Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Building Melbourne Uni's exhibit.

MIFGS Pre Release!

After years of blogging reviews of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (well except for last year when I went but was too lazy to write a review) I finally got my first opportunity to be involved with one of the exhibits. To be truthful it was a voluntary position with my only 'payment' being some show tickets to get in once it is open.

The exhibit I was working on was the University of Melbourne's horticulture display which celebrated 125 years of continual horticultural training at the Burnley campus. The fact that the Burnley campus has been in operation for that long is quite an achievement and no other institution in the world has provided continuous horticultural training for that length of time.

The display itself consisted of a shipping container we adapted with a green roof and green wall panels. The scaffolding outside the container was converted into a hanging garden with waxed paper cones used as plant containers. Each cone has a horticultural icon and a brief description of their achievements and influence on horticulture.

It was a fun but exhausting day and I left feeling chuffed that I had contributed something to the show which I have gone to and admired for years. By the end of it all I was so tired I only took a brief walk around to see the rest of the exhibits. I left at 3.30pm and some of the other sites looked like they still had lots to do considering the opening is tomorrow. I will visit the show proper this week and write up a review of some of the displays next week. Right now though I think it's time for a cup of tea and a spell on the couch :)

A view from the south side of the exhibition building.

On top of the container planting organising the green roof

A view from the top of the container at our next door neighbours exhibit

Another picture taken from the top of the container showing the back side of the garden exhibits getting ready to be judged

Nick organising a green wall panel

 Those damned cones took all day to hang up and fill with plants

Jasmine plants ready to get transferred to the roof

Jasmonified green roof

More cones (see if you can spot Megan Backhouse)

Teeny weeny plants in teeny weeny test tubes

Test tube plant

 

 Almost done for the day

 More cones

Some old fashioned plant biology lab gear in the container (and also a portable air conditioner which was heaven to stand in front of)

One of our green wall panels filled with succulents

 Why did I take so many pictures of cones?

Ah now for the important pictures. Ben on the left and me on the right.

All the crew from Burnley at the end of the day