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.
Category: News
Friends’ Art Program
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.
2026 Friends’ Calendar
Beautifully illustrated Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens 2026 Calendar
Calendar can be purchased at the Friends’ office or at Plant Craft Cottage or online here.
How the Friends support the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
How the Friends support the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Some of the projects and initiatives supported over the last 10 years include:
$200,000 to fund curating and data basing of the Global Collection at the National Herbarium of Victoria
$69,500 to purchase two new Garden Explorers and their signage, to help many visitors explore the Gardens
$75,000 towards the restoration of the Fern Gully Rest House
$300,000 to build the boardwalk in the Fern Gully enabling access for all
$190,000 towards the design and construction of the Sensory Garden
Over all the Friends have given 3.7 million to the Gardens over their lifetime.
You can help us to continue to support development, restoration and research in the Gardens by donating to the Friends’ Trust Fund.
Autumn Plant Sale
Our fabulous autumn plant sale is on Saturday 3rd May (10am-4pm) and Sunday 4th May (10am-3pm)
Inside Southern Gate, Birdwood Avenue
Free entry – 20% discount on all plant sales for members of the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens
The Growing Friends propagates and raises a wide variety of plants, many from the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and include many not commonly available.
The Autumn Plan Sale includes Australian native plants, perennials, shrubs, bulbs (including irises), orchids, vireyas, begonias and more. The catalogue will be available two weeks prior to the sale.
Advice is also available at the sale from our members and from RBGV horticultural staff who will happily answer questions on the day.
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.
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
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
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