Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

Overview

Maybe you've got a thing for boldly coloured blooms and outdoor architecture. Or perhaps your indoor plant addiction has inspired a green thumb that just won't quit. Either way, your horticultural side is about to get a big ol' dopamine boost when the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show returns this autumn.

Taking over Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building from Wednesday, March 20–Sunday, March 24, the long-running festival will once again serve up a jam-packed program of workshops, talks, product showcases, landscape installations and, of course, gardens galore. In fact, it's set to be the largest horticultural festival in the southern hemisphere.

Browse the stunning Show Gardens to see plant-filled oases from leading international landscape designers, and hit the Boutique Gardens and Balcony Gardens to admire horticultural wonderlands created in the tiniest of spaces. Step inside the Great Hall of Flowers to get lost among countless floral displays, and sip bubbly while enjoying a high tea within the Royal Exhibition Building.

For the first time, there's also a dedicated Indigenous Show Garden that's been set up in collaboration with the Wurundjeri Council. This will showcase native plants and help visitors understand the meaningful relationship between the land and its custodians.

Another Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show first is the Urban Forest installation. This pop-up will be found right out the front of the Royal Exhibition Building and will be accessible to anyone — not just ticket holders. Head in from 11am til the early evening for DJs, live music, food trucks and a few free workshops. Most years, you need to purchase tickets to get into any part of the festival, so getting the opportunity to experience some of it for free is a win.

And on Friday, March 22, swap your usual knock-offs for a visit to Gardens by Twilight, where you can wander through the garden installations while enjoying botanically charged sips, devouring gourmet snacks and soaking up live tunes. Running until 9pm, there'll also be roving performers, a floral design workshop, sculpture shows, and exhibitions. The after-dark experience is one of our favourite parts of the whole five-day flower fest.