Riot of colour across Bendigo as tulips take centre stage

More than 60 events will take place across the Bendigo region as part of the spring festival, with hopes it will be another tourism success.

Bendigo’s annual Bloom festival was officially opened on Monday morning, signalling the beginning of a three-month music, food and wine celebration of spring in the region.

Bendigo residents Leonie Ferguson, 23, and her friend Georgia Skinner, 21, were at Rosalind Park bright and early to see the opening and admire the vibrant flowers.

They brought a picnic blanket with them and said they were looking forward to seeing the nighttime display inside the conservatory located in gardens.

Greater Bendigo Mayor Andrea Metcalfe said events had been planned for every weekend of the festival to help visitors tour each part of the region and for residents to enjoy without having to travel.

Head gardener Matthew Miller said 53,000 bulbs had been planted to bring a riot of colour into the city and its surroundings thanks to a dedicated team working for weeks in lead up to the opening.

He said it involved 12 months of planning and organisation for next year had already begun.

Leonie Ferguson (right), 23, and her friend Georgia Skinner, 21, were at Rosalind Park bright and early to see the opening of Bloom Festival in Bendigo admire the vibrant flowers. Photo: Julieanne Strachan

In spite of the detailed preparation, there have been some surprises for the gardening team including tulips blooming in unexpected places due to bulbs being left behind from last year and having sat quietly in the soil waiting to make a reappearance.

At the end of the festival each year the bulbs are dug up and sold to support a local non-profit enterprise, but some had escaped the attention of the eager excavation team in 2021. The random pops of colour emerged this year in a bed full of ranunculus.

Cr Metcalf said the region’s hospitality and tourism sectors had been quick to volunteer their support and had organised winery and yoga events to tie in with the festival.

“There are 60 events attached to this festival over spring and they are spread throughout the region,” she said.

She said the city hoped to give residents and businesses an attraction worthy of following in the footsteps of the Elvis: Live from Graceland exhibition which drew huge volumes of tourists to Bendigo.

“After you hold something like the Elvis exhibition people very quickly ask you ‘what’s next?’ You need to be able to follow up with something really special and we think this is it and people will really enjoy it.”

Cr Metcalf said a new and free Bloom After Dark event had been developed which would begin on Friday, September 16 and run until Sunday, October 9.

“It’s affordable for families, you can bring a picnic blanket and have dinner in the park and then go into the conservatory to see Bloom After Dark,” she said.

Mr Miller said the tulip displays could be seen at various locations including the Conservatory Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens, the Civic Gardens and on Pall Mall.

Smaller displays have been planted at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park and the Bendigo Botanic Gardens at White Hills.