How to Grow and Care for the most popular plants at 2022 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

The winners at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show are always the gardeners because they get to take home lots of planting ideas and there was certainly no shortage of inspiration for the crowds who flocked to the show. Here are our top 5 plants which took centre stage this year and tips on how to grow them!

Hydrangea ‘Sundae Fraise’

Hydrangea ‘Sundae Fraise’ is in high demand this season thanks to its showstopping appearance in Warner’s Nurseries and Rob Boyle’s Gold winning garden. It bursts into bloom in summer with big showy flowers that first emerge green then open to snow white. Then as summer fades to autumn the flowers take on magnificent pink tones. Unlike many other hydrangeas, they enjoy basking in the sunshine, so grow them in a sunny spot in the garden (they enjoy part shade too) in moist, well-drained soil. Take a leaf out of Rob’s garden and plant them on mass for extra impact or make a feature of them in decorative pots if you have a small courtyard or balcony. Potted hydrangeas will thrive in Scotts Osmocote PremiumPlus Superior Potting mix and for a stunning, long-lasting display of flowers, feed them in Spring and Autumn with Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser

Kangaroo Paws

Kangaroo Paws are uniquely Australian and this iconic plant was front and centre in gardens big and small at this year’s show. Plant Kangaroo Paws in pots or garden beds with well-drained soil, plenty of sun and nectar-feeding birds will come flocking. Their masses of furry, tubular flowers are shaped like a Kangaroo paw (hence the name) and come in all shades of yellow, orange, red, green, burgundy and even white. If you want tough, long-lasting plants, stick to the taller varieties like ‘Landscape Orange’, which lights up the garden through Spring and Summer with sunset orange flowers on stems up to 2 metres tall. Smaller cultivars like the white-pale pink flowering ‘Bush Diamond’ tend to be shorter lived but make up for it with sheer flowering enthusiasm, blooming through most of the year. Smaller types grow beautifully in pots, and for best results use Scotts Osmocote Native Premium Potting mix, which is tailormade for Australian plants. Feed twice yearly, when plants are producing new flower buds and when they are bursting into growth, using Scotts Osmocote Controlled Release Fertiliser for Natives.

Tractor Seat Plant

Ligularias have been underutilised in Australian gardens, but they certainly won’t be after this year’s show! Commonly called the Tractor-seat plant for their big bold rounded leaves, this is a fabulous plant to turn to if you want to create a lush tropical look in your home or garden. Ligularia reniformis carpets the ground with lush green foliage and creates a wow effect in any garden, particularly when planted on mass. It’s the perfect choice for those tough shady spots with moist well drained soil. Ligularia ‘Othello’ was another star of the show with big rounded dark green foliage that has attractive purple undersides. You would grow it for its foliage alone, but it also has the bonus of pretty gold-orange daisy-like flowers in the Summer. For lush, healthy foliage and showy flowers feed with Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Indoor Plants.

Tulips

Tulips are usually a feature of spring gardens, but thanks to the behind-the-scenes efforts of bulb growers, there were plenty of blooms on show – a visual reminder that autumn is the perfect time to plant tulip bulbs for a spectacular spring display. Look out for classic beauties like Tulip ‘World Friendship’, which is one of the first and longest in bloom or ‘Queen of the Night’ with dramatic almost black flowers. If you’re after something more flamboyant keep an eye out for double tulips like ‘Chato’ which has luscious deep pink blooms or the fringed tulip ‘Fabio’ with fiery orange-red blooms that have golden fringed edges. Grow them in big bold clumps in sunny garden beds or make a feature of them in decorative pots. And don’t forget to give the bulbs a good spell in the fridge crisper for 6-8 weeks before planting to promote big beautiful blooms (some suppliers will have already done this for you). For a spectacular potted display start with Scotts Osmocote Bulb Premium Potting Mix and feed your tulips both at planting time and again when they finish flowering with Scotts Osmocote All Purpose Controlled Release Fertiliser.

