2025 Botanical Art Classes and Workshops

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

 

Hosted by experienced tutors who are highly acclaimed botanical and natural history artists

• Catering for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced students

• Available online and face to face

• Classes run seven days a week each term and workshops held during term holidays

The Friends’ Christmas Raffle – Draw Results

The Friends' Christmas Raffle

Draw Results

  • Raffle #1 Luxury Two-Night Midweek Stay Stonefields The Farmhouse

Joy Burman
Ticket Number: #556

  • Raffle #2 Mixed Wines

Karen McLeod Adair
Ticket Number: #305

  • Raffle #3 Coffee Table rattan tray and two books

David Howard
Ticket Number: #546

  • Raffle #4 An Aboriginal Heritage Walk at RBGV Melbourne for 5p

Judy Swanson
Ticket Number: #88

  • Raffle #5 Private Melbourne Gardens Tour for 2 people & Morning Tea

Karen McLeod Adair
Ticket Number: #333

  • Raffle #6 Private Bird Walk at RBGV Melbourne for 2 people & Morning Tea

Anne Ada
Ticket Number: #558

  • Raffle #7 Framed RBGV Melbourne Gardens photographs (valued $150)

Anne Silver
Ticket Number: #345

  • Raffle #8 RBGV Melbourne Gardens Shop gift voucher

David O’Beirne
Ticket Number: #36

  • Raffle #9 FRBGM Growing Friends Nursery Gift Voucher

Kathie Sampson
Ticket Number: #21

  • Raffle #10 Plant Craft Cottage Pack

Peter Lilley
Ticket Number: #387

  • Raffle #11 The Joy of Birds book pack

Lynne Cazaly
Ticket Number: #7

  • Raffle #12 Noss pink/green Salad Bowl

Sue Mcknight
Ticket Number: #296

  • Raffle #13 Laura Stoddart Pack

Elizabeth Tronson
Ticket Number: #467

  • Raffle #14 Angus & Celeste Australian Botanicals Gum Blossom Plate

Sue Mcknight
Ticket Number: #283

  • Raffle #15 Gardens books and trowel set

Jenny Kay
Ticket Number: #240

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE FRIENDS

Thanks to all of the Friends for their participation in everything we do, the volunteers for their amazing work and the Friends’ Council for their support of Friends’ activities this year.  Thank you also for our wider community of friends who also often enjoy our offerings be they events, workshops or merchandise. 

The Office will close at 5pm on Friday 20 December and reopen on Monday 6 January 2025.

The Growing Friends reopen on the 10 January and Plant Craft Cottage on the 16 January. 

We wish everyone a safe and peaceful Christmas and holiday season and all the best for 2025.

Spring Plant Sale

Growing Friends Plant Sale

Saturday 19 October 10am - 4pm

Sunday 20 October 10am - 3pm

Our plant sales are hugely popular and the next sale is coming up soon!

Our plants are mainly sourced from the Royal Botanic Gardens and many are not commonly available. We offer plants in the following categories: Australian Natives,  Climbers, Bulbs & Rhizomes, Camellias, Herbs, Perennials, Hanging Baskets, Shrubs, Succulents, Trees, Bromeliads, Orchids and Rhododendrons & Vireyas.

Advice is also available at the sale from our members and from RBGV Horticultural staff who will happily answer questions on the day.

20% discount on the full price is offered to Friends of RBG Melbourne on presentation of your membership card.

 

You will find the plant sale inside Southern Gate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

Free entry

TABI 2024 raffle winners

The Art of Botanical Illustration

Raffle Winners

#1 Echo Base Chalet, 3 nights Summer accommodation* Kindly donated by Jessica and Nick Rutherford (Value $2,270) – Jane Mooney

#2 ASA – Two $500 Vouchers toward ASA tour Kindly donated by ASA (Value $1,000)  –Catherine Brown

#3 Maxwell & Williams Botanic Collection and Banksia Gifts Australia Essential Oil Pack Kindly organised by RBGVM Gardens Shop (Value $475) – Jo Reidy

