The Victoria State Rose Garden is the largest and best-maintained public rose garden in Australia. So make sure to stop by in November to enjoy the annual State Rose and Garden Show hosted in the gardens.
Held during the beautiful Melbourne Spring season, you won’t want to miss the blooms at this year’s annual State Rose and Garden Show. The free event will take place over two fantastic days in November.
State Rose and Garden Show, 2023 Dates & Program, Werribee Mansion
Celebrating its 9th year in 2023, this free event will take place over one colour-filled weekend, from Saturday 11 to Sunday 12 November. Whether you are a certified green thumb or a gardening novice, there’ll be something for everyone.
Across the weekend, the gardens will transform into a kaleidoscope of colour as the spring sunshine lights up over 5,000 rose bushes, and the manicured lawns play host to numerous garden exhibits, plant stalls, food trucks, and live music – making it a must-see event for visitors of all ages.
Features of the 2023 event include:
- NEW this year, The Gardeners’ Dome will host an impressive line-up of gardening experts covering a broad range of gardening topics, including everything from sustainable gardening to fermenting practices. Speakers include horticulturist and garden coach, Chloe Thomson, the charismatic Vasili Kanidiadis of ‘Vasili’s Garden’, horticulturist Craig Castree, best-selling author and radio host AB Bishop and fermentation specialist The Fermented Mumma.
- Also NEW to the event is the Green Hub – an interactive space which will shine a spotlight on sustainable living and gardening practices, with stalls from Craig Castree, Nature West, Wormlovers and Eat My Garden.
- Free, hands-on and interactive workshops will be on offer at the All Green Workshops and Café. Highlights include flower crown and posy-making workshops with Petal Pop; beekeeping workshops with Holly’s Backyard Bees; how to collect and store native seeds with Nature West; terrarium and kokedama workshops with Lady Jane Greenhouse; terracotta pot painting workshops with ceramicist Melissa Murphy-Vella; and a Little Sprouts Growing and Nature Play program for kids.
- Vertical arts company, SWAY, will entertain attendees from above with a series of gravity-defying performances in the heart of the Garden. Expertly fusing circus and physical theatre, these colourful and energetic performances promise to be a hit with all ages.
- A sea of wooden poppies, which attendees can paint, will be displayed on the lawn to commemorate Remembrance Day on the event’s opening day. On Sunday, the poppies will be replaced by wooden roses, which attendees can paint and take home with them.
- A range of delicious sweet and savoury foods will be available, including rose-flavoured scones from the CWA. Timboon Fine Ice Cream will serve tasty rose-flavoured ice, while The Prosecco Van will add a touch of sparkle. Add to the mix the chilled sounds of an acoustic set, and attendees will have all the essential ingredients for a leisurely picnic on the lush green lawns.
- Plus, much more! This includes guided tours of the Victoria State Rose Garden, led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers who tend and nurture the garden year-round.
Located just 30 minutes West of the Melbourne CBD, on-site parking and event traffic management systems will be in place. So there is no better excuse for a spring picnic with family and friends amongst the shade of the blooming rose vines.
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