Leucadendrons

Beautiful, dry loving Leucadendrons were teamed with everything from natives to succulents in this year’s display gardens. These stunning plants hail from South Africa and display colourful bracts which light up the autumn and winter garden. The flowery bracts come in all the sunset tones, from Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ which is a spectacular red colour to the sunshine yellow ‘Winter Gold’. They make wonderful feature plants and dramatic informal hedges. Enjoy their spectacular blooms all season long then prune back after flowering to keep them in tip top shape. Like many Australian plants, Leucadendrons are sensitive to phosphorous, so make them shine with a low phosphorous fertiliser like Scotts Osmocote Controlled Release Fertiliser for Natives.

AUTUMN GARDENING GUIDE THANKS TO LAWN SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA

Autumn in the garden is all about planning for what’s ahead.

Wondering what to do in the garden in Autumn (besides cleaning up fallen leaves)? Autumn in the garden is all about planning and prepping to help your garden thrive through the coolers months. The experts at Lawn Solutions Australia are here to make things as seamless as possible.

STEP 1: Show some Love to your Lawn

The healthier your grass is going into the cooler months, the better it will come out the other side in spring.

Lawn Solutions Australia has created an Autumn Lawn Care video series that takes you step by step through everything you need to know. From Lawn Care Fundamentals through to Lawn Nutrition, Weeds and Repair, they’ve got your Autumn Lawn needs covered. 

Ep 1 | Autumn Lawn Care Fundamentals

Ep 2 | Autumn Lawn Nutrition

Ep 3 | Cool Season Weeds

Ep 4 | Repairing or Installing New Turf

Check out more helpful tips and tricks on the Lawn Solutions Australia YouTube channel

STEP 2: Save a Few Pennies on your Plants!

In the next few weeks you will begin to find some bargains at your local nursery with the introduction of bare-rooted stock.

You can save a a few pennies if you can hold out until this time of year, when the deciduous trees are pulled from their pots and their roots placed in a large planter box or bag filled with sawdust and other bare-rooted stock.

STEP 2: It’s Time to Fertilise!

Autumn is a great time to fertilise your lawn, it’s probably the most important fertiliser application for the year!

If you have a warm season turf variety like buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia or couch, as temperatures decrease over the coming months, so too will the speed at which your grass will grow. This means that if your lawn is a little unhealthy and nutrient poor, it will likely go into winter unprepared for the colder conditions. This will leave it very susceptible to winter weeds, compaction, shade related issues and frost.

STEP 4: Start a Worm Farm

Help aerate your soil and improve root growth with worms. Bury a worm farm in the ground with the top just above ground level so it stays cool, then add layers of wet newspaper in the bottom followed by soil mixed with leaves, shredded newspaper and vegetable scraps.

Add a packet of worms and remember to cover with a shade cloth so birds don’t eat your helpful little friends!

Get in touch with the team at Wormlovers to chat about all things worm farming, composting, water-wise gardening and nutrient cycling!

The Benefits of Gardening with Kids

Do you think your kids spend too much of their time indoors? Gardening can be a fantastic way to encourage them to get some fresh air and get a little more active. Studies have even shown that young students participating in school garden lessons showed more socially competent behaviour than in classroom lessons. This means that your home garden can also be a favourable environment for lots of learning and family bonding. In this article, we’re listing down the top benefits of introducing gardening to your kids.

Teaches them responsibility and patience

Growing any kind of plant will need daily attention and care. Children are able to quickly learn that if plants aren’t regularly tended to, they won’t flourish. Over time, they’ll learn that remembering to care for their plants and waiting for them to bloom will require responsibility and patience. Moreover, they’ll learn to have a broader perspective, as many plants require different levels and kinds of care, much like the different people they will meet in day-to-day life.

