Mount Wilson is famous for its magnificent cool climate exotic gardens. Many gardens are open all year round; Spring and Autumn are the most popular seasons when the gardens are at their most colourful. The best strategy for any visitor is to get out of the car and start walking.

The experience of the town is the experience of its gardens, its avenues of trees, its lookouts and its walking trails and picnic areas. For most people, the best time to visit Mount Wilson is either spring or autumn. At these times many of the locals open their gardens - some of which are over 120 years old - to the public.

Of particular note are Church Avenue, Queen's Avenue and The Avenue with their rows of plane trees, limes, elms, beeches, liquidambars and pink cherries.

Gardens open to the public in Mount Wilson include Yengo Sculpture Gardens featuring Australia's first endangered wildlife reserve, Nooroo including a world famous wisteria collection, Breenhold, Sefton Cottage, Windyridge, Bebeah and Merry Garth. Mount Wilson holds an annual Autumn Garden Festival during April and May each year.

Many of these glorious gardens are open to the public for a small fee.  Spring and Autumn are the best times for colour, but the gardens are lovely all year round.

Bring a picnic and stroll through these beautiful gardens.

Mt Wilson has some of Australia's most spectacular gardens, which leave visitors both truly relaxed and determined to work harder in their own gardens.

An excellent book A Passion for Place - Gardens of the Blue Mounatins on Mt Wilson, Mt Irvine and Mt Tomah gardens, co-written by local author Alison Halliday and Joanne Hambrett with photography by Ian Brown, was recently published in October 2010 and is highly recommended for an insight into the extraordinary beauty and variety of the local gardens.