Has anyone noticed how gardening has crept back into our lives? Community veggie patches, containers of herbs and heirloom tomatoes on balconies and footpath flower patches erupting from disused verge?

Grandparents everywhere must be proud of the return to homegrown and horticultural nerds must thrill at seedbanks, award-winning landscape design and research into drought tolerant species. And where should those with an interest in growing go? The inaugural Australian Garden Show, of course.

Held in Centennial Park, this three day expo has all the bases covered. There will be displays from Chelsea Flower Show gold medalists, Tom Harfleet and Jim Fogarty, three-times UK Designer of the Year and event Ambassador, Andrew Fisher-Tomlin, French vertical garden expert Patrick Blanc and a host of local horticultural, landscaping and design personalities including event curator and Ambassador Myles Baldwin and Ambassador Indira Naidoo.

Celebrity chef Kylie Kwong and entomologist Skye Blackburn will create a selection of recipes featuring locally bred edible insects including crickets and dehydrated earthworms in their talk as part of the Seeds of Wisdom Lecture Series. If insects aren’t your cup of tea, catch talks from international vertical garden guru Patrick Blanc, Aussie garden legends Angus Stewart and Graham Ross, and Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans. 

There’s a potting tent for children, interactive garden displays, a grand floral pavilion, as well as the aptly named Harvest Restaurant where Chefs will prepare dishes using ingredients from the onsite kitchen garden.  Lindeman’s will be hosting an Open Garden for the first time in Sydney, a beautiful space where you can relax, watch cooking demonstrations and taste Lindeman’s Early Harvest Range.

Listen to experts talk sustainability, organics, fruit salad trees and everything in between and wind down with a drink at day’s end when the light show comes into play.

Australian Garden Show
Adult day passes start at $35 pp
5 – 8 September 2013
Centennial Park, Sydney 

SHOP THE DOZEN

GREEN WITH ENVY

Dolce & Gabbana Floral Bikini	Smythson Leather Notebook	Dinosaur Designs Servers
Kate Sylvester Marilyn Dress	AM Eyewear Green Sunglasses	Apple Green Planter Pots
Plant Print Pillow	Local Celebrity Mary Jane Tee	Mecca Cosmetica Nail Polish
Gardens-in-a-box	Wood Wall Clock	Sophie Hulme Floral Bag