Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia

 

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Friends' events

Diary of Events

See Friends' events calendar.

    Friends' events and activities are also listed under each Garden: see the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah for a full list of all activities in each Garden.

    Summer raffle!

    Over $17,000 worth of prizes! Win spectacular botanical artworks, framed photographic prints, stunning jewellery, kids prizes, adventure packages, gardening tools and much, much more! Buy books of tickets as Christmas gifts for friends or family members, or treat yourself for your chance to win! Buy tickets in the Friends' Summer Raffle today.

    Special Events

    Friends' special events each year include:

    • Gardens in Focus Photography Competition - a free public exhibition of the highly commended and winning photos
    • Artisans in the Gardens - an exhibition of superbly crafted work in a variety of media, on themes of plants and nature.
    • Botanica - an exhibition of fine botanical art - click here to view Botanica 2012 web pages
    • Plant Sales -  plants propagated from stock in the three Botanic Gardens
    • Book Sale - pre-loved books on horticulture, environment and a number of other topics
    • New Year's Eve - join Friends on the Mare and Foal Lawn within the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney
    • Friends' Art School - an opportunity to join classes on botanical painting and still life with acrylics
    • Friends Basketry Program - discover the ancient and contemplative craft of basketry with professional basket maker Meredith Peach
    • Tours - special interest tours for garden enthusiasts and nature lovers

    Gardens in Focus Photographic Competition

    The 2011 competition is now open. Go to  www.gardensinfocus.com.au for full details.

    Botanica 2012

    ‘The Masters and Moore’

    An Exhibition of the finest Botanical Art from all over Australia.

    An outstanding exhibition of Australia’s internationally known ‘Masters’ of Botanical Art and emerging artists of the nation will open on the evening of Friday 30 March at the Maiden Theatre and the Moore Room in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

    The scale and beauty of these rooms are the perfect venue for exhibiting the work of the finest Botanical artists in the country - an event not to be missed by collectors and art lovers alike!

    Join special guests  and the artists for the opening night celebration and a chance to view (and buy) the works before the exhibition opens to the general public. Opening night tickets will be on sale from the middle of November.

    Botanical illustrators can also submit works of black & white scientific botanical illustration for the prestigious Margaret Flockton Award. Click here for details of the Margaret Flockton award 2012, including conditions of entry, submission deadline, etc.

    Plant Sales

    The Growing Friends volunteers propagate tubestock from seeds and cuttings of plants growing in the Royal Botanic Garden, the Australian Botanic Garden and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. The stock includes unusual and hard-to-find plants, many drought-resistant. Plants are sold at the Growing Friends' weekday plant sales in the Royal Botanic Garden at lunchtime, most Monday to Fridays. See our Growing Friends' plant notes for Exotic or Australian plants propagated. We also hold  plant sales on the second Saturday of most months, 9 am-1 pm, at the Royal Botanic Garden, and at the Australian Botanic Garden in autumn and spring each year.

    Book Sale

    Friends' Book Sale each year in autumn in the Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

    Pre-loved books on horticulture, the environment, garden design and related topics, as well as craft and cooking, are sold each year in the J.H. Maiden Theatre at the Royal Botanic Garden. Profits from the sale support our donations to the Botanic Gardens Trust Library. Donations of second-hand books are welcome throughout the year at the Friends' office.

    Art Master Classes

    In 2011, the Friends be offering a variety of classes. Acclaimed botanical artist, Bev Allen, will present a Master Class with an emphasis on the finer details that bring a painting to life, a special class on painting on vellum and a Master Class to help refine your techniques for painting white flowers. Bev’s classes are for artists with some experience wishing to improve their skills. Melbourne artist, Steph Goss, will once again guide you through the application of water colour washes using large brushes to create a larger than life painting. Charlotte Thodey continues her very successful classes in Acrylic Still Life Painting which encourage the student to look passionately at fruit and vegetables. For more information about classes, click here.

      

    Bev Allen's Lotus
    Botanica 2012
    The Masters and Moore

    Carol-Marando-product

    Friends' Summer Raffle

    Click here for calendar of all Friends events.

    Paul Foley image
    Finding pictures wherever you are - Three workshops available - Saturday 11 February, Saturday 24 March and Saturday 28 Aprl 2012

    Coiled sampler basket
    Friends Basketry Program

    Nautilus by Ulan Murry
    Artisans in the Gardens 2011

    Gardening workshop
    Gardening workshop

    Bird banding
    Bird banding

    Botanica exhibition
    Botanica exhibition

    Plant sale
    Plant sale

    Book sale
    Pre-loved book sale

    Musicians at Artisans
    Musicians playing at Artisans Exhibition opening

    New Year's Eve
    New Year's Eve fireworks

    Friends at Windyridge
    Friends at Windyridge, Mount Wilson

    students in art master class 
    Students in an art master class