A splash of colour

PLANTS and gardening often bring out the creative side in people and this winter the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne has put together an art and design program that will do just that.
Resident horticulturist Lindy Harris has always loved Australian plants so the opportunity to work at the Australian Garden was a dream come true.
On Saturday 19 July, Lindy will demonstrate how to make effective floral displays using natural materials from the garden and a simple water bowl.
“The beauty of this form of floral display in water bowls is that you don’t have to necessarily have flowers to create the display, you can use large or small containers if you want and because the design is mostly horizontal in nature the floral display is subtle and unobtrusive when placed around the home,” Lindy said.
“It’s a question of choosing the right balance of elements in order to create simple, restful, floral creations,” Lindy added.
The demonstration will run between 11.30am and 12.30pm and costs $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for children and concession holders.
Call the gardens on 5990 2245 to book a spot.
Well-known artist and educator David Wong will explore how children can use art to connect with nature on Thursday 3 July.
David will conduct a two hour ‘hands on’ workshop for childcare professionals and mums and dads to learn new ways of unlocking a child’s imagination through a sense of discovery and play.
“In this workshop the carers will have the same experience that the kids have and, in doing so, they will discover things anew – it’s about empowering the carers,” David said.
“This workshop will challenge your perception of art, play and nature.”
The activity will run between 10am and noon and costs $15 for adults.