Newmans Nursery

Thirty minutes from the Adelaide CBD, this is a nursery with a genuine backstory: five generations of the same family have tended this ground since 1856, making it one of South Australia's oldest garden centres still trading. That longevity shows in the specialisation — roses and camellias are the house passions, with old world varieties, David Austin English roses, standard and climbing forms sitting alongside a serious camellia collection that's earned the team a reputation as the ones to ask. Beyond the flowering shrubs, there's real depth in edible planting: a comprehensive fruit tree range spanning apples, apricots, cherries, figs, quinces and chestnuts, plus a citrus section covering everything from cumquats to native limes, much of it locally sourced rather than trucked in from interstate. The site itself is part of the appeal — display gardens designed for wandering rather than rushing, a place where advice comes from people who've spent decades matching plants to Adelaide's conditions rather than reading off a chart. Pet-friendly paths, seasonal workshops (rose pruning included), and a gift voucher counter round out what feels less like a retail outlet and more like an established institution that happens to sell plants. Worth the drive for the roses alone; worth lingering for everything else.