It was the very last day of the annual Spring Festival in Canberra, and even though we had only been home for two days we simply had to go! So yesterday we set off shortly after 6am, met our Canberra family for brunch and some good old hanging out together …. then off to Floriade, where we would meet them later, when Thom played with the YoungMusicSociety Concert Band. Of course I took masses of photos, so I hope you are ready for spring colour!
First some close-ups above …. you can see many of the flowers have survived a month of notorious Canberra weather, freezing cold with strong winds one day, burning hot the next! We had hot sun, then storm clouds and cool winds all in one afternoon yesterday. Today the best flowers were all being picked as a gift for hospitals, then the rest of the gardens would be collected and saved or recycled for next year. The sheer size of the plantings is impressive. Each section is designed with the theme in mind … Floriade 2013’s overall design has been strongly influenced by the geometry of Canberra’s original plan by Walter Burley Griffin and the theme Beautiful Innovation.
There were people everywhere, stooping over to photograph flowers, photographing each other and themselves, some even sitting their little children in the flower beds to take their portraits. Ice Cream stalls were kept busy, the small carnival section added to the party atmosphere, diners tried their luck at the food outlets and the two big cafes, others shopped for floral umbrellas and various Floriade souvenirs. I will share a few other photos with you later, but today I want to concentrate on the flowers … the stars of the show!
Despite some spent blooms and a few crispy edges on the tulips the display was absolutely splendid!
dadirridreaming 
Wow! I’ve never been to Floriade – beautiful photos!
hi Annie, I hope you do visit one year, and pick a perfectly peaceful day to see the flowers at their best 🙂
Thank you , I will 🙂
How lovely! I was at a Fall festival yesterday ….. ha ha. Mums and pumpkins. Spring for you, Fall for me.
isn’t the world wonderful … reminding us of cycles, around and round we go 🙂
The flowers are so beautiful. I am not surprised that there were many visitors.
I was amazed to see so many nationalities amongst the visitors, but I must remember Canberra is our diplomatic capitol, and has a big university population as well as all those public servants!
well that’s brightened my day Christine! Something about colour blocks on a large scale and I always stand and stare !
glad to bring you some Spring beauty, I know what you mean about acres of flowers, it is quite stunning to see such a mass of blooms … there was a lot of staring going on!
Just lovely photos…of course we’re getting ready for winter here…well in SoCal it’s not all that bad.
I once spent winter in Detroit … not SoCal style!
Hot sun, storm clouds, and cool winds all in one afternoon… and flowers survived!! They are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing, Christine!
We were lucky to see them looking so good after such a challenging month!
I’m totally bowled over Christine! the very first pink tulips are fabulous but the dark ones win hands down. Thanks for sharing Floriade, its amazing and a bit like I imagine Holland to be in spring 🙂
I get absorbed in the details, I just kept seeing more and more fabulous colour combinations, luckily I had to stop shortly after the storm clouds arrived, the concert was due to start 🙂
So fabulous, Christine! I didn’t realise that there was an Australian Floriade so I thought you’d somehow whooshed across the continent 🙂 Absolutely stunning shots. My favourite is the purple tulips on a pale pink background but I love them all!
I really loved those pink/purple on pink sections Jo, the colour combinations were glorious, so many marvellous flowers happily snuggled up together 🙂 Where is the other Floriade?
The Netherlands. It’s not every year I don’t think. I was always going to try to combine it with Keukenhof. Me and my big ideas 🙂
that is how you do what you do Jo, big ideas!!!
We were there too! Bright and early at 9.00am to enjoy the beauty, colours, the interest of our grandson intrigued by floral shape, texture. His mum, dad busy with photography. We all had a lovely time together in the bright air.
So we bookended the day … you early and us late! You had the best weather … it was very gusty, then stormy and cold for us … after baking sun at 1pm. The display was gorgeous, wasn’t it?!! I thought of you as we drove home bypassing Queanbeyan 🙂
qui siamo in autunno, ma è un autunno mite e il colore dei fiori nel mio giardino è più splendente…fra poco passerà il Dio del freddo e li coglierà tutti…ma per fortuna avrò da guardare i bellissimi fiori della primavera di Cristina!
Here we are in the fall, but it’s a mild autumn, and the color of the flowers in my garden is more shining … soon will go the God of cold and take them all … but fortunately I’ll have to look at the beautiful spring flowers by Cristina!
:-)!
yes, and vice versa, I can see your spring flowers when it is autumn here … your Alaska posts are fabulous!
Gorgeous colors! I am having a hard time getting excited about Autumn, Christine. I must admit I’d love to be enjoying these spring beauties!
I hope you are well again Debra … I did not read any blogs while I was away up north … spring is pretty special, even here the birds are all really busy and everything is flowering 🙂
Although Floriade is at an end, and what Spring weather we’ve had isn’t far behind, you’ve captured it thoroughly and beautifully. You really were keen to take off again so soon. Well worth it though. I thought I could find a favouite photo, but I was wrong. I absolutely cannot 🙂
I must slip over to the Botanic Gardens to see what is there still.
Such a lovely comment elladee … I thought the photos turned out really well too … how could I miss? But you never know when you are walking around trying not to be too slow, seeing all these gorgeous things you want to capture, not having time to concentrate … but it was all fine! Yes, pop over to the Gardens, I would love to see them in Spring!
Wonderful colourful pics, Christine. What a great Spring celebration. 🙂
it was worth the effort to get there, so glad you enjoyed it ad!
I most definitely want to go to Floriade and your photos are magnificent Christine they capture the atmosphere I will try to find a house sit in Canberra for next year to coincide with it… Oh and the Melbourne Garden Show is also on my “must do” list, have you been there?…
no, I have hardly ever been to Melbourne … we keep promising ourselves! Next year my Canberra son and family will probably be looking for a house and dog sitter in the July-October period … that would coincide with Floriade 🙂
That sounds to be perfect tell them to get in touch. my email burleighbird@hotmail.com. We couch-surfed in Melbourne, great city
OK, will do 😀
Thank you
Yes I must get to Floriade in Canberra sometime. I just loved the Floriade in the Netherlands earlier this year in Spring. I must have taken over three hundred photos. Tulips are just sooo beautiful.
and I would love to see Floriade in the Netherlands … what month is it?
It usually runs from late March to about middle of May. It is absolutely stunning and if you like Tulips and gardens it is probably the best in the world. I know people who have gone back 2 an 3 days in a row just to see everything. I have got one post about it in my blog. I posted it on Aug 30. Or you might like yo just do a general search for Keukenhof Gardens. You’ll get lots of information and wonderful photos.
thanks for the link … it is on when we are there but not sure if my husband will agree yet 🙂
wow – how beautiful!
thanks Sheila, I loved it!
On Mon, Mar 3, 2014 at 5:10 AM, dadirridreaming wrote:
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oh, is that ever beautiful! thank you for sharing!! 🙂
thanks to your quirky tulip post … which caused me to remember my tulip extravaganza 🙂