Angie Thomas, Horticulture Consultant to Yates says flower festivals are most definitely not exclusive to green thumbs.
“In the past five years, I have noticed a visible rise in the variety of people attending flower festivals. Expanded programs are mixing flowers with food, wine, music, comedy, art and cultural experiences,” she said.
To inspire more people to visit Australia’s flower festivals, Angie has pulled together a list of annual events around the country:
Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, VIC
MIFGS as it’s known, is the Chelsea Flower Show of the Southern Hemisphere.
Some of the world’s leading garden designers showcase their spectacular work at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens each autumn, alongside budding horticulture students who create a fantastic range of smaller garden spaces to inspire home gardeners.
There’s a bunch of workshops, food, entertainment and ‘Gardens by Twilight’ where you can get a different perspective on the exhibits at night. Click here more information.
Kings Park Festival, WA
Perth’s inner city Kings Park is one of Australia’s national biodiversity hotspots and this event is dedicated to wildflowers. With natives from all around Australia, Kings Park Festival does an important job of educating people on the importance of protecting indigenous plants.
The month-long festival held in Spring each year includes guided walks, talks, exhibitions and live music. For more information, click here.
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, QLD
Since its inception in 1949, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has been an iconic Queensland event. Held over 10 days in September, the program includes a street parade, a night garden with immersive light installations, a three day food and wine festival and the opportunity to visit some spectacular private and public local gardens.
There’s even a scented garden specifically designed for people who are visually impaired. For more information, click here.
Tesselaar Tulip Festival, VIC
In Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges each September, visitors are transported to The Netherlands with over one million tulips in over 150 varieties.
The program includes themes like ‘Dutch weekend’, ‘Children’s week’ and Alice in Wonderland-inspired ‘Tulips in Wonderland Week’. There’s also live entertainment, markets, food and drink.
This is a great event for families and it’s only an hour’s drive from Melbourne. For more information, click here.
Floriade, ACT
From mid-September to mid-October, Canberra comes to life with Floriade where more than a million bulbs and annuals are planted to create the largest flower show in the southern hemisphere.
Popular with international tourists, the festival program includes music, workshops and art displays.
Floriade mixes flowers with comedy during the three day NightFest in addition to roving entertainment, pop-up performances and delicious food. This year’s program is expected to be announced in July. For more information, click here.
Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival Cowra, NSW
Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival in the NSW town of Cowra is a celebration of spring and Japanese culture.
Held at the Cowra Japanese Garden, the one day event at the end of September, when the cherry blossoms are at their peak, also includes cultural activities like tai chi, tea ceremonies, martial arts and Taiko drummers.
In addition to cherry blossoms, there’s bonsai demonstrations in the Bonsai House. For more information, click here.
For gardening inspiration, head to www.yates.com.au.
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