Category Archives: plants and gardens

HOT: Melbourne Open House, Melbourne

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I think one of the best free events held as part of State of Design is Melbourne Open House. The 2-day event sees public and private buildings all around Melbourne throw open their doors for a rare opportunity for you and I to discover the hidden histories and spaces in and around the CBD.

There are more than 60 sites to visit, including bowls clubs, banks, residential buildings, libraries and rooftop gardens. It’s an amazingly popular event so to make the most of it take Melbourne Open House’s advice:

–          Plan your day

–          Know building opening times (they do vary) and if a building is running tours – click here

–          Be prepared for queues

–          Have a contingency plan and be flexible

For instance, I had wanted to check out the normally closed upper levels of Block Arcade, but all the upcoming tours were full so I ended up at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library and Origin Roof Garden instead.

The Melbourne Athenaeum Library is normally open only to subscription members and is the city’s oldest public institution, with the library’s collection starting in 1840. The densely packed dark wood bookshelves overlook the grand facades of the Regent Theatre and Melbourne Theosophical Society, and the library is a step back in time amongst the CBD bustle.

Every visitor is given a self-guided tour briefly explaining various items of interest, from paintings to a metal book press. My favourites were the classical lift façade (from 1930) and the beautiful Art Nouveau bronze lamp holders.

The Origin Roof Garden was a very different space. Designed by famous TV landscape designer Jamie Durie, the 458 square metre balcony garden is for Origin employees to meet, relax and eat lunch. There’s barbecue and cooking facilities, outdoor seating covered in artificial turf and the most distinctive feature, an open-ended cylinder covered in turf. The garden has been designed using sustainable, recycled timber products, artificial turf and drought tolerant and allergy-free plants.

Lucky Origin employees!

Get your walking shoes on! Melbourne Open House finishes today 25 July. Check out all the properties and opening hours here.

HOT: Flowers by Tribal Rose, 257 Smith St, Fitzroy

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When it came to choosing a florist for our wedding, I basically went for the florist that was closest to my house, Flowers by Tribal Rose. Their quote for a bouquet and table arrangements was mid-range with other florists in the area, they were conveniently located and I’d always admired their window displays so I trusted that they would do a good job.

I met with Camilla, the wedding florist specialist, twice – once to discuss my thoughts on the kind of flowers and colour scheme that I’d like, and the second time for her to show me some of the blooms in season in March. I’m not sure whether it’s usual but I didn’t actually get to see the bouquet or table arrangements until the wedding day – but I felt entirely confident in their expertise.

The brief was a mixture of orchids and Australian natives (reflecting RM and my respective ethnic backgrounds), with red as the dominant colour, the use of bamboo to anchor the table settings given the wooden tables and almost tropical feel of our reception venue, Longrain, and shapes that were modern and striking. I am not a round pink-posy kind of person, and I didn’t think my wedding flowers should be like that either.

I hope you’ll agree with me that Flowers by Tribal Rose did a great job! I high recommend their service and design eye and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for any sort of large-scale event again.

  • Flowers by Tribal Rose, +

HOT Spots Winter 2010

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P1050628v1Once again the City of Melbourne have produced a free pocket-sized booklet full of lots of ideas to inspire you to get out of the house and enjoy winter in Melbourne. This is a post to bookmark!

I sat down with a cup of tea and flicked through the booklet, which you can pick up at many inner city shops, cafes and bars, as well as the Melbourne Visitors Centre, NGV and ACMI. It covers new places and old classics split up into five geographical sections, some of which have been reviewed on the blog before and some of which I’ve earmarked for a visit. Here are my highlights:

Central

The Wheeler Centre. The new heart for Melbourne’s literary culture, the Wheeler Centre holds frequent author’s talks, some of them free. I’m going to hear Ayaan Hirsi Ali speak on Thursday 29 July.

Melbourne International Film Festival. I look forward to MIFF every year – for three weeks I get to hibernate in the city’s cinemas and feast on great films. Last year I managed to get to fifteen of them!

Previously blogged Izakaya Den, Tessuti Fabrics and Movida Aqui get a mention and I’m aiming to hit pizza specialists Barbagallo, new bar 24 Moons and hot new Mexican eatery (again, with better lighting).

Northside

The North Melbourne Market has become a regular event held every two months. So many new options for me here – cheese galore at La Latteria, take home cassoulet at La Parisienne Pates, authentic Indian food at the Classic Curry Co, browsing vintage furniture and bric-a-brac at The Junk Company and having a pub lunch at Hotel Lincoln.

