Floriade – Canberra's Bulb & Flower Celebration
The Southern Hemisphere's Largest Flower Festival Lasts 30 Days
Floriade is the largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere where over one million flowers, mostly bulbs, create a stunning backdrop for Canberra’s 30 day celebration of spring. It is held in Commonwealth Park in the heart of the city, and although the flowers are the star of the show there are also cultural celebrations, artistic displays, music, entertainment and recreational activities.
The name Floriade is derived from the Latin word Floriat, meaning 'to design with flowers', and the design is different every year. A theme is developed and is carried through from the shape of the garden beds to the type and colour of the flowers used to create the meticulous designs, as well as influencing the displays and entertainment. For 2009 the theme is Mind, Body and Soul.
The History of Floriade
Floriade began in 1988 as part of Canberra's bicentennial celebrations and Canberra’s 75th birthday, and was inspired by the Dutch Keukenhof flower display and Holland’s Floriade, which happens every 10 years. It was so successful that it became an annual event with a different design each year. It is always held from mid-September to mid-October as that is when spring bulbs are at their best in Canberra’s climate.
For 2010 the dates for the 22nd running are Saturday 11 September to Sunday 10 October 2010. The event is free to attend and attracts over 400,000 visitors. Many visitors to the National Capital also take the opportunity to visit other attractions in Canberra including Parliament House, the War Memorial, the National Zoo and Aquarium, and the National Gallery.
Floriade's Flowers and Bulbs
Over one million bulbs and annuals are used each year to transform Commonwealth Park into a tapestry of colour and the tapestry changes throughout the month, as different flowers bloom at different times. When Floriade begins, the open bulbs are the early bloomers including daffodils, narcissus and hyacinths with their heavenly scent.
As Floriade moves into October many of these have faded but by then there are colourful ranunculus and delightful tulips in all colours and shapes. There are also brightly coloured annuals including pansies, polyanthus and poppies. The Floriade website has information on the type and number of bulbs, annuals and other plant varieties – for instance there were 87 different varieties of tulip bulbs used in 2009.
Floriade Nightfest
In 2008 a five night Floriade NightFest was introduced as a ticketed event with outdoor movie screenings, music, special activities, food and wine set against the magical landscape of lanterns, fairy lights and illuminated flower beds. In 2010 it will be held from Wednesday 22 September to Sunday 26 September, 6.30–10.30pm and ticket details are on the website.
Dining and Shopping at Floriade Village
There are cafes and a selection of fast food, drinks and refreshments at Floriade, as well as ice cream vendors throughout the park. Floriade Village has many local market sellers who sell a wide variety of goods including handmade knitwear, unique jewellery, hand-painted scarves, hats, lotions and potions, homewares and snacks and other goodies such as roasted nuts, gourmet fudge, nougat and homemade chutneys and sauces.
Floriade is a spectacle well-worth visiting and it is best to go more than once as the flowers change throughout the month.
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