GARDEN DISPLAYS

Decorating the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, attendees at this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show can expect to see the following displays: 

• The prestigious and highly coveted Show Garden Design Award series recognises the best in the landscaping business across various categories. The awards are announced on the first day of the Show and are attended by the biggest names in the landscaping and floristry industry.
• Luke Rabl from Jenny Smith Gardens, celebrating their 25 year anniversary, will create the Bee Keepers Garden, drawing attention to a fascination with bees with the garden structure inspiration drawn from architectural forms found in bee honeycomb.
• Showcasing for the first time at MIFGS, Nathan Burkett will bring his love of crisp and clean lines, nature as art and architectural influences to his first MIFGS show garden. Expect a contemporary interpretation of a formal garden with luxe combination of timber, formed concrete, water and fire all framed in a soft landscape setting.
• Mark Browning from Cycas Landscape Design, who took out the 2014 Gold Show Garden will be back to create ‘Quietude’ in collaboration with Lisa Ellis, in a celebration of outdoor life, horticulture and bespoke Australian product.
• The Local Nurseries Show Garden is presented by localnurseries.com.au, designed by Vivid Design and being built by Semken Landscaping. Look out for a retro-styled garden with a unique water feature.
• Jake Adamsons from Hunter Black Design returns again designing a clean, minimalistic garden using a consortium of mediums including stone, timber, water and natural plant life.
• ‘Cross Roads’ is a reflective of Ian Barker’s journey, presented by Australian House & Garden. Push forward through the doorway into a world of plants and amazing features - this will be a garden to look out for.
• ‘Food Forest’ by Phillip Withers and Semken Landscaping will produce a garden which celebrates everything to do with food, with a keen focus on sharing an evening meal at a picnic table setting. Visitors can step into Adam and Eve’s forest complete with apples, berries and smells of rich lavender while the kids can feed the chickens and pick fresh vegetables.
• Tourism NT, Candeo Design and Semken Landscaping are teaming up to create an ode to Australia’s Northern Territory, igniting the emotions of the state through the rich ochre colours, tapestry of the planting, water, rocks and red desert sand.
• The Royal Exhibition Building once again comes to life as the Great Hall of Flowers, playing host to a floral wonderland for the duration of the Show with vibrant exhibits from leading florists and floral designers. Matthew Landers returns to MIFGS demonstrating the very best of floristry tips and demonstrations on-stage.
• The Sculpture Garden will line the central garden path with beautiful pieces of garden art available for purchase. Live sculpting demonstrations will also take place daily.
• Live floral design competitions will take place throughout the Show which will see floristry students compete against their peers for the top awards.
• The Show’s official charity partner, Kids Under Cover, will be supported by some of Australia’s best architects and notable faces for its annual Cubby House Challenge. The mini mansions will be open for inspection (and play) during the Show and will be auctioned and raffled off on the last day of the event, with proceeds going towards the fantastic work the charity carries out.
• The Fresh Flower Market enables show-goers to buy fresh blooms each day directly from the growers and get expert advice on how to get the best out of their flowers.
• Students from various Victorian colleges and TAFE’s will create small, stylish and functional gardens for The Avenue of Achievable Gardens. Students are tasked with the challenge of creating stylish gardens that can suit anyone’s skill level, and visitors are encouraged to take home ‘recipe cards’ that guide them on how to create the mini landscapes themselves. 

www.melbflowershow.com.au