Canberra in bloom

SPRING in Canberra gets a leg-up each year when the million blossoms planted for the mother of all flower festivals greet all comers with their cheery colours.

Blooming years ... Floriade 2005

A MILLION blossoms, floral competitions, garden beds inspired by 15 nations, new varieties of bulbs and annuals from Australia's major growers, children's activities, Australian-made arts, crafts and produce – and it's all free.

Floriade 2006 opens in Canberra on September 16 and runs until October 15.

A world tulip summit, the first to be held in the southern hemisphere, is on October 4-6. Representatives from flower festivals and embassies of 16 countries are included in this year's Floriade design.

Held in Commonwealth Park, in the heart of Canberra, the displays cover about 4ha throughout the park.

Different flowers bloom at different times, so the month will present a living, changing show that last year attracted more than 356,000 visitors.

This year's theme is Carnivale – the World on Show.

Visitors will see tulips, irises, hyacinths, freesias, violas, ranunculas, chrysanthemums, English daisies, and a special display of new varieties.

Some flowerbeds represent major festivals from around the world – the Chelsea Flower Show, from London, the Nice Carnival, from France, and a carpet of colour created to represent Sicily.

Adults and children should delight in such attractions as a miniature Spanish galleon sailing over a sea of thousands of golden tulips and

annuals, a giant Canadian maple leaf of thousands of red tulips, a bridge walk over a Dutch canal spanning a sea of tulips, and Belgium's offering, a display inspired by Belgian lace.

A bamboo arch leading to a serene Japanese garden with pure-white blooms representing the traditional sand used in this ancient style will be a place for silent appreciation.

England's Hampton Court will be displayed using cubby house-sized forts and castles in the children's village.

The village, open every day, features workshops where children can make colourful masks, juggle, and have their faces painted.

A circus act is scheduled for September 23-24, and a carnival on October 3 will feature acrobats.

Other drawcards include floral designs from across the nation, a bridal show using fabric and flowers, floral gowns from flowers and foliage and an exhibition of Japanese ikebana.

Visitors will be given a World Carnivale trail map of sights, attractions, entertainment, food, and nightclubs.

Other suggestions include trips to wineries in the Canberra region, Sunday markets, botanic gardens, hot-air balloon flights and doing the bridge-to-bridge walk around Lake Burley Griffin.

The national zoo and aquarium is also a popular attraction.

Nothing is very far away in Canberra – the fascinating War Memorial is worth a visit, as is the world-class museum and National Library. Not far out of town is another floral show with a replica of Cockington Green, a display of miniature buildings from around the world, a miniature train and even a cricket match with tiny players.

The Sunday Times