The “Wow” Factor

is achieved at the largest Flower & Garden Show in the Southern Hemisphere

Dec 27, 2024

MIFGS the Annual Event

If you’re thinking about attending the March 2025 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (or in short, MIFGS) in Australia for the first time, you’re in for a treat. To follow I write about my favourite competition event of the Show that was held in March of this year – The hanging installations.

The 6 Hanging Installations in the Great Hall

The Show is similar to Chelsea Flower Show in terms of what it has to offer, albeit at a slightly smaller scale and of course geared towards Australian grown flowers, floral designers, landscape designers and products.

If the excitement of attending huge horticultural events gets your heart pumping, then the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is the place for you! It’s the largest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere, held every March at the Carlton Gardens and inside the Royal Exhibition Building. The 5-day event, attracts some 100,000 flower and plant enthusiasts.

Me at the Hochgurtel Fountain in the Carlton Gardens

I have attended MIFGS for the last 2 years and as a floral designer, the hanging installations within the Great Hall of Flowers were one of the main draw cards for me.

It was a cool 18 degree Celsius day on the first day of the Show (when I always try to go to see the flowers at their freshest) and the G and I queued up to be one of the first through the doors. I like to dash to the sections of the Show and take as many photographs as possible without the public in them.

This Year’s Theme

The 2024 theme was ‘Natural Beauty,’ and designers were invited to create a “Wow” factor -pushing the boundaries of creativity by transforming an inanimate 6m long and 4m high metal framework into a large-scale hanging botanical spectacle. Eco-friendly practices were encouraged. The six teams were given 3 days to install and then judged by a panel of leading floral designers and environmental advocates. Each of the six creations had their own stories and styles.

The Hanging Installation Entries

Alchemy Orange

@alchemyorange was awarded a silver medal (visual display). Floral designer Shahn acknowledged the Wurundjeri Aboriginal Land and paid respect to Country by telling the transitioning botanical story from the Biderap to the Luk Eel season through material selection and placement utilising line and movement. 3-metre long threaded eucalypt leaves, flowing bark, and a mix of textures were a big feature of Shahn’s stunning native design.

Big Leaf Boutique

@bigleafboutique took out a gold award (visual display). Jony and his son Jai impressed with their recognisable explosion of jungle homegrown, gigantic tropical leaves complete with flowering and green bananas.

Canberra Sustainable Floristry Group

@cbrsustainableflorists partnered with the Canberra Institute of Technology and received a silver medal (floral design). This colour-punching design took inspiration from a Melbourne sunset and the Skyhooks song titled “When the Sun sets over Carlton.” This foam-free, no imported, no dyed nor preserved product installation, highlighted flowing botanically dyed silk to enhance the asymmetrical sculptural form and materials recreating the sunset hues. Narelle Phillips, a floristry teacher at the Canberra Institute of Technology stated, “We aimed for high impact from a distance as well as fine details and nuances once individuals were in and under the installation.”

The Posy Crew

The Posy Crew took out a gold award (floral design). Displayed in this stand-out ‘tropical symphony’ of blooms and foliage was the inclusion of locally sourced butterflies. Floral designer and floristry educator Debra @the_posy_crew skilfully incorporated hanging bamboo chimes and threaded flowers and red chillies throughout the design.

Floral Architecture

Alice and Rosie of Floral Architecture @floral_architecture were awarded a Bronze Award for their colourful salute to Taylor Swift. Their inspiration came from “The experience of walking under a train line in Richmond, bill posters of Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour lining the bridge. It was important for us to engage with a younger demographic than usually frequents the show, in the hope that we could inspire the next generation of flower lovers…“. The sustainable installation was foam-free, featured plants rather than cut flowers where possible, and utilized buckets and vessels for water sources.

Smithers Oasis

The Smithers Oasis installation designed by international botanical architect Richard Go Designs @richiego1 received a silver medal (Floral Design) for his bold fresh and dried material creation. To celebrate Smithers Oasis Australia's 70^th anniversary, the design incorporated a variety of floristry techniques including layering, binding, and weaving.

Following the completion of the Show, many entrants gifted, donated, reused, and re-purposed much of their materials or composted the remainder.

As an event florist, I know that much credit should go not only to the designers and crew constructing the installation on the day but the bump-out crews, teams that drive the vans that transport all the materials, the generous suppliers of the botanical materials and mechanics, professional support and the backing of family and friends.

Other Activities

During our full day stay at the Show we took a couple of time outs to rest beneath the shady trees, spoil ourselves with a glass of Prosecco, critique the competition gardens, tried on some new hats, checked out the new gardening products, new flower varieties and other floral design competitions. We grabbed some prime seats to watch a number of floral demonstrations on the main stage and of course I always like to grab a chat with some of the well-known Australian floral designers proud to show off their designs.

Clockwise: Central Floral Display, Richie Go, Great Hall, Jonathon Emanuel, me and a cute hat, old vintage car display

Other Events and Activities on the Day

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show this year had so much to offer in addition to inspiring floral displays from professional, novice, and student florists, as well as landscape designers. From selling tools, books, plants, garden accessories, and flower trips to workshops, children’s activities, food stalls, floral showcases, art and sculpture exhibitions, floral fashion, garden, and balcony design competitions – the Show had it all.