You know spring has sprung in Canberra when Floriade is underway. Every year, Canberrans celebrate spring with a month long festival of flowers. This year the festival started on September 13th and will run until this Sunday, October 12th.  

What started as a one-off event in 1988 to celebrate Australia’s bi-centenary , Floriade has become an annual event in the Nation’s capital. Every year, thousands of flower lovers join to witness the colours, smell the fairy floss and ride the Ferris wheel.  This year, the festival is expected to inject over $40million into Canberra’s economy. And is now the largest Flower show in the Southern Hemisphere.

This year’s theme is ‘Embrace Passion’. And the ambassador for the festival, Indira Naidoo (a gardening author and environmental advocate) ,  has described gardening as “"best fun you can have with your clothes on".   She has hosted talks and workshops throughout the festival, giving visitors hints and tips on getting their thumbs green. 

Last Tuesday saw the first ever dog’s day at the festival, ‘Dog’s Day Out’.  It was a huge success and visitors are hoping it will be a feature in Floriade 2015. 

The RSPCA are charity sponsors of the festival and warmly welcomed the canine friendly day.

Now that it’s the final week, what’s left to catch.  This week is 'Outdoors and Adventures' week at Floriade. And it culminates on Saturday morning with the city’s largest ever free outdoor boot camp.

Saturday, October 11th:

DIY Demonstrations with Barry Du Bois: Barry will be holding  DIY demonstrations at the Bunnings Warehouse Garden (2pm & 3:30pm) and at the  Inspiration Hub (10:30am & 11:30am).

Big Boot Camp: Former Canberra Raiders Captain Alan Tongue will be holding the city’s largest ever free outdoor bootcamp. Get ready to work off all that fairy floss!  (9.15am-10.15am, Stage 88). 

Sunday, October 12th:

The Slow Show  The Roundabout Theatre Company bring us the Slow Show. Helix, a giant garden snail will be there to smell the flowers! (11:30; 1pm and 2:20pm)

Spectrum Big Band: Playing us out for the festival with a collection of big band favourites, along with  some jazz, rock and blues.  (1pm, Stage 88). 

Take a look at the official Floriade website :

http://www.floriadeaustralia.com/home/

 








There’s still a chill in the air, but it’s official. Winter is over. Early spring is the one of busiest times of the year for gardeners. Beautiful summer gardens are thought out and created in spring. So it’s time to plan ahead. Here are some tips and tricks from the pros to help get your garden ready for summer.

1)     Plan

It’s a wonderful season for planting and growing. And for giving your garden a facelift. Before you start digging, it’s best to have thought out what your garden is going to be used for. Plan where you will plant and where you will play.  How about water features?

Think of who will be visiting your garden. Perhaps it will be frequented by kids who will want a space to play? Are you looking to attract wildlife- birds, bees and butterflies? Spring time means spring cleaning. Scrub bird baths and bird feeders to avoid mould build up. Fill bird baths regularly with clean water to avoid a scummy layer building up.

2)     Weed

September is here. And hopefully the mercury will be steadily rising. This means we can get our green fingers out of our woolly winter gloves and back into our gardening gloves.  Think of your garden as a blank canvas, and before you start work, your canvas must be cleaned. In other words, get weeding.  Garden maintenance is imperative to keep your garden healthy. 

Weeding is something that will take up more of your gardening time in spring. While many flowers and plants will prosper in the warmer weather, so too will weeds. So it is important to get root of them now before they become a problem.

Don’t forget about those nasty weeds in between your paving. They are easily spread during wet and windy weather.

3)     Fertilise

Our beautiful spring climate makes for the perfect combination of moist and heat. It is the best time of year to add some fertiliser to your plant beds to get ready for your spring planting.  Organic fertilisers are best. They help keep your garden and the environment clean.

4)     Start a compost Pile

If you don’t have one already, we recommend that you get a compost bin and start filling! By starting now, you will have your own compost ready for next spring. Add water and turn regularly. Add equal amounts of carbon-rich brown materials and nitrogen rich green materials.

5)     Rotate

If you had a veggie patch in one section of your garden, it is best to shake things up a bit. Plant something new there this year and transfer your veggie patch to another spot.  Crop rotation helps to minimise the risk of disease or pests to your plants.

6)     Prune

Pruning can be confusing. Pruning at the wrong time of the year can result in new buds been pruned with old ones. As a general rule of thumb, prune plants that flower in autumn and summer during the dormant season, which is now, i.e. early spring.  Use clean, sharpened tools.  Remove any dead stems or branches as these invite disease.

If you would like some help with your Vernal garden, get in touch. We would love to help.