#4 Hakea Laurina Original framed watercolour Kindly donated by Di Perkin (Value $390) – Linda Madden

#5 Dianne Kindly donated by Dianne Emery (Value $300)Emery unframed watercolour print  –Yvonne Davis

#6 Magnifiers Australia – Eschenbach magnifiers x 2 Kindly donated by Brett Shiel Magnifiers Australia (Value $269) – Libby Mardsen

#7 Big Tree Distillery Gift Hamper Kindly donated by Big Tree Distillery (Value $219.50) – Anne Deschepper

#8 Matilda 159 Domain Restaurant Dining Voucher Kindly donated by Matilda 159 Domain Restaurant (Value $200) – Heather Levish

#9 Julia Trickey Talks – Four recorded Zoom talks to be chosen by winner Kindly donated by Julia Trickey (Value $100) – Barbara Grace

#10 Tesselaar gift voucher Kindly donated by Tesselaar’s Nursery (Value $100) – Robina Sumn

#11 Raffle Jigsaw – Around the World in 80 plants, Book – Design Secrets by Kit Kemp Kindly donated by Loris Meadows ( Value $98) – Paul Wolfram

#12 Raffle Angus and Celeste Decorative Ceramic Succulent Pot with plant Kindly donated by Angus and Celeste, and Sue Foran (Value $69 ) –Nicole

#13 Botanical Riches Stories of Botanical Exploration by Richard Aitken Kindly donated by Simon Deere (Value $65) – Marjie Wilson

TABI 2024

The Art of Botanical Illustration

17th Biennial Exhibition

The Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne will be hosting the 17th ‘The Art of Botanical Illustration’ (TABI) biennial Exhibition, between Saturday 28 September and Saturday 12 October 2024, 10am to 4pm.

Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria will be officially opening the 17th TABI exhibition at Domain House on Friday 27 September.

TABI is one of Australia’s leading botanical illustration exhibitions.  It will be presented as a hybrid exhibition, with a physical exhibition held at Domain House, Melbourne, and as a virtual exhibition.   Offering the exhibition in a hybrid format will promote it to a global audience and encourage more international artists to submit artwork following the success of TABI 2022.

Wanting to contribute in 2024?

Wanting to contribute in 2024?

Join the Friends

The vision of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne is of a flourishing and healthy planet, sustained and enriched by plants.

 

We invite you to become a member of the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Find out about the Friends’ membership and how you can join us at: https://www.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org/join-us/

Trust Fund Appeal

Support Us

Invest in your Garden's future

Help us support the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and their vision of a flourishing and healthy planet, sustained and enriched by plants.

We warmly invite you to make a donation. All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible.

If you need assistance with your support or would like to know more regarding the Friends or the Trust Fund, please call Suzy Chandler, Office Manager on 96506398.

Growing Friends Autumn Plant Sale

Growing Friends Plant Sale

Saturday 27 April 10am - 4pm

Sunday 28 April 10am - 3pm

Our plant sales are hugely popular and the next sale is coming up soon!

Our plants are mainly sourced from the Royal Botanic Gardens and many are not commonly available. We offer plants in the following categories: Australian Natives,  Climbers, Bulbs & Rhizomes, Camellias, Herbs, Perennials, Hanging Baskets, Shrubs, Succulents, Trees, Bromeliads, Orchids and Rhododendrons & Vireyas.

Advice is also available at the sale from our members and from RBGV Horticultural staff who will happily answer questions on the day.

20% discount on the full price is offered to Friends of RBG Melbourne on presentation of your membership card.

You will find the plant sale inside Southern Gate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

Free entry

Wishing you a very happy holiday season

SUMMER OFFICE CLOSURE  From 22 December 2023, reopening 8 January 2024

Thank you for your continued support in 2023!

The Friends’ Office will be closed for the summer holidays from Friday 22 December and will reopen on Monday 8 January 2024.

From everyone at the Melbourne Friends, we wish you all a healthy and enjoyable summer and look forward to welcoming you back to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne next year.