Helps with educational topics

Many parents start their kids on gardening as a way to supplement their school learning. There’s a lot of learning required to understand how plants grow, including understanding types of soil, pH levels, fertilisation, and weather, among other things. You may think that only children interested in science will benefit from this, but even children who are maths, literature, sports, or art lovers are fantastic prospects. Through appreciating the beauty of nature, reading about different flora and fauna, or using it as a way to get active, kids are bound to find something about gardening to enjoy.

Improves their fine motor skills

Besides helping them cognitively, gardening can also improve their fine motor skills, which is very important in early childhood development. A study conducted on preschoolers who were taught to do basic activities like watering, planting, harvesting, and weed-pulling showed that their visual-motor skills were elevated at the end of the testing period. Outside of gardening, good visual-motor skills can influence how children perform in sports, activities of daily living, among others.

Encourages them to start projects

Passion projects can encourage children to explore their creativity and push their limits. At any level of difficulty, gardening is a great passion project to do with your kids. With your guidance, they do the planning themselves, from picking the plants they want to grow to the season they want to work on the project for. For instance, good summertime plants in Australia include herbs like mint and basil, as well as fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, and zucchini. You can list these down and let your kids choose amongst themselves.

Boosts their health

Lastly, spending time in home gardens has psychological and physical benefits, and some therapeutic value as well. More frequent gardening results in improvements in one’s well-being, stress levels, and physical activity. There’s also unmatched satisfaction when you see that your garden is flourishing thanks to your care. At least two to three times a week is best for your kids to fully enjoy themselves with gardening and its benefits.

Gardening is a healthy, fun, learning activity for children, and it’s a great way for your family to bond too!

Article exclusively for melbflowershow.com.au

Written by Jenny Alicia

103,000 Flower Fanatics Flocked to the 2022 Show!

Over one hundred thousand people converged at Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building last week for the 2022 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, presented by Scotts Osmocote. Marking a significant milestone in the recovery of inner city events, attendance for the five-day festival was comparable to pre-pandemic numbers and exceeded organiser’s expectations.

“The past five days have been nothing short of incredible with more than 103,000 passionate plant people celebrating the return of the southern hemisphere’s largest horticultural event for the first time since 2019. After a challenging two years, it was wonderful to see such a strong turn out and so many smiling faces back in the heart of Melbourne. We couldn’t be happier with the result,” said Event Director, Marcus Gale.

Winning floral and garden displays included Inner Calm, a Balinese-inspired Show Garden by 15-time designer Christian Jenkins, which took out three awards including the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show. Today, More Than Meets The Eye by Warners Nurseries and Robert Boyle was revealed as the winner of the People’s Choice Award as voted by attendees. Fusing six garden aesthetics, the stunning display also received a Gold Show Garden Award alongside Jenkins’ Inner Calm.

Bidding for Dylan Alcott’s accessible Show Garden Tramlines, designed in collaboration with Vivid Design, will remain open until 8pm on Thursday 7^th April via this link here. Valued at more than $120,000, Mark Browning Landscape Design will redesign the award-winning display in its new home with 100% of proceeds going to the Dylan Alcott Foundation.

Thanks to the generous support of Visit Victoria, this year boasted one of the Show’s biggest programs to date with the first-ever Celebrity Show Garden by Alcott and Vivid Design, and young gun entrepreneur Morgan Hipworth reimagining the High Tea offering. From 4:30pm Wednesday until Saturday, the all-new Autumn Night Garden transformed the Melbourne Museum Forecourt with food trucks and free live performances from over 20 Melbourne-based musicians.

Award-winning floral designs, hands-on workshops, celebrity garden talks and a giant floral covered carousel took over the heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building alongside the first-ever Scotts Osmocote Indoor Plant Zone, celebrating the rise of plants in the home.

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show will return in 2023, sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know!

2022 SHOW WINNERS REVEALED

Australia’s most coveted floral and garden awards were announced this morning at the 2022 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show presented by Scotts Osmocote. Marking the launch of the southern hemisphere’s largest garden and floral event, the winning displays will be showcased for the next five days at Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building.

