If I was asked to name one thing Canberra, Australia, is known for (ignoring Parliament House and politics), my immediate answer would be tulips. Our cool climate is perfect for cultivating tulips. Each spring we hold a tulip festival called Floriade at Commonwealth Park overlooking Lake Burley Griffin from mid-September through to mid-October.
A bit of trivia: The original city plan for Canberra was designed by an American – Walter Burley Griffin. He won the Federal Capital Design Competition in 1911. If you’ve heard of Walter Burley Griffin, can you tell me which American city/state he was from (without Googling the answer)?
The best time of year to visit Canberra is spring, followed by autumn when the leaves are falling. Does your town or city hold an annual flower festival that draws a crowd? Or, have you travelled and visited a flower festival?
An update on my father: His bypass surgery is booked in for tomorrow (Monday morning – Aussie time which is Sunday evening – US time). Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
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Her Forgotten Cowboy (Cowboy Country) by Deb Kastner
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Dancing at Daybreak (Urban Farm Fresh Romance 7) by Valerie Comer
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A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
I didn’t know that about the designer of the Canberra no idea where is originally comes from.
I would love to go to Floriade one day. (and meet Daisy). I just missed seeing the tulips in Washington State. Would love to go anywhere where I could see a Tulip display.
Probably the closest I have been to a flower festival is going to the Burchard Gardens in Victoria Island, Canada.
Hi Narelle, your father remains in my prayers, as do the medical staff working with him. We have enjoyed a few visits to Floriade- one time some local orienteering clubs had a great course set up for the kids, which they loved! My mum and I have gone to the Bowral tulip show also and enjoyed it. Hmm, I knew Walter Burley Griffin was an American, but I have no idea which city/state he was from.
Blessings:)
Prayers on your dad and the medical team❤️🙏❤️.
I have never been to any kind of festival, but it sounds beautiful!
Hi Narelle! My thoughts and prayers for your family and your father’s heart bypass surgery. Praying for the heart doctor’s steady hand and clear mind. The first weekend in May our town has its annual Blossom Parade. The week before priests Bless the Blossoms of our fruit trees (cherry, apple, peach). About midway up the coast of Lake Michigan is Holland, Michigan. The second week in May is Tulip Festival. First the town washes their streets and each province of the Netherlands does a wooden shoe dance in their province’s costume and on Saturday is the Tulip Parade. Every few years we go visit Windmill Island or Dutch Village or Veldheer Tulip Gardens with their 5.5 million tulips to walk through and enjoy. My family first visited Veldheer Tulip Gardens in 1958 when I was 8 years old – a Mother’s Day tradition. Many people in mid Michigan are of Dutch descent. Horticulture is a huge part of Michigan’s economy. Praying for God’s blessing this Sunday and for the coming week.
Sorry, I haven’t heard of Walter Burley Griffin. I think he would make for a great book read, though :) I enjoy reading about the late 1800’s – early 1900’s. Inspy fiction, of course :)
Prayers for your dad & the family. Thank you for the reminder of the time difference.
I have a hard time with that. So, is it sunny or rainy today? It’s overcast here.
Continued prayers for your Dad!
Narelle! Curiosity won and I had to google Walter Burley Griffin, since this German American enjoys architecture. I will not give the answer away, but wow! I lived near his birthplace and I know his style. I have seen it and definitely know the architect he worked for. Interesting. I think his style influenced by great uncle Otto’s building style because he lived in Griffin’s neighborhood around the 1920s.
I am guessing he came from Michigan but I don’t know. I have never been to a flower festival but it sounds like a lot of fun. I am sending prayers for your dad and your family.
Continuing to pray for you Dad!! There aren’t any flower festivals near me, unless you count the one at Epcot, which is way to expensive for me!!! And, too crowded!!
Lori! Not Michigan but you are close. Do you know any famous Midwest architectural designs? His boss is better known!
Prayers continue!
Like Jenny, my favorite gardens are the Butchart Gardens near Victoria, Canada (Vancouver Island). I’ve only been once in early spring but would love to go again sometime in the summer when the roses are in full bloom, but the tulips, daffodils, etc were amazing in spring!
Prayers for your dad and your family.
Prayers for your family
Tulips are so pretty and I love the huge variety of colors they are available in! I hope all goes well with your dad’s surgery!
