Melbourne Flower and Garden Show 2006 Prize winners - mostly

This years Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2006 at the Royal Exhibition Gardens and Building in Carlton on the edge of the downtown high rise towers of Melbourne is truly fabulous. The setting alone is worth the trouble to visit... large European trees that are about a hundred years old, flowers for sale, garden designs that are awarded coveted prizes and sculptures. This attracts entries from world class landscape designers such as Jim Fogarty and Jamie Durie. This year a new innovation is the excellent series of small "do-able" gardens that can be done for under $2000 with a printed plan that shows the design, plants and materials used for do-it-yourself construction. Also there is the indoor cut flower displays in the refurbished heritage Exhibition Building. Most fantastic are the Floral Fashion displays by RMIT Fashion Students and the crazy Barry Humphries stamps and "glasses". The official web site here.

Bendigo Heritage Architecture

The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum was built in 1860 - the main wing - another wing was added in 1869, to care for the needy poor and for women in childbirth. This architectural treasure is now known as the Anne Caudle Centre and is amalgamated with the Bendigo Hospital. It is Registered on the National Estate as "Historic" as it is an outstanding complex of nineteenth century hospital buildings. A distinctive feature of the group is its unity with the slender, paired semi-circular arched windows being a consistent element of each building. The superb Ionic portico, added in 1872 is also important. The West wing (two storey exposed brick structure with verandah on east facade) dates from 1868. There have been minor alterations to the exterior - verandahs glazed etc. This can be see at 100-104 Barnard Street, Bendigo, comprising central structure and its flanking wings and the porters Lodge at the main gate and the superintendent's residence. The buildings are set in attractive grounds and are a fine element of this historic city. There are some early photos of this building: in 1881 here. And "The Bendigo benevolent asylum and industrial school in 1875 here and from a web site in Scotland showing the original gates.here. More photos of amazing architecture in Bendigo here.

Melbourne Flower and Garden show 2006

This was the winning entry 2005 - An English Garden Here are more photos of great garden designs.

Melbourne Open Garden Glen Iris - water saver

More photos from this succulent garden see slide show here

Melbourne - Architecture - clown piper

How can the city fathers think that Federation Square is an attraction? I think it is such an eyesore and usually had loud pop music blaring to give me a pain in my ears too. There is no easy way to find anything inside the buildings there either with no map or plan readily available on the walls to show one how to get into the doors of the art gallery or the theatre. This first photo also shows well the horrid, ugly overhead wires and poles at the entrance to Melbourne as you leave Flinders street station. No amount of bright coloured flags or pink banners will disguise this ugly view - not altered by photoshop either. If you go further into the downtown area you find beautiful old buildings in Collins street c 1890s of which there are a few left. Also there are a few examples of great Art Deco buildings too and big Plane trees to diguise the overhead wires and poles. slide show here.