The title of most outstanding exhibit was bestowed to the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show toInner Calm, designed by Christian Jenkins Landscape Design.

Jenkins was again recognised for his work on Inner Calm, a tropical sanctuary with Balinese influences, with the coveted Gold Show Garden Award. In tied first position for Gold Show Garden was More Than Meets The Eye –a fusion of six outdoor aesthetics, including a parkland, shaded urban woodland and edible garden – designed by Warners Nurseries in collaboration with Robert Boyle.

More Than Meets The Eye was celebrated again for the best use of plant life in a garden with the Horticultural Media Association (HMA) Award.

The recipient of the Silver Gilt Show Gardenwas Mark Browning Landscape Design for AUD, while Silver Show Gardenmedalists included Steve Day – Tree & Shrub Growers VIC sponsored by Mirvac for Resilience, Vivid Design for Apertura, and Vivid Design and champion wheelchair tennis player, Dylan Alcott, for the first ever Celebrity Show Garden, Tramlines.

The first place for the Landscaping Victoria Boutique Gardens Award went to Elementsdesigned by Alison Douglas Design, second place was awarded to Invidia Landscapes – Renee Reiter for An Intimate Garden, and akas landscape architecture nabbed third place for Coming Soon. Budding designer Chin Liew was recognised for her garden ingenuity in Moving Forces with the Emergent Gardens Award Of Excellence.

Moss Industry Design, Collectors Corner / Garden World and Floral Architecture all received a Gold Display Award for their stunning floral installations.

The Mark Bence Construction Award, which recognises excellence in construction, was presented to AUD by Mark Browning Landscape Design.

The Award of Excellence for the Avenue of Achievable Gardens went to Emma Powell of Melbourne Polytechnic for Reframe.

Event Director, Marcus Gale commented that the calibre of exhibitions this year was second to none, with some winning displays three years in the making.

“We are floored by the level of skill, imagination and creativity presented across all garden and floral categories this year. Many designers have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to turn creations that captivated their imagination during lockdown into a reality, so it’s a thrill to see them all come to fruition. Championing themes from sustainability to accessibility and inclusivity, they need to be seen to be believed,” continued Gale.

“This year, it was extra special to engage 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott to present the first Celebrity Show Garden in collaboration Vivid Design thanks to the generous support of Visit Victoria,” said Gale.

Running until Sunday 3^rd April, the 2022 Show boasts its biggest program to date with the Autumn Night Garden, an all-new free entertainment precinct, transforming the Melbourne Museum Forecourt with sprawling light displays, food trucks, and free live performances from over 20 Melbourne-based musicians, from 4:30pm until 9:30pm, Wednesday 30^th March until Saturday 2^nd April.

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden presented by Scotts Osmocote runs until Sunday 3^rd April.

Tickets are still available here

FULL LIST OF 2022 AWARD WINNERS BELOW:

CITY OF MELBOURNE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR BEST IN SHOW

Inner Calm designed by Christian Jenkins Landscape Design

GOLD SHOW GARDEN

More Than Meets The Eye designed by Warners Nurseries in collaboration with Robert Boyle

Inner Calm designed by Christian Jenkins Landscape Design

SILVER GILT SHOW GARDEN

AUD designed by Mark Browning Landscape Design

SILVER SHOW GARDEN

Resilience designed by Steve Day – Tree & Shrub Growers VIC sponsored by Mirvac

Tramlines designed by Dylan Alcott and Vivid Design

Apertura designed by Vivid Design

BRONZE SHOW GARDEN

Through The Lens designed by Budling Design

Granum Florere designed by Inge Jabara Landscapes

HORTICULTURAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION (HMA) AWARD FOR BEST USE OF PLANT LIFE

More Than Meets The Eye designed by Warners Nurseries in collaboration with Robert Boyle