Narelle, prayers for your dad. When I was in high school, we lived in Spokane, Washington, and every spring they have the Lilac Festival. I miss lilacs because they don’t grow in warm climates where I’ve lived for many years. Tulips don’t do well in warm climates either. I’ve heard you can plant them, then dig them up and store them in the freezer over the summer, then plant them in the fall. But I’m not sure they would do well in southern Arizona even doing that.
Prayers for your dad, your family, and the medical staff entrusted with his care. Speedy recovery to him! In my town we have the sunflower festival dedicated to all things sunflower.
Hi Jenny, Yes, Floriade is definitely worth seeing and Daisy would love to meet you, too. :) A Canadian flower festival sounds fun. Bowral (NSW Southern Highlands) also has a tulip festival. The Adelaide Hills is probably the closest location to you? Being a tourist area there are likely tulip displays somewhere. We also have a tulip farm just outside of Canberra (Tulip Tops) that’s a lovely place to visit in Spring. :)
Hi Wemble, Thank you. :) I’m glad you’ve seen Floriade and the tulip show in Bowral. I’m not sure when I first learned more about Walter Burley Griffin? It was probably from a tour guide at one of our local attractions. Blessings. :)
Hi Renate, Thanks for your prayers. A Blossom Parade would be fun to watch. The tulips in Michigan sound amazing! Another reason to move Michigan further toward the top of my travel wish list!
I suspect Walter Burley Griffin is more famous in Australia than the US. And yes, I’m not surprised that you’ve seen his architectural style.
I used to get confused when driving around our Parliament House on the road called ‘State Circle’. That was until I learned that all the streets and avenues running off the circle are in the direction order of the state capital cities from Brisbane in Queensland (north) and swinging around the eastern and southern states to Perth in Western Australia. You’ll learn lots of quirky facts if you research Canberra. :)
Hi Paula, Thank you! :) The flower festivals are fun to visit.
Hi Michelle, Thanks for your prayers. It’s late morning here and overcast here, too. Every so often the sun peeks through, but it’s too cold for me to sit outside for long. There’s likely a biography published on Walter Burley Griffin’s life and achievements. :)
Thank you, Jackie. :)
Hi Lori, Thanks for your prayers. Like Renate said, you’re close, and Michigan borders his home state. Flower festivals are fun, and I hope you’ll have a chance to visit one. :)
Hi Trudy, Floriade is free to visit. Although, when my teens were younger I used to complain about the cost of the rides. The Ferris Wheel was fun and provided a lovely view of Canberra. :)
Hi Valerie, Thank you! I’d love to visit the Butchart Gardens. :)
Thank you! :)
Thank you! :)
Hi Ellie, Thank you! I agree, the variety of tulip colours are simply stunning. :)
Hi Merrillee, Thank you! A lilac festival would be great to visit. I suspect you’re right about the southern Arizona climate. In Australia we typically see tulips growing in the southern states with the cooler weather. :)
Hi Pam, Thank you! A sunflower festival sounds fun. :)
Adelaide doesn’t have the tulips but the Dandenong ranges in Melbourne do have them.
Just thought in Tassie we went to a Lavender farm and got to see the distilling etc. (Only do it for 6 weeks a year). It was so overpowering and sickly.
In Canada it wasn’t a festival its world renown gardens. Ballarat has the Begonia festival every March. That would probably be the closest for me.
I went late May so the bulbs had finished but it was still beautiful and I LOVED the carousel but a tip if you have issues getting on things don’t pick the cat with a tail sticking up!
That’s great about the tulips! One of my favorite flowers. It made me think if the lilac festival in a Chicago suburb Lombard, near where I grew up. My absolute favorite is lilacs. We had one bush in the backyard while I was growing up. Across the street they had lilacs all around their lot!
Wow, we don’t have anything like that for free!! Hope your Dad’s doing well after his surgery!
I’m praying your father is doing well after surgery <3
Great post! A tulip festival sounds like lots of fun! 😊
I have never heard of Walter Burley Griffin, but I do like flowers and the tulips are beautiful. Our town is a small town and we do not have a flower festival. It sounds like it would be fun to visit one.
Hi Paula, The lilac festival sounds like a lot of fun. :)
Thank you ♥️ He’s recovering really well and and working hard in the rehab gym to regain his strength. Hopefully he’ll be home within the next 2 weeks, :)
Hi Caitlyn, it is fun! We’re having a cold snap atm with low overnight temps – hopefully the frosts won’t delay the budding of the tulips. 😊
Hi Judy, I hope you’ll have an opportunity to visit a flower festival. :)