IT”S ALL OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR. 
The following detail has been kept as an archive of this years event.

Over many months the Gardens horticultural staff have been getting the Garden displays ready for another great weekend of fun and seasonal celebration for the annual Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Spring Community Fest. What was once known locally as the tulip festival it had over the years grown into so much more and hence the change of focus and the name!

So much is available this year from beautiful spring colour and bloom, great live entertainers, games and onsite activities, and not to forget plenty of live and engaging presentations from some of Australia’s best horticultural and culinary experts. Please download the presenters guide below for more detail.

The Spring Community Fest has been a Tasmanian institution since 1986 attracting more than 10,000 visitors annually and we are determined to make each one a great and rewarding experience for all.

This year promises to have most things that have made the Spring Fest so popular with visitors in the past but we have also added loads of new and exciting activities to keep you engaged and enthusiastic for more throughout the two day event. Come and grab a bite to eat and wander through the many stalls offering up tantalizing treats and experiences, but don’t rush, we also want you to relax and slow down amongst the trees and gardens, find a quiet spot and soak in the spring atmosphere.

If you want some advice on your garden or for your kitchen menu this will be the place to be, not often do we get the opportunity to have so many experts available and ready to enthusiastically download their information especially for you.

Download a general program of events and map below

Snapshot of special features

On Sunday Sally Wise will be tantalising the tastebuds with her cooking and preserving presentation, the ultimate in sustainability in the home by making the best of your fresh food harvest. Some really yummy things to see and try including:

• Piccalilli (with slow roasted beef)Beetroot chilli sauce (with smoked salmon)
Kasoundi made with bottled tomatoes (discussion relating to why we preserve)
Jam – possibly raspberry and blueberry (discussion of the benefits of freezing the fruits of summer)

Extra samples of
• Smoked salmon with (home) preserved lemon and mint (homemade) Labna
Sippets of breads made with homemade yeasts. Recipes from the Derwent Valley are generations old.
Check out Sally’s website on the homemade yeast update: http://www.sallywise.com.au/

Also over both days Jennifer Stackhouse will provide a great series of walk and talk sessions in the Community Garden and the Perennial Border with topics exploring the diverse and intriguing world of plant pollination and it fundamental importance in the world’s food production. Practical tips that will help you discover the secrets of successful fruit production. You will also discover the world of creatures in your garden, are they of benefit and how we can manage them to work for us? She will also join forces with highly experienced horticulturist Marcus Ragus in an enjoyable discovery of plant growth, how plants behave and what will be their future in a garden as they get older. An absolute must see for those wanting to know more about the best plants for your garden. There will be plenty of time throughout to ask lots of questions.

Paul Healy brings us his incredible holistic approach to chickens and organic gardening with his Total Poultry Garden sessions featured on both days. A unique approach to gardening that directly integrates chickens with a healthy production garden, discover his secrets of success. Visitors will also have an opportunity to talk further with him and see his chickens in action throughout the Fest.
As well as our main presenters there are many really engaging and fascinating activities happening over the Spring Fest weekend here are just a few:

As well as our main presenters there are many really engaging and fascinating activities happening over the Spring Fest weekend here are just a few:

Spring Fest and Feeding the Future present
Stephen Lunn, chef and hospitality trainer with more than 30 years experience in the field. Stephen is the  owner of the Chefaholic Cooking School in a small vineyard in Cambridge, just outside of Hobart town. Most of the produce he uses is grown onsite or sourced from local growers.
Stephen will present some wonderful simple dishes using fresh produce from around the garden, great inspiration for those who love their local produce!

He has cooked for many celebrities including Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson. He was a gold medal winner in the prestigious International Culinaire in Belfast, and has won numerous gold medals in Australian Culinary Federation competitions around the country.Have a look at Stephen’s website which has more detail on his work and classes at: http://www.chefaholiccookingschool.com/

Vegetable animalVegetable People, NO… Vegetable sculpture!
Feeding the Future state manager Jane Grosvenor and Kerrin Grosvenor are back with more fabulously engaging hands on children’s (and big children), activities at the Community tent in the Tasmanian Community Food Garden. This year they will be creating vegetable animal/people sculptures with lots of opportunity for visitors to make their own. The underlying message this year is the importance of vegetables to our health – personal, social and economic sustainability.

 

 

Activity with Wozzere

The gardens are hosting a Photo Scavenging Hunt totally coordinated through a new iphone app called ‘wozzere’.
Trace the path to view and capture significant trees, historic views and unusual plants. Wozzere even lets you combine historic and new photos. Place yourself in the views of the garden as they were 120 years ago. The first person to complete the route, answer a question and upload a photo at each of the eight sites, using the unique overlay functionality of the app, will be the winner. MORE

Find out more at the Community tent in the Tasmanian Community Garden

 

Get your tickets early and miss the queue

Tickets are available now from the Botanical Shop at the Gardens or from the gates on the days. Adults $10, Concession $5, RACT Members $8, Children under 14 FREE.

Free parking at the Cenotaph with free shuttle buses delivering you right to the gates.

Gates will open at 10am and close at 4pm each day.