Canberra’s annual Floriade garden festival is set to open on September 12, with Kiera Buckley stepping into her first year as head gardener for the event. Floriade, held at Commonwealth Park, showcases over a million blooms across nearly one hectare of landscaped displays.

Buckley, who has overseen an eight-month preparation process, described the meticulous planning involved. After receiving the garden designs, her team develops a comprehensive guide detailing each step before the installation begins. The process starts with marking out the garden beds, followed by soil treatment to prevent weeds, pests, and diseases. Drainage systems are installed before layering soil and bulbs—a technique Buckley refers to as the “lasagna” method—where soil, bulbs, nutrients, and annual plants are built up in stages.

The gardens feature a variety of spring-flowering bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, triteleia, and muscari, complemented by pansies, violas, chrysanthemums, and poppies. Despite a warmer-than-usual winter in Canberra, the tulips have benefited from several frosts, allowing them to emerge as planned.

One of the ongoing challenges Buckley highlighted is managing wildlife, particularly cockatoos, which pose a threat to the gardens despite netting over the beds. The team remains vigilant against a range of pests—from rabbits and rats to water hens—and conducts twice-weekly inspections to detect any signs of plant stress or disease. Soil pathogens are also closely monitored through extensive testing upon soil delivery, and preventative measures such as copper applications help deter aphid infestations. Nonetheless, weather remains an uncontrollable factor in the gardens’ success.

Buckley, who grew up surrounded by gardens in Canberra, expressed a particular fondness for daffodils, describing them as bright and cheerful reminders of her childhood. While the role demands physical endurance, she noted recent health challenges, including double carpal tunnel surgery, but she remains committed to the work.

Following the festival’s conclusion on October 11, Buckley and her team will immediately begin remediation efforts to restore the park’s turf and prepare for the next year’s event. Floriade continues to be Australia’s largest horticultural celebration, combining both intricate landscape design and intensive horticultural management.