MARK BENCE CONSTRUCTION AWARD

AUD designed by Mark Browning Landscape Design

INNOVATIVE DESIGN AWARD PRESENTED BY PEUGEOT

Inner Calm designed by Christian Jenkins Landscape Design

LANDSCAPING VICTORIA BOUTIQUE GARDEN AWARD

1^st Place – Elementsdesigned by Alison Douglas Design

2^nd Place – An Intimate Garden designed by Invidia Landscapes – Renee Reiter

3^rd Place – Coming Soon designed by akas landscape architecture

RYMAN HEALTHCARE BALCONY GARDEN AWARD

1^st Place – Eco Apartment Living designed by Sara Correia at Tempest Landscapes

2^nd Place – A Cool Change designed by Carrie Middleditch for Happy Place

3^rd Place – A Plant Obsession designed by Kep Horticulture

THE AVENUE OF ACHIEVABLE GARDENS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Reframe designed by Emma Powell of Melbourne Polytechnic

EMERGENT GARDENS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Moving Forces designed by Chin Liew

VISUAL DISPLAY

GOLD VISUALDISPLAY

Moss Industry Design

Collectors Corner / Garden World

Floral Architecture

SILVER VISUAL DISPLAY

Lynne Dallas

Ikebana International Melbourne Chapter

‘Its My World’ Brett Ould and Rick Lansdown

BRONZE VISUALDISPLAY

Flowers by Nici Thompson

Melbourne Flower School

FLORAL DESIGN

GOLD FLORAL DESIGN

AAFD Australian Association of Floral Design

SILVER FLORAL DESIGN

Holmesglen

BRONZE FLORAL DESIGN

Box Hill Institute

SHOP WINDOW FLORAL DESIGN COMPETITION

1^st Place – Lani Reardon

2^nd Place – Sarah Wilson 

3rd Place – Isabella Liccardi

2022 Main Stage Schedule Now Live!

Nestled within the Great Hall of Flowers, the Main Stage is programmed with free seminars from an extensive line-up of floral artists, gardening experts and celebrity landscapers.

Glean insights into a range of horticultural topics, as well as live demonstrations and floral competitions from industry leaders.

Why are there fruit flavours in my wine?

If wine is made from crushed grapes, where do all those other flavours come from?

Was that peach you got a hint of in your Chardonnay last night? Or perhaps it was raspberry notes in your Grenache? When we’re drinking our favourite drops, there are all kinds of things we can smell and taste, but how can that be if they are not actually in the wine?

As you probably already know, traditional wines are made from grapes. Many different grape varieties are grown for wine, and the particular varieties used give the wine its colour, aromas and flavours. But when we do a tasting or read the back label, so many other flavours and aromas are described, like certain fruits and flowers for instance. So one might ask, where do all those other flavours come from? Let’s dive in and find out!

After grapes are harvested, they go through a fermentation process, transforming them into the delicious wine you enjoy. During fermentation, chemical compounds called esters are created, these are organic acids that occur naturally in wine. These esters are identical to the ones found in other fruits and foods, so they are very familiar to us.

Esters often impart the ‘fruity’ characters into wines, so you might detect dark berry flavours or cherry in your red wine, or citrus, pineapple and other tropical fruits in your white wine. Additional esters can come from oak barrels – think flavours like spice, caramel and vanilla – as well as through the wine ageing process.

But esters are just one part of the flavour and aroma of wine. Wine is an organic substance, so there are many other chemical compounds, environmental factors, and other substances which combine to create the smells and tastes that you experience in your favourite drops.

Our personal experience also plays a part in how we might describe a wine, because the flavours and aromas we detect are naturally linked to certain smells and tastes that we are personally familiar with. So, an avid gardener, for example, might pinpoint specific florals like jasmine or honey blossom in their glass of white, while the not-so-green-thumbed novice may just smell or taste a general floral scent. Similarly, someone who has grown up in a household with spice-based meals might pick up a hint of five spice in their Pinot Noir, while someone less familiar with spicy food can’t specify that ‘spicy’ flavour they’re experiencing.

