A bumper crop is expected, with a mass of tulips, chrysanthemums, daffodils, irises and many other favourites planted earlier this year, from April to the end of May.

Look

Enter a Chinese garden through mystical ‘moongates’ said to be good luck for lovers; check out the American eagle made entirely of flowers; bask in the glow of a sea of thousands of golden tulips, atop of which sails a miniature Spanish galleon ship; and visit an Italian piazza featuring the flags of Italy and Sicily in spectacular bloom. Remember, too, that the displays at Floriade are constantly changing as different plants flower, so visit a few times if you can to experience all the colour and spectacle that has made it Australia’s premier spring festival. Beyond the gates of Floriade, a World Carnivale Trail will lead you around Canberra, where you can explore all corners of the globe through a range of exhibitions, music, food and festivities.

Enter a Chinese garden through mystical 'moongates'.

In keeping with the Carnivale theme, Melbourne performance group Dislocate will perform La Familia, a comedic circus spectacular, on the weekend of September 23–24, with two performances daily on the lawns in front of Commonwealth Park’s Stage 88.

Learn

You can learn about your favourite flowers at special identification beds, and a Floral Focus display will feature new varieties of bulbs and annuals from the nation’s major growers. The World Tulip Summit, ‘Bloomin’ Down Under’, will be held from October 4–6, for only the second time since 1897.

Listen

Live music and entertainment from around the world will add to the atmosphere, including world music concerts, gospel, percussion and reggae acts, as well as roving entertainment, song and dance shows and opera recitals. 

Play

Loads of kids’ entertainment is planned, such as magic shows, face painting and circus workshops.

Visit Grafton this spring and see a town awash in vivid purple.

On weekends and school holidays, Just Clowning Around will run workshops where children can make colourful eye masks and have their faces painted. Cubby houses designed as forts and castles in the Floriade Children’s Village will be auctioned off for lucky kids to take home, and the festivities will culminate with the huge Kids’ Carnivale on October 3, featuring the acrobatic, slapstick antics of Tutti Frutti.

NSW’s spring flower festivals

If you can’t make it to Canberra for Floriade, there are many NSW towns that will be in full bloom this spring.

• Galston Gardens Open Gardens features a Garden Lovers Delight Excursion on October 20 and/or the Open Gardens Weekend on October 21–22. Bookings are essential. Call 9653 1864 or 0411 285 203.
• Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club hosts the 2006 Southern Orchid Spectacular. There will be orchid displays, plants for sale and free growing advice. Call 9385 7903.
• Tiptoe through the tulips at Bowral Tulip Time festival from September 21–October 8, one of Australia’s oldest and well-known tulip festivals.
• Australia’s Open Garden Scheme showcases some of NSW’s best private gardens.
• Visit Grafton and see a town awash in vivid purple. Take part in the Jacaranda Festival Week celebrations and have a sip of ‘jacca’ juice, October 27–November 5.
• Australian Springtime Flora Festival at Mt Penang, Kariong, is an award-winning gardening event with over 300 displays to view, September 7–10.
• Enjoy Berry’s delightful Gardens Festival, October 12–15.
• Some of Australia’s glorious native plants will be on show at the Illawarra Grevillea Park, September 23–24 and September 30–October 1.
• Oberon’s Daffodil Festival comes to life September 23–24 and September 30–October 2.
• Visit Bathurst’s Spring Spectacular Garden Weekend, October 28–29, for award-winning gardens plus the garden expo at Miss Traill’s House.
• Leura Gardens Festival, September 30–October 8, has nine private gardens open to the public.

Floriade Flower Festival

WHEN: Saturday, September 16–Sunday, October 15. Opening hours are 9am–5pm, Monday–Friday, and 8am–6pm, weekends and public holidays. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. WHERE: Commonwealth Park, Canberra COST: Free GETTING THERE: There’s parking across the road from the event – follow the tulip signs. Commonwealth Park is a five-minute walk from the city and there are regular buses to the event. Visit Action Buses for timetable, or call 13 17 10.