In its 38th year, Floriade 2025 will celebrate Science and Nature as gardeners get underway with bulb and flower care ahead of the spring season. 

Floriade 2025 preparations are busy underway, although head gardener, Tim Howard, told the launch event of this year’s theme at Yarralumla Nursery on Tuesday that they never really stop.

“It takes 18 months of planning each year,” he says. “And then we continue on to the next year.”

A total of 970,000 flowers will be planted for Floriade this year with 440,000 tulip bulbs and 530,000 annual flowers that have been cared for by staff at Yarralumla Nursery. “They even count every single bulb by hand,” says Tim.

Three-quarters of the flowers have been planted, with preparations beginning in April. Nets were put up within the first 24 hours to protect the plants from pests.

“They’re our biggest cause of plant loss,” says Tim. “Rabbits and cockatoos are a huge problem, so it’s important that our netting is up quickly to keep them out.”

With a team of 10 gardeners who care for the flowers year round, Yarralumla Nursery director Matt Parker says the Floriade is  “something to look forward to every year and it’s a great opportunity to be out with nature.”

This year’s theme, Science and Nature, will see visitors exploring garden bed displays inspired by disciplines including physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology and botany.

Famous for its tulip displays each year, Tim says Canberra’s climate makes for the perfect environment.

“We need cold weather for the bulbs to grow well,” he says.

“We need a cold winter to activate the bulbs, followed by a nice warm spring for the annuals to colour up.”

Tim says that each year the Floriade gardeners experiment with different varieties and are currently looking at including gorilla tulips, which appear in a vibrant purple with frilled petals.

Moving to Canberra five years ago, Tim says it continues to astound him every time they open their gates for Floriade each year.

“Last year we had just under 500,000 people come through our gates,” he says.

“I can’t believe so many people turn up, it’s amazing!”

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says this year’s theme highlights Canberra’s identity as a hub of innovation and discovery.

“Floriade is a major drawcard in Canberra’s events calendar,” he says.

“In 2024, the festival delivered a total expenditure impact of more than $62 million, highlighting its importance to our city’s visitor economy.”

Outside of the Commonwealth Park, 150,000 bulbs and 150,000 annuals have been allocated to community groups and schools.

“It’s a fantastic way of beautifying our city,” says Matt.

“It’s great to see the community get behind the initiative.”

Floriade, Commonwealth Park, Saturday, September 13 to Sunday, October 12. Free entry, gates open 9.30am to 5.30pm.