Cultural

I’m not going to see Mary Poppins the Musical because I saw it recently in London, and it was one of the most magical, fun and joyous theatrical events I’ve ever been to. When Mary Poppins flew into the air the whole crowd spontaneously broke out into cheers! Highly recommended.

And I’m definitely going to try Tsindos, a 30-year old stalwart of Little Greece in Lonsdale Street and I’m told home to great mezethes.

Westside

I was excited to hear about Urban Reforestation, a community garden, eco shop and educational centre in the middle of concrete-and-glass Docklands. Their aim is to inspire urban farming for sustainability and food security (they’re currently investigating the possibility of rooftop farms!) through consultation with corporates and for helping individuals with gardening lessons and cooking classes.

I think I’ll combine a visit to Urban Reforestation with a stroll around the Docklands Sunday Market and maybe a late lunch as part of Slow Sundays, where you get a $15 tasting plate with beer or wine between 2-6pm every Sunday from 20 June – 29 August.

Southside

I’ve just renewed by NGV membership so I will be heading to NGV’s Winter Masterpieces 2010 European Masters: Stadel Museum 19-20th Century between 19 June – 10 October.

ACMI is hosting a huge Tim Burton exhibition direct from New York’s MOMA from 24 June – 10 October which I’m quite excited about.

State of Design, Victoria’s design festival, is happening between 14-25 July and once again I’ll be immersing myself in all things design for two weeks. As part of the festival Melbourne Open House is on 24-25 July where lots of heritage buildings will be open to the public – a great way to learn some of the stories and history behind the city.

Last but not least, Melbourne Design Market is happening at Federation Square carpark again on Sunday 11 July. This year will be extra special for me because the lovely Kath and Ben from Jellybean Bikes and my new cycling clothing and accessories business CycleStyle will be setting up a cycle-licious stall at the market! Come and say hi.

For details and more winter ideas, check out That’s Melbourne.

HOT: Lost & Found Hotel Room, Little Collins Hotel, 27 Lt Collins St, Melbourne

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I live and breathe Melbourne almost every day of the year and this blog is my way of sharing a bit of Melbourne with my local, interstate and international readers.

However, I think possibly an even better way to share the best of the city is to create an experience which is all about Melbourne.

The Lost & Found Hotel Room is a novel concept from Right Angle Studio, the people behind the Lost & Found e-newsletter for Tourism Victoria. The premise is fabulous – a hotel room at the rather shabby 70s style Little Collins Hotel which has been especially appointed by curator Georgina Hobart with all things Melbourne – from the bathroom products from Aesop (each lucky guest receives a Jet Set pack, one of my favourite Aesop products) and ceramics by Shelley Panton…

….the Miranda July pillowcases from quirky Fitzroy store Third Drawer Down, bed linen from Linen & Moore and bedside lamp by furniture makers Pierre and Charlotte…

…a cosy reading chair and tripod lamp by Temperature Design…

…and assorted artworks from gallery Utopian Slumps.

If you’re feeling peckish as you listen to the curated collection of vinyls of Melbourne bands (including , My Disco and ) or flick through the culturally enriching reading material, you can delve into the nibbles from Mount Zero, pour yourself a glass of red by King Valley’s Pizzini Wines or sip tea from Brunswick specialist tea purveyors Larsen and Thompson.

Two of the four walls comprise floor-length windows streaming sunshine into the room and provide expansive views of Little Collins Street and the succulent balcony planters built by Flatland and planted by Melanie Stapleton from Cecilia Fox (who also changes the interior flower arrangements once a week).

If you fancy leaving the room (and I’m not sure I would, it’s just such a relaxing city sanctuary) then the cultural concierge is there to help you make the best of Melbourne. Before you check-in you are asked to complete a questionnaire to provide some information about your interests, and the cultural concierge will give you a list of suggestions and ideas for your stay.

Guests are also invited to contribute to the guest book by taking the provided camera and to uploads snaps and descriptions of the places they visit.

What total bliss.  And the price for such a wonderful stay? It’s free!

All you have to do apply for a reservation between 1 June and 31 August. The only catch – as it’s ultimately a tourism promotion you probably have a better chance if you’re from interstate, have a strong social media/online presence and work in the creative industries. They’ve received 2500 applications for every week, so competition’s tough!

Thanks to Lost & Found Hotel Room for allowing me to access the room before it was open to the public. Note that I didn’t get to stay there (my application has been rejected twice, boo) so I can only vouch for the beauty of the interior decoration and can’t attest to the comfort of the bed or whether it gets really cold at night. I got to stay! Here’s a review of my mini-break in the city.

HOT: Metlink Edible Garden, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, City Square, Swanston St, Melbourne

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I wish the Metlink Edible Garden was a permanent fixture in Melbourne’s CBD.

