Floriade Fun
We nearly missed Floriade this year but managed to get there by the skin of our teeth. We’ve been loads of times over the years and it’s always fun event, where spring is celebrated with gorgeous floral displays and mass plantings – mainly of tulips in all hues and varieties.
This year Floriade ran from Saturday 14 September to Sunday 13 October. The good thing about it is that it’s free to enter!
What is Floriade?
Floriade is held in Australia’s capital Canberra and this year it is celebrating its 32nd year.
Floriade is a diverse, ever expanding program of music, cultural celebrations, food and wine, horticultural workshops, market traders, artistic displays, entertainment and recreational activities. With over one million blooms on display Floriade is the perfect place to experience the beauty of spring.
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The History of Floriade
Floriade was the idea of Christiaan Slotemaker de Bruine, Landscape Architect with the Department of Capital Territory in Canberra. He commenced the design in 1986 and based it on the world famous ‘Keukenhof’ garden in The Netherlands.
Floriade started in 1988 as a one off celebration of Canberra’s 75th birthday and Australia’s Bicentenary of European settlement. Due to the success and popularity of the event, it has run every year since then with each year having a new theme and is currently the largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 300,000 visitors each year.
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Other things to do at Floriade
There’s lot to do at Floriade – music, performances, market stalls, food, drink, a ferris wheel and other rides, wandering entertainers, gnome painting, Nightfest, and many intsa-worthy photo opportunities! You can relax with a picnic on the grass while soaking up the spring sunshine and listening to live music performances.
I also learnt from Chris, at Booming On, about Floriade photography workshops – which sound really interesting and worthwhile. You can read her post here: Photographing Floriade: finding Focus in the Floral Frenzy
I’m quite happy with my photos this year but would also enjoy attending a special workshop one day. I always enjoy seeing new ideas and getting garden inspired.
This year it was extra fun as we spent the day with my daughter Sarah and granddaughter Emilia. It was busy today due to school holidays but the crowds were manageable.
If you’ve never been to Floriade, I recommend a visit if you get the chance.
A special shoutout to the Rotary Club of Canberra East who host the paint a gnome (and this year paint an owl) as a fabulous event for children and those who are young at heart. It’s a great fundraiser!
Happy flower Friday to you wherever you are in the world. Are you a fan of flower shows like this?
Deb x
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Gorgeous photos Deb – I’d love to go to Floriade one day – it’s about the only thing that Canberra has that makes me want to visit (I’m not much of a political or military aficionado I’m afraid). So lovely that you could visit with two of your favourite girls xx
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Yes it was a great weekend looking after them as they were (and still are) unwell. I’m glad we managed to get out into the sunshine for a visit to Floriade, it’s always well worth a look. Thanks 🙂
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I’d love to go to a flower show like this one, so yes, I’m a fan of them. Your flower photos are pretty as is Emilia. Can never have to many of either of them, I suspect.
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That’s about right Ally, I can never have too much of either 🙂
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Tulips amongst the pansies and poppies…delightful photos, Deb.
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Many thanks, I thought the under-planting flowers were really well done this year!
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Tulips amongst the pansies and poppies…delightful photos, Deb.
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Thanks Laura, I love the pansies too.
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Hi Debbie, this is a wonderful writeup about Floriade. I haven’t heard of this before. Thanks a lot for this. Some day when I am in Australia in spring I will definitely make it to this. Surely this doesn’t look like something that can be missed.
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My pleasure to share with you Pradeep, I’m glad you enjoyed seeing the flowers with me.
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What a beautiful event! As we move into the colder seasons “up here,” it’s nice to see that spring is springing up somewhere!
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I’m so happy to share with you Janis, it’s warming up nicely now.
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Food, festivities, music, market stalls…I’m totally in!! Sounds like a fantastic time!
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It was great Donna, and peaceful, pretty and soul restoring if you know what I mean!
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Oh, that is definitely a place I would love to visit. One of the lovely results of spring is all those beautiful blooming blooms.
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You’d love it Suz, I’m sure. One year you’ll have to come over for a visit 🙂
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Definitely 😎
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Beautiful Deb…and looks like so much fun, especially when you share it with loved ones!
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Yes I think that’s why it was so much fun Nancy, because we had time together to just wander around at our leisure. Thanks 🙂
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I remember going to the very first one – I’d moved to Canberra just in time for the 75th anniversary in March of that year. I would say it’s been about 7 years since I last went though. Your pics are fabulous & those workshops Chris was talking about would be great.
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Oh really, that must have been a special event and a great memory to have. We’ve been to quite a few over the years and I always enjoy the displays. I’d love to go to the photo workshops to see what they do and how they suggest you capture the blooms. They can be quite tricky!!
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So glad you made it to this flower show before it closed. Can’t imagine how your photos could be much better but I imagine the photography class would be fun to take. Flowers are hard to grow in the desert southwest of El Paso, Texas so we don’t have flower shows here that I know of. We do have a rose garden but I think the roses are only at their prime for a very short window of time. Tulips are rarities we only see in bouquets here. Just beautiful, Deb.
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You are so lovely Leslie! I can’t imagine not having a variety of flowers around, but understand the desert isn’t really the right climate! Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad I was able to share my flower pics with you 🙂
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Beautiful blooms! We do have a biannual flower show here in Bangalore which I eagerly look forward to. Your pics are lovely!
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Thank you, I think flower shows are such great places to visit to see nature at work.
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Fabulous pics! I’ve only been to Floriade once but would love to go again. It’s so fun and colourful!
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Well worth it Sammie, the colours just scream SPRING time to me.
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Great post, Deb – we’ll have to catch up one day when you come to Canberra. Toni x
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Yes Toni, I thought that too when I was there last weekend. We’re coming over on Friday 25 October for the weekend???
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Let’s meet for a coffee if you’re free. I’ll contact you on Mon as have just arrived in Melb for Lucy’s wedding. x
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That would be great Toni. Enjoy the wedding 🙂
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Your photos are gorgeous!! I recently went to Bowral tulip festival and this looks so much more gorgeous!! Think I need to take a raid trip down next year!!
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Thanks Kerrie! I remember going to the Bowral tulip festival as a teenager many years ago! Floriade is similar and well worth a look. Not too far away either.
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LOVED seeing your pics. I went to Floriade with my husband one year and then took my Dad another time. I just loved getting up close for some shots as well as the massed ones. Whilst I wasn’t into the commercial part of it at all, the sheer beauty and colour were a joy! I printed some of my pics to on A4 and they hung on our walls back then. I did dad an album too. Thank you for joining in Life This Week. Next week, the optional prompt is 42/51 Self-Care Stories #6. 21/10/19. Hope to see you there. Denyse.
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Thanks Denyse, the colour is a joy and a real lift to one’s spirits. See you next week.x
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