As our wine knowledge develops, our appreciation grows, so there are many benefits to talking about wines in these ways. Detecting familiar flavours in our favourite wines can be an enjoyable and memorable experience. Next time you pour a glass, have a bit of fun and see what flavours you recognise before you check the label!

VISIT THE WINE GARDEN
If you want to learn more about the flavours and aromas of the garden in Australian wine varietals, come along to the FREE Wine Selectors Wine Garden masterclasses at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show to taste with our experts. Take in the aromas of Sparkling and Rosé, or uncover the flavours of Chardonnay and Shiraz from Australia’s diverse wine regions. Take your wine knowledge up a notch in these fun and interactive tasting sessions. Sessions start every hour on the hour, but seats are limited. Duration 30 minutes.

Crazy Plant Parents of the Week!

Only three weeks to go until the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show presented by Scotts Osmocote hits the Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens!

To celebrate the ‘plant mania’ heading our way, we’re sharing our favourite Crazy Plant Parents of the Week!

First up we have Julie, this week’s winner of our Scotts Osmocote Plant Care Pack, who believes you can never have enough plants, just more shelves!

She says, it’s not just the buying a new plant and looking after it process that she enjoys – over the past few years she’s been hooked on propagating, and experimenting with which plants can be propagated and in what ways. “It’s not only extremely rewarding but it always gives me the chance to get other people addicted to indoor plants! So far I’ve managed to successfully convert 6 friends, and am hoping for more this year!” Julie tells us.

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Rog tells us that looking and talking to his plants is a type of meditation for him. “It is my zen zone, no matter how busy the day has been or how locked down our city is, knowing I can go and look at them and soak in the joy of being in their presence is my go to ritual” he says. Rog has a soft spot for his red cherry tomatoes and Thai pink egg tomatoes.

“It’s been a labour of love – raised from seed to seedling to almost looking like it wasn’t going to make it to now getting some baby Thai pink egg tomatoes and 5 bigger Red Cherry tomatoes” he continues.

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Kylie can’t choose her favourite plant, there’s two! Her Varigated Monstera Borsigiana as well as her Tradescantia Nanouk, both grown from the smallest little stump cuttings.

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CAN YOU RELATE?

Thanks to Scotts Osmocote, we’re on the hunt to find the most passionate, crazy, committed plant parents in Australia and are giving away Scotts Osmocote Plant Kits each week to do so!

Our unrivaled plant parent will WIN the Ultimate Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show presented by Scotts Osmocote Experience, including flights, accommodation and a double pass to see the Show!

Simply fill out the form below to be in the running to win!

IS THAT FRESHLY CUT GRASS IN MY WINE?

What’s that smell…?

If you’ve ever detected garden-like aromas in your wine, you’re not imagining things. From delightful floral bouquets to fruity scents, distinctive spice notes, and even freshly cut grass, wines contain aromas that are very familiar and recognisable to us.

But those aromas aren’t the result of winemakers adding to the wine – wines don’t actually contain flowers, grass or fruit (except for grapes, obviously). You see, each wine has layers of aromas influenced by the grape variety or varieties used, the winemaking methods and the ageing process.

Each grape variety has a signature aroma, known as a primary aroma. For example, Chardonnay has stonefruit and melon notes, and Riesling is known to smell of limes, apple and jasmine.

Secondary aromas relate to how the wine has been made. Toasted wood and vanilla from oak barrels, stalk notes from fermentation or yeast notes from aging on lees in Sparkling wine; these are all secondary aromas.

Tertiary aromas reveal themselves in aged wine. Notes such as earth, leather and cedar appear in red wines. Honey, hay and citrus curd appear in aged whites.

What aromas from the garden might I find in my wine?

