Test Garden Open Day - April
Come along to the Test Garden at Fed Square for our monthly open day.
Hear from gardeners, designers and horticulturalists about the naturalistic planting style and flowers in bloom, and take part in workshops designed to connect you with nature.
In this session, hear from University of Melbourne researchers Claire Farrell and Dean Schrieke about the plant trials being undertaken at the University’s Burnley Campus. These trials are informing the approach to planting and selection of plants for Laak Boorndap.
Following this, create your own cyanotype using flowers and foliage foraged from the garden, in a workshop facilitated by Isabella Capezio.
These programs will be held outdoors in the Test Garden at Fed Square. Please bring a hat and water bottle; all other materials will be provided.
Register below and follow @laak.boorndap for regular updates on programming and plants in bloom.
10am-12pm
A monthly series of talks, featuring the gardeners, designers and horticulturalists behind the Test Garden and Laak Boorndap. On the first Saturday of the month, join us in the garden for an informal session on plants in season, how to create a flourishing garden in dry summer conditions, and the importance of biodiversity in urban spaces.
Saturday 5 April: Claire Farrell and Dean Schrieke
12.30pm-2.30pm
Join us in the Test Garden for a hands-on workshop exploring cyanotype photography, a form of camera-less sun printing, using flowers and foliage from the garden.
The cyanotype process was developed by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and shared with Anna Atkins, who created multiple printed and bound volumes of her book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843-53). These albums are the earliest example of illustrated books using photographically produced images.
An early step in the invention of photography, camera-less forms of capture enabled people to experiment with light-sensitive chemistry and their ability to trace the world around them. This workshop will introduce you to the history of the cyanotype process, methods to create your own prints at home, and alternative ways to experiment through foraging, collaging, and toning.
Led by Isabella Capezio.
All materials provided.