Floriade 2011 in Canberra is a spectacular and florally exciting display of over 210 different varieties of flowering plants. This years theme is ‘A Feast for the Senses’.

The word Floriade literally means to design with flowers, and what a design it is. With over 1 million bulbs and annuals planted there is no shortage of colour, and the layout is nothing short of awe inspiring.

The designing process starts 18 months before the Floriade Festival is opened to the public and includes coming up with a theme that is reflected in the layout of the multitude of garden beds. The bulbs and annuals are planted in Autumn and are reaching maturity for the beginning of Spring and the launch of the festival.

Gardeners work around the clock during the festival to keep the displays at there viewing best with regular watering, dead heading flowers and maintaining soil conditions at the optimum to keep the flowers at there blooming best. The stars of the show are no doubt the Tulips. The vast beds defining the paths through the festival and no less than 87 different varieties of Tulip on show.

If you haven’t seen Floriade you just have to go, and if you have experienced the display then go again. With the enormous variety of plants that all bloom at different times, no two days are ever the same at Floriade.

About James Murphy

Hi I’m James. With a camera over my shoulder and somewhere new to explore, I’m a happy man. For many years a commercial photographer working in the corporate world in Sydney, I’ve lately decided it’s time to get back to my roots as a visual artist. I photograph everything that interests me which is just about everything. I live in between Lake Macquarie and the Pacific Ocean and divide my free time walking between the two. I relish being in the bush, either camping, walking, exploring or simply being. I grow some of my own food and love being in the garden enjoying the peace that connecting with nature brings.   Visit my blog Far be it from me and my commercial photography at JAM Digital Imaging. Find out more about James and other Cohabitaire contributors here