White wines regularly display floral, citrus and tropical fruit aromas, as well as some herb and spice notes. You might detect the heady scent of honeysuckle in your Marsanne, peach and melon aromas in your Chardonnay, or the zesty freshness of pear, apple and lemon in your Pinot G. And that freshly cut grass scent? Well, that’s a common aroma found in Sauvignon Blanc. The grassiness comes from a chemical compound called aldehydes, which is found in both grass and wine. These green notes can be quite lovely and refreshing.

When you lift a glass of red to your nose you might detect aromas of red and black fruits, herbs, pepper, and even woody notes. Cherry aromas are common in Pinot Noir and Tempranillo, while Merlot regularly has dry herb and raspberry notes, and your Shiraz, plum, spice and blackberry.

The bonus of our wines containing all of these amazing aromas is that it makes them perfect to pair with delicious, well-matching foods. Whether it’s oysters with your Riesling, seafood with your Semillon, or lamb with your Cabernet, you’re sure to find a match that excites the senses.

VISIT THE WINE GARDEN

Come along to the FREE Wine Selectors Wine Garden masterclasses at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show to taste and learn all about the flavours and aromas of the garden in Australian wine varietals. Take in the aromas of Sparkling and Rosé, or uncover the flavours of Chardonnay and Shiraz from Australia’s diverse wine regions. Take your wine knowledge up a notch in these fun and interactive tasting sessions. Masterclass sessions start every hour on the hour, but seats are limited. Duration 30 minutes.

MAJOR EXPANSION OF OUR 2022 PROGRAM

The southern hemisphere’s largest horticultural event, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, presented by Scotts Osmocote, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its already jam-packed 2022 program. As part of a new partnership with Visit Victoria, the extended offering will introduce the first-ever Celebrity Show Garden, an all-new entertainment precinct and a revamped, star-studded High Tea menu.

Making his Show debut, 2022 Australian of the Year, champion wheelchair tennis player and disability advocate Dylan Alcott will create the first-of-its-kind Celebrity Show Garden, called ‘Tramlines’, in collaboration with Carolyn and Joby Blackman of Vivid Design. Fully accessible, the display will incorporate plants and shrubs from Warners Nurseries and trees from Established Tree Transplanters. Show veterans Semken Landscaping will lead the building process with construction support from Kevin Heinze Grow, an equal opportunity employer and unique nursery that provides horticultural therapy programs, educational traineeships, and jobs for young people with disabilities.

‘Tramlines’ will be auctioned at the event and redesigned in its new home by Mark Browning Landscape Design, making the garden a true collaboration between Dylan and past winners of the coveted festival. All proceeds of the garden’s sale will go directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation.

“I love so many elements of the garden, particularly the totem tennis, because that is how I learned many of my tennis skills, and the pathing, which is all to do with universal design. The connection with the Dylan Alcott Foundation is also really special as the sale of this garden will help young Australians with disabilities achieve their dreams. I can’t wait to be there,” Dylan continued.

Established as an extension of the Show, the brand-new Autumn Night Garden will see the Royal Exhibition Building forecourt transformed with sprawling garden and lighting displays, and live performances from over 20 Melbourne-based musicians, from 4:30pm until 9:30pm, Wednesday 30^th March until Saturday 2^nd April. Complete with food trucks, a bar and plenty of seating to soak up the surroundings, the precinct will create a free oasis for bystanders and Show patrons alike, each evening.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show back to Carlton Gardens this autumn with a bigger program than ever. This first-time partnership with Visit Victoria has allowed us to expand our offering and celebrate the best of Australia’s horticultural industry in new and exciting ways. From world-class entertainment to gourmet bites and exceptional garden designs, we can’t wait for our visitors to experience the fantastic evolution of our event,” said Marcus Gale, Event Director of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, IMG.

With breathtaking garden and floral displays, hands on workshops, educational talks, roving entertainment, live music, and delicious botanical bites, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is a must-see event this autumn.

Tickets are now on sale at melbfloweshow.com.au

EVENT DETAILS

Location: Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens