your pups, smell the best flowers, and take the cutest Instagram photos.
We curated this list after taking our pup Ollie (and now Winks too) on walking adventures, 5 km, 10 km and so on, during and after extended Melbourne lockdowns. Flowers made us happy and always made us stop and take a picture. We hope you’ll enjoy these little finds as much as we do.
This list is curated and updated as we find new flower spots. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on our social media to hear about the latest adventures
List of pet-friendly flower locations
Cherry Blossoms
Where – Banksia park cherry grove, Cherry Hill Orchards, All around Melbourne
When – Early Spring (late September to October)
Tips – For Cherry Blossom Festival, dogs must be on a leash.
Tickets via – https://cherryhill.com.au/product/blossom-festival-general-admission/
It’s spring when we see little pups lifted in the air with beautiful Cherry Blossoms. It is easy to spot beautiful cherry blossoms everywhere in spring, as ornamental cherry trees are a common plant in nature strips in Melbourne. Banksia park cherry grove has some of the most beautiful cherry blossoms the Japanese government donated in the 1980s. It’s the perfect place to take photos with dogs as trees are still low to the ground. The best part is the massive off-lead dog park next to the cherry tree grove. Bonus, there are beautiful wattle trees near the dog park (pictured), making a beautiful yellow backdrop for cute insta photos.
Another good place to see endless cherry blossoms is a cherry farm, but it’s challenging to find one pet-friendly. So make sure to visit Cherry Hill Orchard’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival in early spring, which is guaranteed to be pet-friendly. Located in the Dandenong Ranges, Cherry Hill Orchard is about 1 hour from Melbourne. If you miss the Cherry Blossoms, you can always go there for pet-friendly cherry picking through the cherry season!
Wisteria
Where – Footscray Park
When – Spring (October/ November)
Tips – Wisteria flowers do not last long, so visit early.
Our purple flower dreams are made out of endless arches of Wisteria. Wisteria is not only beautiful, but they also smell incredible. However, they only last for a few weeks once they flower. Unless you spot a wisteria plant in front of your friendly neighbour’s yard, these flowers are hard to track down, and the wisteria arch in Alowyn garden is not pet-friendly. But last year, we came across the Wisteria arch in Footscray park. It is the most beautiful pet-friendly wisteria arch we’ve found in Melbourne. The best part is an off-leash large grass area next to it so your pup can run around leash-free as much they please.
Peonies
Where – Spring Hill Peony Farm, 1385 Kyneton-Springhill Rd, Spring Hill VIC 3444
When – November
Tips – Dogs must be on a leash. Carry secateurs and plenty of water. Wear comfortable shoes.
Tickets available at – https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=834310&
Peonies are my absolute favourite flowers. There are few Peony farms in Victoria, but our favourite is the Little Church at Spring HilI. It is only an hour’s drive from Melbourne, and you can even make it a day trip to the surrounding Daylesford area. We first visited this flower farm in 2020 and fell in love with the charming little church at the entrance and, of course, the beautiful peonies. Make sure to get tickets early, as they sell out fast. It is a bit of a walk (3Km return) from the church through a tree-lined pathway to the peony field, so wear good shoes. Peony season lasts only about 2-3 weeks. Tickets are about $50, and it includes 15 stems of peonies! So really, it’s a bargain!
Wild Flowers
Where – Fitzroy Garden, Tessalar Kabloom
When – Spring/Summer
Tips – Tesssalar Kabloom is ticketed. Dogs must be on the lead at all times.
Tickets via: https://kabloom.com.au
Most of the gardens and parks surrounding Melbourne have beautiful flowers during Spring. Fitzroy Garden is our favourite, and it’s perfect if you want to see a variety of flowers in one spot. If you want a day trip, check out Tessalar Kabloom, an annual flower festival happening around April. It is kid and pet-friendly and has plenty of activities for kids and food trucks to keep everyone happy.
Lavender
Where – Red Hill Lavender, Wanterina Lavender Farm
When – Late December – January
Tips – Carry plenty of water for your pups. We recommend early morning or late afternoon as it can get quite hot in summer, and that’s not good for the dogs. There are a lot of bees but they are mostly harmless
Website – https://www.warratinalavender.com.au , https://www.redhilllavender.com.au/lavender-fields
Both these lavender farms are pet friendly. Our favourite is the Red-Hill lavender, located in the beautiful Mornington peninsula. This is the largest commercial lavender field in the Mornington peninsula. The 27-hectare field opens for the public around late December and stays open until all the crop is picked. We went when the fields were in full bloom (mid-January). The smell was divine, and Ollie loved running between the fields. You don’t have to buy a ticket but make sure to purchase some lavender products to support the farm from the little pop-up stall. The lavender field is large enough for you to have your picnic, and the well-behaved dogs can be leash-free. There are excellent wineries and restaurants nearby to have a great lunch. While there, check out the dog-friendly beach Tassells Cove so your pup can cool down after a day in the sun.
Sunflowers
Where – Pick Your Own Sunflowers, 420 Navigator-Dunnstown Rd, Dunnstown VIC 3352.
When – Late Summer. Late February to Early March
Tips – Carry secateurs. Wear your best walking shoes. Dogs must be on a leash.
Tickets via: https://www.pickyourownsunflowers.com
This endless sunflower field in Dunnstown, close to Ballarat, is around an hour and a half drive from Melbourne. The wonderful owners put a lot of effort into making this an experience for all the visitors. They have small vendors, food trucks, and plenty of parking. Sunflowers are the largest we’ve seen, and there are plenty of little photo spots arranged throughout the field, like old tractors, colourful chairs and even hay stacks so pups can be at the level of beautiful sunflowers. You can also walk through the endless flower field and pick up your favourites to take home. There’s a $5 entry fee per adult, and you can pay $2 per stem at the site.
Have you been to any of these flower fields? Do share some photos with us. Do you have any more recommendations for flower fields around Melbourne or outside of the state of Victoria? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to read more about our pet-friendly travel adventures on our blog!
