bestgardening.com - Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2009

SHOW REVIEW 2009

By Helen Williams and Ruth Chapman

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) is the biggest southern hemisphere garden show and we were impressed with both the quality and quantity of the displays and the trade exhibits. Recording everything which was noteworthy is impossible so here are our highlights

The show gardens did not disappoint and were up to the high standard one now expects from Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Billabong with solar panels

Display Gardens
One of the gardens that caught our eye and that of the judges was Habitat, designed by Phillip Johnson and the largest garden site seen in the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This garden well deserved the gold in the Show Garden Category and the City of Melbourne award of Excellence for Best in the Show. It celebrated natural beauty and demonstrated sustainable living practices and features which we could all incorporate in our gardens at home.

The Australian billabong was the focus with water conservation, solar power, indigenous and native plants, and local and recycled materials creating a cohesive and a structure which was wonderful to see. A wall made of solar panels was subtle and the outdoor shower was heated by yet another solar panel. Recycled reinforcing steel was used to hold a tier of terracotta pots. The garden included the washing line and a chook house. Vegetables were integrated into such wonderful natives as anigozanthus (kangaroo paws) and Ptilotus 'Phoenix', 'King of the Garden'. A stunning colourful glass structure - the sun - made up of individual handblown pieces strung from the large trees of the Fitzroy Garden site.

Another large site was Imagine which was also a gold winner and took the Horticultural Media Association Award for best use of Plant Life. This garden was a great demonstration of what can be done with Australian natives in different settings with coastal, urban and family garden areas. The sustainability theme was seen in the use of grey water, soil structure and recycled materials. The garden included plants sales and a café area along with talks at regular intervals - the experts on site were informative about Australian flora and also introduced some of the many new varieties now suitable for the smaller gardens. The plant list included a grafted red gum, an example of grafted tailor-made plants. The passion of those involved in creating this garden and promoting Australian flora was very evident.

GreenArt garden, another gold winner, incorporated three areas, beginning with the formal entrance of Acer Autumn Blaze under-planted with Hydrangea Endless Summer. The colour of the hydrangeas was repeated in the outdoor seating cushions with soft muted pinks and greens. There was a hard court area with basketball hoop which contrasted with the soft formal entrance. This low-maintenance garden was designed so that families can entertain, play and improve their lifestyle. As with most almost all of this year's show gardens there were also the elements of water storage, raised vegetable plots and hedges and walls of edibles - in this case tomato stakes and fruit trees

Tropical Retreat Garden designed by Christian Jenkins Design was rewarded with a Bronze Outdoor Exhibit Silver Show Garden and the Royal Horticultural Society CoMeadow Award. This exotic garden with tropical resort-style living was a contrast to the natives used in many other gardens. The use of water, timber decking and rooms opening to the garden filled with plants such as bromeliads were very effective.

Entanglements designed by Paal Grant and Helen Neyland combined metal garden art with lush plantings in a modular way. The rusty finish of the laser-cut metal pergola and fireplace were eye-catching. This first room for alfresco dining was joined by raised garden beds to the second room, a circular lounge area with fire pit, complete with vertical wall of edible plants. This garden focussed on being water wise and low maintenance through careful plant selection and the use of recycled timbers and metal sculptures

Gardening by Numbers designed by David Tyrrell scored Silver in the Show Garden category. This garden used the discipline of mathematics to create a green space viewed through hard structure metal circles.

The Flemings Student Design Competition

On a smaller scale The Flemings Student Design Competition gave 8 young Australian designers the opportunity to create in a 5 metre x 5 metre site. All were excellent and the judges must have had a difficult task. This year's revamped competition had no theme but the small sites sent a reminder to us all to use the precious space we might have, preserving the environment and our personal wellbeing. The winning garden titled Urban Cage by Alicia Ferrer from Perth had a strong geometrical structure which appeared to float and create a sense of a much greater space. The hammock created an equivalent of a bird cage, alongside a limited colour palette of green with white flowers and strong simple architectural elements.

Avenue of Achievable Gardens

An exciting area of the MIFGS was the Avenue of Achievable Gardens. These gardens ranged in themes from the recent bushfires to very formal with different cultural elements. The gardens were designed by TAFE and NMIT students from Melbourne. Many of the gardens combined functional outdoor areas with productive plants. Apples and citrus were grown in pots or espaliered. Mulch was evident for moisture retention and there was frequent use of recycled materials (car tyres, stainless steel cable, and recycled timbers), water tanks and permeable paving. Plantings included natives such as Acacia Cognata 'Mini Cog' and exotics such as Acer Palmatum. Each garden came with a design pamphlet including planting plans. The 'avenue' lived up to its name of achievable, there was something here for all home gardeners and the small sites showed what could be achieved. Pictured here are three gardens Stepping Up, Japan and Meals on Wheels.

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Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2009
Dates: 10 - 14 April 2002
(See our Events Listings for details)
Venue: Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens, Melbourne

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