2023 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

As proud owners of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS), we were thrilled to welcome attendees once again to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest horticultural event, back again and better than ever for 2023.

NGIV plays a key part in delivering MIFGS each year, an outstanding event that brings together plant enthusiasts from across the globe. Our growers and allied businesses generously donate plants and gardening materials to make young designers’ visions a reality or bring show gardens to life, while our retailers delight attendees with the latest offerings of plants and products for their gardens. We work together with a range of enthusiastic and committed stakeholders to put on a show that is right up there with the best of the best.

This year there were over 108,500 attendees who flocked to Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building to celebrate the beauty of greenlife and the many benefits of gardening.

There was something for everyone at the 2023 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Brought to you by NGIV and our partners, here are just a few of the incredible activities, exhibits and demonstrations that were to be found at this year’s Show:

The Achievable Gardens

We were delighted to support students from four educational institutions across Victoria (Melbourne Polytechnic, Swinburne, Holmesglen and Bendigo Kangan) as they designed and created the Show’s 12 Achievable Gardens.

In its 16th year, the Achievable Gardens Design Competition offers students and educational institutions the opportunity to showcase their design skills and horticultural knowledge, promote achievable gardening and encourage the use of highquality plants in the landscape.

It’s a great learning experience for students, allowing them to go through the process from concept design and project coordination to construction of the show garden. There is no public event that gives students a better introduction to working in the horticultural industry.

This year’s coveted Excellence Award was taken out by ‘Tea in the Woods’ by Oliver Ashworth-Martin from Melbourne Polytechnic, while the People’s Choice Award went to ‘The Circles of Life’ by Daniel Althaus, also from Melbourne Polytechnic. All students and their respective schools worked incredibly hard to bring their gardens to life, and with huge crowds lining up to see them each and every day, the Achievable Gardens were truly one of the highlights of this year’s Show.

MIFGS visitors were asked to vote on which garden they liked the best. The People’s Choice Award went to ‘The Circles of Life’ by Daniel Althaus from Melbourne Polytechnic.

Bug and Bloom presented by The Victorian Schools Garden Program

The Victorian Schools Garden Program presented a thriving garden filled with colourful flowers that celebrated the biodiverse world of mini-beasts and pollinating bees. In the Bug and Bloom Garden, school children and families could enjoy a variety of free activities, such as exploring fascinating minibeasts with Agriculture Victoria and observing the inner workings of the beehive with the Wheen Bee Foundation. Additionally, green thumbs of all ages could participate in planting, learn more about the importance of pollinators, and enjoy a range of other engaging and exciting activities.

Across the three school days of the Show, Bug and Bloom provided engaging educational experiences for almost 1000 Victorian school students each day.

Now in its 46th year, the Victorian Schools Garden Program has provided rewarding outdoor education initiatives to generations of Victorians, with The Hon. Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Education, announcing a major funding boost to a bountiful scheme on the first day of the show.

“I’ve seen first-hand how school gardens offer great opportunities for primary school students to learn in an outdoor setting, providing a tremendous boost to their health and wellbeing,” she said. “Sharing the importance of sustainable living and fostering a love of gardening is vital to ensuring that the next generation takes a hands-on approach to caring for the environment.”

The Home Grown Patch

The Home Grown Patch showcased an abundant vegetable patch and celebrated the joys of growing your own food at home. The garden displayed a productive variety of summer vegetable crops, surrounded by fragrant companion plants. It highlighted the journey of where food comes from and the satisfaction of growing your own food while encouraging children and parents to grow food gardens in their homes, communities, and schools.

Visitors to the garden had access to useful information on starting a garden provided by All Green Nursery. In addition, the garden displayed entries for the Sustainable Scarecrow Competition, a first for MIFGS, where schools built scarecrows using reused, recycled, and repurposed materials. The Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP, Minister for Education and Minister for Women, paid a visit to the Home Grown Patch on to award the winners of the Sustainable Scarecrow competition.

Congratulations to Croxton School, whose Sustainable Scarecrow TEE-AL-CEE was the overall winner of the competition.

Grow Your Future

The Grow Your Future space highlighted the field of horticulture as a career option and emphasised the diversity of pathways available in the industry. Exhibits were designed to showcase the latest in industry innovation, technology and greenlife, and celebrate the exciting and ever-evolving landscape of horticulture.

Visitors to Grow Your Future had the opportunity to learn about the many different career paths that existed within the horticulture industry and gain insight into the variety of educational opportunities available, with the aim of inspiring and educating the next generation of horticulture industry professionals.

Through interactive and engaging displays, Grow Your Future encouraged people to get their hands dirty and explore the many rewarding and fulfilling career opportunities that the world of horticulture had to offer.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Jac Semmler from Super Bloom for curating the activations at the 2023 MIFGS Her expertise, creativity, and dedication were greatly appreciated and reflected in the Achievable Gardens, Bug and Bloom, the Home Grown Patch, and Grow Your Future installations. We are thankful for her efforts in making the event a success.

Retailers

Our retail stand holders were thrilled to see such a high demand for plantlife this year. This was a clear indication that people were eager to add more greenery to their lives and create beautiful spaces to enjoy.

Our stand holders noticed once again the number of younger people taking an interest in gardening. This renewed interest in gardening among younger demographics is breathing new life into the industry.

Mario Diaco said, “It is our major annual marketing event in our calendar. It is absolutely critical to have this event for the industry, as it showcases all the different things that our industry has on offer.”

The Garden Party

On Thursday 30 March, NGIV, IMG, Landscaping Victoria, and Flowers Victoria joined together for the 2023 MIFGS Garden Party, a sold-out event that brought the industry together for a night of networking and fun.

MIFGS is a true celebration of the industry, with input from growers, allied businesses, and retailers, and the Garden Party provided an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of camaraderie that is at the heart of the industry.

The night opened with a speech from MIFGS Chair Michael Warner, who reflected on the quality of content at this year’s Show, before drinks and canapes were served. While the weather was a little on the colder side, the rain held off, with the almost-500-strong crowd enjoying the twilight ambience in the heart of Carlton Gardens.

Overall, the first Garden Party was a huge success and a fabulous celebration of the Show and the industry.

Life Members’ Lunch

On the opening day of the Show, our Board and CEO had the pleasure of joining our Life Members for a delightful lunch This yearly event provides us with the chance to express our gratitude for their contributions to the industry, as well as an opportunity to catch up, reminisce, and discuss the current state of horticulture in Victoria.

It was a great honour to host so many esteemed individuals from the industry, and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing their stories and insights. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and it was heartening to see that our Life Members still retain their passion and enthusiasm for horticulture and long lunches

To those who attended, we hope that you enjoyed all that the 2023 Show had to offer. As always, it was an incredible and inspiring event with something for every gardener – we hope you left the Show feeling inspired, fulfilled, and ready to get out into the garden.