How does your garden grow?
The largest horticultural event in the Southern Hemisphere takes a cast of thousands to put together, as Annabelle Richmond finds out.
This March, the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show returns for its 19th year with a burst of blooms at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.
Held this year from March 26–30, MIFGS sees some of Australia’s best landscape designers, florists and suppliers decorate the heritage-listed site with incredible displays that attract more than 110,000 visitors annually.
The event draws gardening enthusiasts and those keen to cultivate a green thumb and showcases an array of attractions including the Sculpture Garden, featuring live sculpting sessions, and the Great Hall of Flowers, where florists and budding fashion designers alike flaunt their talents.
Behind the scenes, over fifteen landscape design and construction companies and more than seventy floral designers and florists take part in the show each year which provides positive benefits to the horticultural economy directly with each major floral display in the Royal Exhibition Building and each Garden display requiring flowers, plants and general supplies to create their displays.
The show also has a broader economic impact with the latest economic impact study putting the value of positive impact of the show at approximately $9 million to the State, with a substantial proportion generated by interstate and overseas visitors.
The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show Numbers
- 500 exhibitors
- 110,000 Visitors to the event
- 100 Number of hours to set up each garden
- 1.89 million Visitors since the Show began
- 500 Staff employed per day
- $9 million Positive financial impact to the State of Victoria
- $2.5 million for the event to be staged