Mulch sweeping was elevated to a fine art as the construction team competed with the impending dusk to put the finishing touches on playscape “Green Connections”.

Their tremendous efforts culminated in a feature garden that will stick in the minds of show attendees for years to come.

To say the garden was success would be a vast understatement. The joy it brought to show-goers was palpable through their wide-eyed stares of wonder upon arrival, expressions of joy and jubilant journeys through each of the garden’s many interactive features. It’s no surprise that many wished the garden remained a permanent fixture in Carlton Gardens.

A collaboration between RB Landscapes and the Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP), “Green Connections” captivated through its imaginative landscapes and opportunities for engagement.

Visiting each section of the garden was a pleasure in its own right, becoming a complete and robust experience when added to the surrounding areas. Bamboo-lined tunnels led to wetlands through which water was pumped by stationary bicycles and large steps led to a viewpoint where visitors could see log forts, tipis made of grass and boats sinking in water-resembling sand.

Every feature told a story and was visually stunning. It was a garden that was both encompassing and captivating, living up to its well-chosen name. It also educated and encouraged connections with natural materials.

Each section included signs explaining not only the purpose of the element, but also its educational, mobility and sustainability goals. They highlighted the concept behind each of the garden elements and contained a connected string of poetry on each sign, intended for the younger audiences to encourage them to visit each area.

We’re extremely pleased with “Green Connections” and the enormous amount of positive feedback that it generated from MIFGS visitors. A huge thank you to Richard Bellemo, the RB Landscapes construction team including Croxton Specialist School students and all the volunteers who were on hand throughout the week.

The Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) marquee at MIFGS 2019 proved to be a roaring success. More than 800 school children visited the area in the NGIV Precinct – around 250 students per day.

These energetic days were full of workshops focusing on sustainable gardening and introducing children to fascinating critters that both swim underwater and buzz through the sky. The main feedback from teacher organisers and students was that they wished that their school groups could have stayed longer.

With the VSGP coordinator Tania Karamitos and a group of wonderful volunteers from Royal Botanic Gardens and students from St Louis de Montfort Primary School, school workshops ran throughout the show, complementing the adjacent “Green Connections” playscape with themes promoting a strong connection with and curiosity about the natural world.

These energetic days were full of workshops focusing on sustainable gardening and introducing children to fascinating critters that both swim underwater and buzz through the sky. The main feedback from teacher organisers and students was that they wished that their school groups could have stayed longer.

With the VSGP coordinator Tania Karamitos and a group of wonderful volunteers from Royal Botanic Gardens and students from St Louis de Montfort Primary School, school workshops ran throughout the show, complementing the adjacent “Green Connections” playscape with themes promoting a strong connection with and curiosity about the natural world.

Minibeast ecosystems were fished from the pond behind the marque and children peeked through magnifying glasses in awe of their microscopic worlds. In the worm farm workshops, children sat with expressions of fascination (and sometimes disgust) as they learned about the different layers of worm farms and how to use both worm castings and juice to help their garden grow.

A potting station was available for the children to learn how to pot basil plants and take their new plants home to watch them grow and use in the kitchen.

Finally, the bee hotel workshop amazed, with children being taught by Marco Bellemo about the importance of pollinators and learning how to construct their own hotel to help support the bee population.

After enjoying the workshops, the children were encouraged to enjoy “Green Connections”, which was created through a joint partnership with VSGP and RB Landscapes. On any given day, strings of enthusiastic children could be seen among the many features of the garden, peeking through bamboo, climbing up logs, climbing up grass covered steps, and generally just having a pretty great time.

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The area proved extremely successful and enjoyable for both young and young at heart, with children promising to bring their parents back over the weekend.  We sincerely thank all the volunteers who helped throughout the Show and all the sponsors who provided products and support to both areas.