Take a trip to South America for 70th Begonia Festival 

Ballarat’s prized begonia collection will be at the forefront of the Begonia Festival’s 70th birthday celebrations when the Robert Clark conservatory welcomes visitors from 10am Saturday 12 March. 

This year’s display will be a lush and exotic trip back to the South American forests, home to the origin of many of the current begonia varieties. 

There will be around 600 tuberous begonias on display, including in pots (uprights) and baskets (hanging). 

The City of Ballarat holds 240 different cultivated varieties in the tuberous begonia collection, with 2000 individual plants grown annually to maintain the collection. 

The different begonia types are developed by crossing different cultivated varieties together. For example, a red and a yellow flower would probably create an orange flower, with colours limited to red, yellow and white and shades in between. 

There is also a non-tuberous collection of begonias known for their varying leaf shapes, texture and smaller flowers than their bigger and showier tuberous cousins. 

Many of the begonias are now considered rare, with some of the more popular varieties having local names, including the City of Ballarat and Eureka. 

Over the 10-day festival from 11-20 March, other events in the Botanical Gardens will include: 

• A Central Highlands Water display about the smart, safe and sustainable delivery of our region’s water  
• Live entertainment on the main stage, plus roving entertainment  
• Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens displays 
• Creative and gardeners’ markets 
• Ballarat Garden Explorer, which is a self-guided tour of the gardens 
• “Dear Tree”, where people can listen to recordings of people talking to trees 
• The Integra Tiny Town for kids’ entertainment 
• A wide range of audio tours 
• Stilt walkers and Australia’s favourite bubble man, Dr Hubble 
• A Perfit obstacle course 
• Well-known landscape gardener and TV presenter Jamie Durie, one of Australia’s best-known landscape designers, Dave Franklin and MasterChef alumni Simon Toohey and Tim Bone on the main stage 
• The Ballarat Begonia Classic run/walk/cycle around Lake Wendouree for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute 

City of Ballarat Deputy Mayor, Cr Amy Johnson said traditional favourites are still a big festival focus, including the begonias and the popular Power FM Begonia Parade. 

“The Begonia Festival is a chance to celebrate not only this beloved event’s milestone birthday but also a return to normality after two years of restrictions,” Cr Johnson said. 

“The Begonia Festival plays a significant role in attracting visitors to Ballarat and promoting our city as a vibrant, active, and nature-based destination, as well as strengthening community pride and having an estimated economic impact of around $3.5 million. 

“We are very excited to deliver this much-loved event for our community for the 70th time.” 

For the full program of events, go to Ballarat Begonia Festival.