Garden DesignFest 2018 provides garden lovers with the opportunity to visit professionally designed private gardens in Victoria over two weekends in November. 
The key distinguishing feature of Garden DesignFest is that all the gardens on display are designed by professional garden designers. 

To add to the visual pleasure of visiting the gardens, visitors have the opportunity to personally meet the designers at each garden and to discuss their work and how they handled the challenges the site presented.
Garden DesignFest is organised by Rotary to raise funds for charity. The main charity to benefit from this year's Garden DesignFest is End Trachoma by 2020. 
Since the event began in 2004, more than $500,000 has been donated to charity.
 
Hawthorn Rotary were given the task of minding two gardens at Alphington and East Doncaster. 
 
 
Designer Ross Goodman – Alphington
The Modern Japanese Tea House was created with timber decking seats, planter boxes and a modern shade structure with elements of ‘Zen’ in the Japanese Culture.
The garden has a sense of tranquility, privacy and calm. The tranquility is created from the shade of the Eucalyptus tree and from the modern shade structure that is painted a black colour with Black butt timber slats, timber is commonly used in Japanese style gardens.  The privacy screen conceals rain water tank which harvests rainwater from the roof and re used in the house for sustainability. The calmness of the garden is created with the plants located under the dappled light of the shade structure in the in built planter boxes located behind the seats.The living room sliding doors open into this private place that can be entertained in and used for a place of relaxation, even to read a book.
 
 
Designer Christian Jenkins - East Doncaster
The client brief was to create a Japanese inspired garden.
Working with a sloping rear garden and 20 year old Elm tree in the middle to the garden the transformation was underway.
Large granite boulders were placed into position combined with River sand mulch creating a light refreshing feel to the garden.
Framing this large internal space is recycled Iron Bark sleepers creating a post and beam fence running along the perimeter of the garden with cream colored shade cloth symbolizing rice paper walls combined with bamboo poles.
Floating decked landings connect the garden from the house down the slope through the garden.