Events

BOOKING EXTENDED UNTIL TUESDAY 9TH JUNE  We have great pleasure in inviting you and your friends to the FGBG Annual Winter Lunch at Mt Duneed Estate. In the cosy Vineyard Room with panoramic views acrossthe vines towards the Barrabool Hills. Head Chef Daniel Duve will prepare a gourmet two course lunch followed by tea or coffee. Drinks will be available at bar. The speaker this year,  for the Winter Lunch, is Richard Barley MBE FCIH CHort FLS  Richard will speak about ‘Reinvigorating the historic Kew Gardens landscape’ Born in Ballarat and educated in Geelong, Richard has built an influential career in horticulture spanning Australia and the UK. He began at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne in 1980, later becoming Director of the Melbourne Gardens before leading Open Gardens Australia as CEO. In 2013, he was appointed Director of Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he oversaw its world-renowned gardens, outreach programs, and the Wakehurst site. Awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to horticulture, Richard returned to Victoria in 2025 and now lives in Woodend with his family, working as a consultant and continuing to contribute his expertise to the field. The event starts at 12.30 pm, please arrive from 12.00 pm onward. Bookings are essential and due by 9 June 2026. * Please indicated when booking your groups name, please also include any dietary requirments. Please contact the Friends' Office on 5229 0071 for further information.

A guided tour to explore the Stormwater Harvesting Project in Eastern Park and how it has evolved over the years.   The storm-water dam has created a natural wetland promoting diverse plant and animal life, providing valuable water for Geelong Botanic Gardens. Meet your guide at the front steps.

  Discover the beauty of Hellebores in this Botanic Art Workshop with Amanda Blake-Sutterby. Learn to capture their nodding blooms, rich tones, and lasting “petals” in a workshop suitable for beginners to intermediate students, this is a rewarding creative challenge focused on the pleasure of the process.  Hellebores are shade-loving perennial plants, and they are prized for their elegant nodding blooms, leathery green foliage and their ability to brighten up our winter gardens. The petals are actually sepals, which is why the blooms last so long. The true petals are the tiny nectar producing structures inside the flower. Hellebores have for generations been very popular in Botanical Illustration and make a perfect winter workshop subject. Morning Tea, and a comlimentary frame provided to complete your finished artwork. The workshop will be held in the Geelong Botanic gardens large meeting room at the rear of the gardens. MEMBERS $165  NON-MEMBERS $195 MATERIALS LIST  CLASS OUTLINE   CANCELLATION POLICY    

Meet your guide at the front steps. Take a stroll through the newest area in the GBG, which was constructed during Covid 2020. Unique plants & trees are the key feature of this beautifully landscaped section. Many of these specimens from the region of the Pacific are endangered due to the threat of deforestation & climate change. A place for contemplation with seats to enjoy the gardens, as well as rocks to invite children to play happily.

Movie Night, The Rose Maker, followed by a French Bastille Day-themed supper. The Rose Maker is a gentle, feel-good story about Eve, a once-celebrated rose grower, trying to save her fading farm. With nothing left to lose, she hires three unlikely misfits—and somehow, they start to change everything. It’s charming in the quietest way: watching imperfect people stumble, connect, and slowly bloom alongside the roses they’re trying to grow. By the end, it’s hard not to feel a little hopeful—like even the messiest situations can still turn into something beautiful. 🌹

The pollination of plants is integral to their reproduction and survival.  Come and hear about the differing ways native plants are pollinated.  They provide habitat for local native fauna to encourage pollinators such as small birds, butterflies, native bees, lizards, frogs and bats.   Meet your guide at the front steps.

China had the first Botanical Garden in 138 BC, an enormous park with 2,000 different plants and hot houses. 2nd emperor Yang Di in Sui dynasty (581-618AD) built the largest gardens in history and searched far and wide for rare and beautiful plants. 2,000 years of Chinese horticultural endeavour enrich gardens all over the world.  Join me on a walk on 13th September at 2.00 to see how many of our plants have Chinese origins! Meet your guide at the front steps.