Tickets on sale for 2018 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show
The Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most loved horticultural event, the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, returns to the heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in March 2018. Now in its 23rd year, the Show’s immersive Show Garden installations, the vibrant floral designs and innovative gardening products have been a drawcard for tens of thousands of attendees annually.
Spanning five days in March, the Show attracts a cross-section of floral fanatics and gardening enthusiasts, from home improvement, DIY and renovation buffs, to families exploring the country’s most creative Cubby Houses and enjoying floral face painting for all ages, after work crowds flocking to the one-off Gardens by Twilight evening, and young creatives and emerging designers looking to hone their skills and be inspired by the nation’s foremost floral talent.
A bevy of international talent will headline the highly anticipated 2018 Show Garden line up, with awarded designers from China and Japan already confirmed and a third to be announced shortly. Acclaimed Japanese landscape and garden designer Yousuke Yamaguchi is set to collaborate with Victorian Ross Uebergang, a passionate supporter of sustainable landscape design, to create a garden that fuses oriental culture and design with Australian aesthetic.
The Show Gardens will be complemented again by the Landscape Victoria Boutique Gardens Competition where a selection of five designers will create a series of intimate garden environments.
The entire interior of the Royal Exhibition Building will be an explosion of colour and scent, with programming spanning two levels and including the ever-imaginative RMIT floral fashion competition, floral design installations from Australia’s foremost floral artists, live student design competitions, daily floral workshops, and a jam-packed programme of horticultural and floristry industry experts giving insightful demonstrations and Q&A sessions on the Main Stage daily.
Flowers Victoria will once again give visitors the chance to purchase a memento of the Show at the on-site retail flower market, The Petal Project, which will be bustling with locally grown, fresh seasonal blooms. Visitors will also be given a rare glimpse into the yearly routine of a flower buyer, from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, the exhibit will share some industry insights into selecting the best seasonal blooms. Blushing brides will be making a beeline for the new Bridal Exhibit, which will see some of the most talented florists and bridal stylists decorating a 20 metre long table as part of the floral design competition.
The hugely popular Gardens by Twilight returns in 2018, taking place on Friday 23 March. Evening visitors will be able to stroll through the entire Show, under the disappearing light, until 9:00pm. Twinkling festoon lighting will cast a dreamlike mood over the gardens, whilst patrons enjoy local beers and bubbles, and wander throughout until the moon rises in the sky and the stars come out.
Lavish feasting of the senses continues with bespoke sessions of High Tea running daily, complete with sweet and savoury floral-inspired treats, and of course glasses topped with sparkling. The High Tea offering joins a selection of garden-themed eateries and moreish morsels scattered throughout the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, catering to families and foodies alike.
Outdoors, The Diggers Club’s exhibit returns to offer another extraordinary Victorian food affair. The plant conservation group will create an artful, edible garden arena and heirloom tasting station, ideal for learning about the extraordinary vegetable and plant varieties not found in supermarkets.
Also returning to the extensive outdoor area in Carlton Gardens is the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria Precinct featuring new release plant varieties and more. The Achievable Gardens Competition, Kids Under Cover Cubby House Challenge, ASV Garden Sculpture Exhibition and dozens of stalls from Australia’s foremost plant and garden retailers will also feature at the Show.
The 2018 Show is shaping up to be its best yet, with more floral features, experts and unmissable botanical experiences to be announced next year.
Tickets for the 2018 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show are now on sale.