Just for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (which is being held between 12-23 March), City Square has been transformed into a living, breathing biosystem. Australia’s largest gardening club The Digger’s Club have been responsible for planting 60 heirloom varieties in the raised garden beds resting on the normally concrete/dirt concourse.

The space spills with lush vegetation of herbs, vegetables and flowers and I even saw a fluttering butterfly in the arched trellises of beans (or it might have been a white cabbage moth,  but you get the picture). Unfortunately you can’t harvest crops from the garden, but you can see, touch and smell all the plants.

If you’re passing by you can receive a card flecked with seeds to plant at home.

In addition, every day there are demonstrations from The Digger’s Club and renowned Melbourne chefs, with topics covering anything from edible sculpture, how to make compost to pastry desserts.

The Metlink Edible Garden is only open until Friday 19 March. I hope all those plants find a good home…or get eaten!

HOT: Marvellous March in Melbourne

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I’m all for comfort food, opaque tights and scarves (I think it’s a reaction to growing up in sunny Queensland) – yay for Marvellous March!

Marvellous March is also the name of a handy little booklet produced by That’s Melbourne with details of the big events around Melbourne that will make you love autumn. This is a post to bookmark! Thanks to City of Melbourne, here are some highlights and photos:

Moomba Festival 2010
Melbourne’s largest outdoor community festival makes a vibrant return to the heart of the city. From the spectacle of the Moomba Parade to the hilarious Westpac Birdman Rally, from the wonder of the Children’s Garden to awesome live music, Moomba will surprise and delight Melburnians of all ages.  March 5 – 8. Alexandra Gardens & Birrarung Marr.

The 2010 Indian Film Festival – Bollywood And Beyond
All the colour, drama, music and romance of Bollywood comes to Melbourne for eight days.  ‘The Queen of Bollywood’ – multi award-winning actress Rani Mukherjee – will open festivities at Cinema Nova with the launch of her new film, the comedy musical “Dil Bole Hadippa.”   The festival will feature eight premiere screenings and an array of Meet the Maker events where Hindi filmmakers including Rajkumar Hirani (director of the highest grossing Hindi film of all time- 3 Idiots) and Imtiaz Ali (director of box office hits Jab We Met & Love Aaj Kal) will discuss their careers within the world’s biggest film industry. 10-17 March 2010.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
One of my favourite Melbourne festivals. The delicious 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will see the city hosting a long lunch, a food-lover’s fiesta and drool-worthy master classes. Take yourself on a visual treasure hunt with the Feasting Vignettes, presented by the City of Melbourne, grab a sustainable nibble at the Metlink Edible Garden showcasing regional produce and relax with free Barilla Foodie Films. 12 – 23 March 2010.

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L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival
The LMFF is a stylish showcase for established and up and coming fashion designers. Check out Sidewalk, a series of free runway presentations bringing Australia’s leading fashion brands on a spectacular inflatable fashion catwalk at Federation Square. 14 – 21 March 2010.

20th Melbourne Queer Film Festival
See the latest, greatest and most creative in queer feature films, documentaries and shorts at the 20th Melbourne Queer Film Festival. A $2,000 cash prize is also up for grabs for the winner of the City of Melbourne Award for Best Australian short film. 17 – 28 March 2010.

Antique3 (Large)

Thai Culture & Food Festival
Discover the wonderful secrets of Thai cooking, enjoy a gentle Thai massage and some traditional music and entertainment, and when you get hungry sample Thai food on the River Terrace at Federation Square – think green curry, fish cakes, pad thai, chicken basil and more. 21 March 2010.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is the biggest annual flower and garden show in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. An impressive 500+ exhibitors will showcase the latest products and services at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. 24 – 28 March 2010.

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Melbourne International Comedy Festival
It’s the biggest festival Melbourne has to offer and last year just over half a million people laughed at the antics of some of the finest comedy performers in the world. Check out my reviews from last year’s festival. This year I’m  seeing Cardinal Burns and Tim Key. 24 March – 18 April 2010.

2010 FORMULA 1TM Australian Grand Prix
It’s the country’s premier motor sport event that brings together the world’s finest and flashiest cars, glamour, celebrities (including Miss Polonia, for some bizarre reason) and the rush of adrenalin as the world’s most skilful drivers tackle the Albert Park racetrack. 25 – 28 March 2010. 

Lonsdale Street Glendi Festival Festival
Melbourne’s large Greek community takes over the Lonsdale Street precinct to celebrate their history and culture. Sample souvlaki, sweet and sticky loukoumades (Greek donuts) and then burn off those calories in the Zorba ‘til You Drop dancing competition. 27 – 28 March 2010.

