What's involved?
It’s all in the timing and here's an example of how it’s done, beginning with choosing the theme approximately 18 months before the event and concluding with the clean up of Commonwealth Park after Floriade is complete.
April: choosing a theme
Australian Capital Tourism choose a theme and develop the concept for the design for the following year’s Floriade.
May: developing the design
The landscape designers map out the design on paper, including what plants will be used, how they will be presented and a planting timeline.
June – September: finalising the design
The Floriade team works to finalise the following year’s design before it is announced at the conclusion of the current year’s event.
October: ordering the plants
All plant material ordered from suppliers for the following year’s Floriade.
March: landscaping begins
The gardeners begin marking out the garden beds using tape measures and paint. The team installs a new drainage and watering system and paths to guide visitors through the displays.
April – June: planting
More than 3,000 cubic metres of planting soil is moved in and spread 15cm thick over the new garden beds. The planting design is mapped out using stakes and string. Next comes the planting. Being careful to select bulbs of the right type and colour, the gardeners place each bulb on top of the compost, wedging it slightly so it does not move when the top layer of soil is added. This layer is between 12cm and 13cm deep.
Because Commonwealth Park is such a large area, the gardeners work in two teams starting from opposite ends of the park. It takes almost seven weeks for the two teams of 10 to meet in the middle.
August: growing
By August the flowers are starting to emerge and Commonwealth Park is prepared for the event opening.
August – September: Commonwealth Park closes to the public
Two weeks before Floriade begins, Commonwealth Park is fenced in, giving the team two weeks to install a range of structures, including boardwalks, sculptures, arbours, marquees and other large equipment.
September – October: Floriade Opens
Floriade is open to the public. The gardening team works around the clock to keep the flowers in top shape – removing dead heads, reshaping trodden garden beds and watering. After the event closes, the remaining flowers are cut and distributed to local nursing homes and hospitals.
October – December: clean up
The gardening team removes all of the garden beds and bulbs. They level the ground and then rip and rotary hoe before levelling again and laying new turf.
