Floriade Disappointing

parking issue still remains.
but for the people coming from other cities, it is an amazing experience

Captain RAAF said :

Long time resident of Canberra (does 13 years count?), ok, maybe medium term resident is more accurate, anyway, been to Floriade twice. First time would have been around 2005, found it interesting and enjoyed it. Second time was around 2010, more because we were bored and Floriade was on so, lets go! Found it pretty much exactly the same thing as 05 and was boring and we were outta there in an hour.

See absofknlutely no reason to go back…ever.

Well, man made climate change will ensure that (according to the fear mongers at the UN).

carnardly said :

what do they do with all the bulbs afterwards these days? mulch them all? I remember years ago you could go in a week or so after the official closing date and buy miscellaneous bags of bulbs for cheap as chips to take home.

You never knew what they were (unless you could tell from the bulb alone) so it was like a kinder surprise next spring when you got new pop ups. I’d LOVE for them to do that again….

There is the answer to why the displays look the same every year, they ARE the same flowers.

what do they do with all the bulbs afterwards these days? mulch them all? I remember years ago you could go in a week or so after the official closing date and buy miscellaneous bags of bulbs for cheap as chips to take home.

You never knew what they were (unless you could tell from the bulb alone) so it was like a kinder surprise next spring when you got new pop ups. I’d LOVE for them to do that again….

i mourned the fences going up round floriade – it was a luscious experience to meander about the hyacinths and other blooms in the soft cool spring evening, imbibing their scent in moments of peace and quietude.

then they put fences round the exhibits in my park. give me back my park, i say. give it back…

Long time resident of Canberra (does 13 years count?), ok, maybe medium term resident is more accurate, anyway, been to Floriade twice. First time would have been around 2005, found it interesting and enjoyed it. Second time was around 2010, more because we were bored and Floriade was on so, lets go! Found it pretty much exactly the same thing as 05 and was boring and we were outta there in an hour.

See absofknlutely no reason to go back…ever.

FeelingFab said :

…There are no plants for sale at Floriade, which is a wasted opportunity. Many people would love to buy something as simple as a daffodil in a pot, it would be a fabulous fund raiser. There are very little garden talks, no Gardening Australia show bags or information about the bushland around the capital. Not even a whisper by the botanic gardens…

Agreed. And with the space available in and around Commonwealth Park I’ve never understood why there’s been no real push (that I can recall) to have some sort of garden building competition as you might see at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

dungfungus said :

Rollersk8r said :

Explain how it’s over-hyped? Always has been and always will be flowers, mainly, but people seem to like it.

And to be fair they’ve added a heap to it in recent years, with entertainment, garden building displays, minor celebs.

Although 100% agree on outrageous prices, which is to be expected for any entertainment event these days, especially one that’s put on for free.

It’s only “free” for people who don’t pay rates and taxes in the ACT.

I dislike Floriade but there’s no doubt that it brings in significant dollars to our economy through tourists and locals attending the event and spending more money in the ACT.

I was a bit disappointed in Floriade also. The beds were all beautiful, but recycled patterns from other years. I don’t mind the stalls, they stay in their section and who doesn’t need soap shaped like cake?

I miss the garden focus of Floriade, there used to be a variety of different gardens to look at, and a lack of them does make the space seem small – oh look another tulip, a tulip, oooh a tulip…. Displays by garden centers, landscapers, charities, community groups, native gardens, bird gardens would bring much needed variety. Even Bunnings didn’t bother with a display this year.

There are no plants for sale at Floriade, which is a wasted opportunity. Many people would love to buy something as simple as a daffodil in a pot, it would be a fabulous fund raiser. There are very little garden talks, no Gardening Australia show bags or information about the bushland around the capital. Not even a whisper by the botanic gardens.

I know Floriade is not just gardening, but the other items there are getting tired. The gnomes are cute, but remember the scarecrow comps? And I remember just SO many more fun things from years and years ago, giant climbing nets in trees, a tent that school kids got tours through that was actually a bit like the haunted house suggested someone else has made, lots of compatitions and information about everything Canberra. Kids weren’t shoved in a corner with spray painted animals (bless their sparkly hooves). It used to be a exciting adventure, now its just ‘a nice walk’.

Rollersk8r said :

Explain how it’s over-hyped? Always has been and always will be flowers, mainly, but people seem to like it.

And to be fair they’ve added a heap to it in recent years, with entertainment, garden building displays, minor celebs.

Although 100% agree on outrageous prices, which is to be expected for any entertainment event these days, especially one that’s put on for free.

It’s only “free” for people who don’t pay rates and taxes in the ACT.