Also on in March – run, watch, sail, eat and listen:

Super Sunset Series – Docklands Dash!
Whether you run or walk register for the Super Sunset Series inaugural Docklands Dash. The fun run will wind its way through the  Docklands precinct at twilight on Wednesday 10 March.

Thread Den: The Designers Sessions
Learn how to style and sew in the relaxed sewing lounge and then create your own catwalk collection! You can read my review of the sewing classes at Thread Den here. 12 – 16 March 2010.

Poster affff 2010 V8 (Large)Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
The best of contemporary French film comes to Melbourne, from action, romance, comedy and animation to thrillers, children’s films and documentaries. It’s the largest foreign film festival in Australia and this year is expected to showcase a record number of films. 4 – 21 March 2010.

Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids
Last year 30,000 men, women and children pounded the streets of Melbourne to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Do your bit for the RCH in 2010 by walking or running across and through Melbourne landmarks such as the Bolte Bridge and Domain Tunnel. 14 March 2010.

Victoria Harbour School Sailing Series
Some of Melbourne’s most promising young sailors will hone their nautical skills as part of this popular sailing series. The eager school teams will crew two-person Pacer dingies during the high-energy, fast-paced racing event – all intent on winning the series and winning the chance to represent Victoria at the Australian Championships later in the year. To enjoy the nautical action head to Victoria Harbour 18 – 21 March 2010.

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra presents Profusion
Directed by William Hennessy and with guest soloist and soprano Sara Macliver, the MCO presents Profusion at the Melbourne Recital Centre at Southbank. The evening will feature classics by Dmitri Shostakovich, Jean Sibelius, Calvin Bowman and Gustav Mahler. 21 March 2010.

World Street Food Festival
To celebrate Melbourne’s love and appreciation of food from across the globe, Queen Victoria Market will host the colourful World Street Food Festival. Expect an array of cuisines from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. Watch as the food is cooked in front of you, savour the smells, and treat your tastebuds to something new. 21 March 2010.

Melbourne International Dragon Boat Festival
The annual Melbourne International Dragon Boat Festival is a thrilling, colourful family-friendly event that celebrates everything that is great about this ancient sport. Watch the determined teams of more than 22 people battle it out for line honours on the Yarra River. 21 March 2010.

Opera in the Market
Fresh fruit and forklifts make way for elegant chandeliers and opera at Queen Victoria Market. Opera in the Market event gets underway again this year with appearances by talented artists such as young Soprano Tiffany Speight, and internationally acclaimed Tenor, Rosario La Spina. More than 150 voices and the 65-piece Melbourne Youth Orchestra also feature. 22 and 24 March 2010.

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Turkish Pazar Festival
Celebrate everything Turkish at this all day festival that showcases the best in Turkish dance, music, food and drink. Enjoy a traditional Turkish pancake or bread rings covered with crunchy sesame seeds, treat yourself to pretty handmade Turkish jewellery and ceramics and enjoy the distinctive sights and sounds of the many Turkish musicians and artists who support this annual event. 28 March 2010.

For a full list of Marvellous March events, click here.

HOT: Markets in the Garden, Royal Botanical Gardens, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarraf

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The Garden Markets is a small market held over summer which is held near the Observatory of the Royal Botanical Gardens. The grassy spot is lovely for a stroll amongst the 100 or so stallholders, none of whom I’d seen before (and I go to a lot of markets). The products ranged from jewellery, fashion, artwork, photography, skincare to plants. To replace my sunburnt plants, I bought some ed chard, silverbeet, chillies and  some purple basil organic seedlings from Marie’s Natural Herbs ‘n’ Stuff. These other stalls caught my eye:

Bright and colourful pinafore dresses from Pinikity.

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens pinikity

Photogenic cakes, cookies and sweets from Christina Blaby at 3 Wishes.

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

markets in the gardens royal botanical gardens 3 wishes

The next markets are 12 December, just in time for Christmas.

HOT: Pick and Eat Winter BBQ, Heide Museum of Modern Art, 7 Templestowe Rd, Bulleen

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One of the joys of not working is that on a balmy winter’s day, I can go for a bike ride through bucolic scenery and bask in the sun after a picnic lunch, while everyone else is cooped up, grey-faced in a temperature-controlled office cubicle.

