No longer solely the domain of daggy dads and nannas obsessed with tending to their prized roses, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show returned for another year to show all of us city-dwelling green thumbs exactly what we can accomplish with our indoor plants and backyard veggie plots.
While gardening has always been a popular hobby, it seems to have really taken off over the past few years, with more and more younger people discovering their inner green thumb. Maybe it’s because we’re not having children, or maybe it’s because we’re stuck in tiny apartments with no room for pets: but whatever the reason is, we’re taking to gardening with a passion.
If you’re someone obsessed with indoor plants then it’s highly likely you came back from the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show with armfuls of everything from succulents to syngoniums; and if plants of the outdoor variety are more your style, you would’ve been more than happy with the selection on offer from The Diggers Club. Famed for offering all sorts of weird and wonderful heirloom fruits and vegetables, The Diggers Club displayed exactly what you can accomplish with a little bit of elbow grease in the garden: rainbow-coloured corn, alien-looking broccoli, and even a mountain of gourds could be found at their stall.
For those sworn black thumbs who have tried, and failed, to keep their pet plants alive, there was still much to see and take in. The Great Hall of Flowers exhibited bouquets from some of Melbourne’s best florists, with RMIT Fashion students even using blooms to decorate garments on display. Floral design workshops were available for anyone who wanted to try their hand at putting together their own sculptural posey; but if you still weren’t confident with your own gardening ability – or if Melbourne’s weather had your hayfever acting up – there was always good old high tea to take in, right in the centre of the stunning Royal Exhibition Building. Stunning!
