Purchase plants on Friday mornings from the Growing Friends nursery at the Gardens. Closest access is between Southern gate and Oak Lawn gate. All funds support the Gardens.

The Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne host a wonderful botanical art program in Australia. With classes presented by local and internationally awarded tutors, the art program delivers a wide range of skills and opportunities to progress to advanced levels.

Botanical art is a specialised art form of painting and drawing with various mediums, and one in which plant portraits combine finely observed detail with artistic expression.

The Friends deliver a program of botanical art classes each week of the school terms, both during the day and evenings, providing a suitable time for everyone to participate.  Our tutors are high achievers and are keen to welcome you to classes and nurture your skills in botanical illustration.

Specialist art workshops are also held throughout the year and are presented by leading Australian artists including our own tutors, and international visiting artists.

If you are new to botanical art and before you join our classes, it is a requirement of the Friends’ program that you complete an Introduction to Botanical Art Workshop. These workshops are held regularly throughout the year in term breaks usually over four days. They are designed to give a student a well-rounded exposure to various elements of botanic art which are essential to be able to progress to regular art classes.