The country’s biggest flower show – Canberra’s iconic Floriade – is well and truly under way and it’s blooming marvellous.
The event, which started last Saturday and runs until October 16, will draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the nation’s capital … large numbers of them, grey nomads.
Last year an estimated 131,000 of the Floriade faithful either travelled from interstate or from overseas.
This year’s theme, A Feast for the Senses, has already received rave reviews as visitors enjoy more than a million bulbs arranged to represent red hot chillies, crumbly cupcakes, bottles of wine, bowls of citrus fruit, a chocolate box and a cup of coffee, complete with foam.
Floriade designer John Easthope said there was even a flaming hot barbecue with red, orange and yellow bulbs which, when stared at long enough, appeared to move as though they were flickering flames.
Wow!
Planning for this amazing floral spectacular is spread over a colour-filled 4800 square metres begins in February, when artists, festival organisers and gardening teams work out designs and mark out patterns on the ground. The first bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, were planted in April.
Last year the festival drew some 417,000 people and generated $27 million for the local economy … and a new record attendance s being predicted.
Australian Capital Tourism marketing director Ian Hill said this year’s event provided the perfect balance, with plenty of activity for flower enthusiasts and general visitors alike. Besides just enjoying the sights and scents, there is an awful lot going on which will be of interest to any grey nomads.
The Canberra Times reports that workshops on organic gardening, rose pruning, hanging baskets and bouquet design will be held by leading florists. Also, food enthusiasts will share the delights of pasta-making, spice mixing and wine matching.
