Hello garden lovers and greetings from the 2017 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). Now in its 22nd year, MIGFS is the largest horticultural event in the southern hemisphere and is rated among the top five flower and garden shows in the world.
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The show is held in the heart of Melbourne in the beautiful Carlton gardens, with the jewel in the crown being the glorious Royal Exhibition Building, built in 1880. The building houses the show’s floral exhibits, with magnificent displays by leading florists, designers and a stunning selection of floral fashion. The fragrance is intoxicating as you wander past a wall of rose buds or orchid display. Mannequins draped in amazing plant based designs, decked out with flowers, leaves, twigs and bark.
This year over 150 exhibitors, with stands both inside the Exhibition Building and throughout the gardens, displayed an amazing array of products including newly released plants, bulbs, seeds, garden tools, garden tours, clothing, fertilizers, etc – if it was garden related it was there!
No garden show is complete without the obligatory ‘show gardens’ and this year the quality of entry was very high. The most outstanding exhibit this year went to Phillip Withers for his garden ‘I See Wild’, a most deserving winner. Unmistakably an Australian landscape with innovative and stylish elements. I loved the use of cacti and succulents, adding drama to the garden. For up and coming designers, MIFGS has the Avenue of Achievable Gardens where students can showcase their design skills before going up against the big boys and girls.
MIFGS is a magnet for celebrity presenters and gardeners, spruiking products or fronting segments for TV shows. Better Homes and Gardens filmed throughout the week, with Gardening Australia personalities, including Costa, giving presentations and meeting the public. At the official opening awards breakfast, I was seated next to Jane Edmanson, opposite Don Burke and across from Graham Ross – a wonderful chance to network and discuss the world of gardening!
Following the opening, I had the great honour of launching Australia’s inaugural National Gardening Week, October 8-14, 2017. An opportunity for everyone to celebrate the simple joys of gardening and to highlight the associated environmental, social and health benefits. I’m encouraging one and all to ‘dig in and celebrate’ this October!
So, my advice to garden lovers with a fetish for flowers – if you can’t get to Chelsea or Hampton Court flower shows, head down to Melbourne and you won’t be disappointed.
Happy gardening,
George Hoad