So I was most excited when I woke up this morning, dazzled by a bright blue sky, because it was the day for my trip to Heide Museum of Modern Art. Two things: I love fresh food and I love sculpture gardens. So a Pick and Eat Winter BBQ in amongst the outdoor sculptures at Heide would count as one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon.

t Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

For about two hours, head gardener Dugald Noyes (who worked for 10 years at National Trust properties) and his assistant Anna led a group of gardeners and foodies on a tour of the vegetable garden and the kitchen garden. They talked about the history of its construction, the philosophies of the planting and the practicalities of soil quality, composting, planting and harvesting. I never knew that:

  • you shouldn’t save your own seed for brassicas, as they tend to cross-pollinate very easily. Meaning you could end up with an alien hybrid cabbage-cauliflower;
  • potatoes should be harvested using a special potato fork with flatter prongs so as not to damage the vegetable;
  • Londoners survived the Blitz by eating a lot of easy-to-grow jerusalem artichokes; and
  • the third quarter of the moon’s cycle is the best time to plant root crops.

Everyone donned their gloves and got down to hoe potatoes (check out the giant one), snip chillies and unroot bright pink radishes.

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

t Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

When the Heide Cafe (run by Shannon Bennett as Cafe Vue at Heide) opens in November 2009 it will be using the produce from the gardens. I can’t wait! Today, however, our harvest ended up in our delicious lunch made by Ed Dixon Food Design and take-home goodie bags. Sitting in the warm sunshine, we sampled crusty bread with a crushed herb paste, mellow jerusalem artichoke soup (made with no cream, but mineral water!); barbecued marinated chicken and herb baguettes, a crisp green-leaf salad, silverbeet, pea and goat’s cheese tart and prettily pink pickled radish salad. To finish off, baby pavlovas with poached rhubarb and delicate edible flowers. The lovely staff kept topping up the flutes of Chandon sparkling wine too, although I stuck to pink grapefruit Tiro.

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Musem of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen Ed Dixon Food Design

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen Ed Dixon Food Design

If all that wasn’t delightful enough, when I got home I unpacked my goodie bag – silverbeet, herbs, radishes jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, lavender, recipe cards, a pair of tickets to Heide’s indoor exhibitions and some giant sunflower seeds. The flowers went in my bathroom, the silverbeet and herbs were paired with some organic rainbow chard from Organic Wholefoods ($2.99 a bunch) for a yummy jalousie tart and I’m going to try my hand at the jerusalem artichoke soup this weekend.

The next Pick and Eat will be in spring. If it’s on a weekend I will definitely go again to sample different spring produce. For $45 I think the whole experience is fantastic value and a really special day outing, especially if you pair it with a trip to the gallery.

Pick and Eat Winter BBQ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen

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HOT: Rose Street Artists Market, 60 Rose St, Fitzroy

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Rose Street Artists Market 60 Rose St Fitzroy

The Rose Street Artists Market has been on my to-do list for at least five years, but for some reason I could never make it for the Saturday market. Fortunately, the market has now expanded to the whole weekend – perfect as I think Sundays are much more conducive to browsing and gushing.

The market is held in a indoor-outdoor area just off bustling Brunswick St and it is filled with artists and designers selling their work direct to the public. You can find stuffed elephants, knitted baby booties, Japanese prints, vintage clothing and lots of handmade jewellery and if the browsing becomes too much for you, have a coffee and a bite to eat at the Kanteen. As many desirable things as there were on sale, my only purchase was a cute little woollen jumper ($10) for my friend’s baby.

Rose Street Artists Market 60 Rose St Fitzroy

You can read all more about the market and the artists in their blog. You can also read about some great items I picked up on my most recent visit to the markets here.

HOT: Fitzroy Nursery, 390 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

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fitzroy nursery

Joycey, Joycey, quite contrary, has does your garden grow?

With a little bit of help from Fitzroy Nursery, my (ever-increasing) collection of twenty-five balcony pots have been happily providing my kitchen with fragrant herbs and crisp salad leaves, even during the frosty winter months.

While the small plant punnets ($4.95) are not as cheap as IKEA ($2.70) or Bunnings ($3.88) and frankly can be a bit weak and spindly, Fitzroy Nursery has the advantage of being (a) the only place where I’ve been able to source growing sage for my pumpkin and sage risotto; and (b) the closest nursery to my house, which makes it much easier to cart home 10kg of potting mix on my bike. Also, I love that the store and outdoor garden area is an oasis of abundant greenery in amongst the flouro streetwear and S&M gear pervading that end of Brunswick Street.

Buyers tip: At the end of May every year they hold a sale to clear old stock and prepare for winter. When everything is 20% off, the prices are much more comparable to IKEA and Bunnings.

Update 30 August 2009: Every year the nursery has a show of paintings on the theme of football, just in time for the AFL finals season. This year’s Footy Show opens September 5.