Floriade Garden Bed Designs

Molecular structures are nature’s blueprints – tiny arrangements of atoms and bonds that decide how things look, smell, and behave. Like 3D puzzles, they shape everything from the scent of a flower to the speed of a reaction. In experimentation, molecules are the raw code of creation – tweak them, and you could discover new material, invent life-saving medicine, or spark unexpected surprise! In the ACT, the Australian National University and other scientific organisations lead Australian research and scientific effort.

In this display, white Jonquils ‘Pearl’ with Bellis ‘White’ are the bonds linking the molecular structure. Tulip ‘Gypsy Eyes’ and Pansy ‘Red’ mark the link between a benzene ring and an oxygen atom, while Pansy ‘Clear Orange’ forms a contrasting backdrop. Varied tulip colours represent benzene and cyclohexane, adding a vivid dynamic to this molecule display.

In flowers, tiny molecules decide the colour, scent, and shape – proof that some of the universe’s greatest wonders start with the smallest, perfectly arranged structures.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Medicine

Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic AO

For her distinguished service to science education, particularly to biophysical chemistry, as an academic, and to young women scientists.

Professor Ary Hoffmann AC

For his eminent service to science, particularly evolutionary biology and ecological genetics, through research, mentoring and education, and to professional scientific organisations.

Emeritus Professor Frank Gibson AM

For service to science, particularly through biochemical research, to administration, and through support for professional organisations.

The left brain loves order – counting, measuring, and lining things up.

The right brain loves chaos – colours that spiral, music that swirls, wild ideas, and patterns you can’t predict.

One side speaks in numbers, the other in dreams… but neither works alone. Fresh ideas spark where logic meets wonder. And while computers are fast, our brains still do something they can’t – they dream, feel, and imagine through real life existence. They’re the keeper of our mind, our memories, and everything that makes us, us.

Arrangements of tulips represent thought Ranunculus ‘Mix’, emotion Tulip ‘Barcelona’, behaviour Tulip ‘Novi Sun’, movement Tulip ‘Verandi’ and sensation Tulip  ‘Supermodel’.

Pansy ‘Delta Pro Blotch Mix Annual’ represent the neurons and fibre network that links the brain’s two sides.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience and Psychology

Professor Glenda Halliday AC

For eminent service to medical research in the field of neurodegenerative disorders, including the development of revised diagnostic criteria for Parkinson’s disease, and as a mentor.

Professor George Paxinos AO

For service to neuroscience at national and international levels, particularly the publication of atlases of the brain.

Dr Geoffrey Herkes AM

For significant service to medicine as a neurologist, to medical research, and to professional associations.

Professor Elizabeth McCusker OAM

For service to medicine as a neurologist, particularly in the field of Huntington’s disease.

Inspired by code, circuit boards, and digital connectivity, the computer science garden celebrates a field that makes the world smarter, faster, and more connected. The vibrant colours reflect the dynamic pace and constant evolution of technology. And the first real computer ‘bug’? A moth found in a Harvard machine by a team of computer scientists and engineers, 1947.

Tall blue Dutch Iris ‘Discovery’ and ‘Professor Blauw’ stand as symbolic computer chips, while pink Tulip ‘Spryng Break’, yellow and orange Ranunculus, and carefully paired accent colours and varied heights depict the layout of a circuit board. Yellow Tulip ‘Strong Gold’ mixed with Pansy ‘Spreading Yellow’, white Tulip ‘Antarctica’ mixed with Pansy ‘Matrix Lemon’, and orange Tulip ‘Time Out’ mixed with Viola ‘Orange’ trace bright pathways, conveying electronic connections.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Computer Science

Distinguished Professor Jie Lu AO

For distinguished service to engineering and computer science, particularly through the research and development of artificial intelligence.

Dr Amanda Barnard AM

For significant service to computational science, to medical research, and to education.

Invisible to the naked eye yet fundamental to everything we see, the atom garden magnifies the tiniest structures in nature, flower patterns are inspired by nuclei, electrons, and their graceful orbits.

White Tulip ‘Antarctica’ and low-growing Pansy ‘Deep Blue with Blotch’ form a backdrop that shifts from deep blue to bright white as the event unfolds.

At the centre, vivid red Tulip ‘Gerrit Van Der Valk’ forms the nucleus, encircled by pink Tulip ‘Cacharel’ showing the strong nuclear force.

Sweeping lines of yellow Tulip ‘Big Smile’, pink Tulip ‘Pink Impression’, and magenta Tulip ‘Barcelona’ trace electron orbits, while red Tulip ‘Kingsblood’, purple Tulip ‘Curly Sue’, and orange Tulip ‘Orange Juice’ depict the electrons themselves.

Clusters of colourful ranunculus suggest atoms in the distance.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Atomic Science

Professor Michelle Simmons AO

For distinguished service to science education as a leader in quantum and atomic electronics, and as a role model.

Emeritus Professor Stephen Buckman AM

For significant service to science in the field of experimental atomic physics as a leading researcher, academic and author.

The petri dish is a miniature world where invisible things become visible. Within its glass walls, samples mingle and react. Patterns grow and bloom into swirling colours, and strange shapes appear – is it a microorganism, bacteria, mould or fungi? A chemical reaction, a crystal, or an unknown surprise? A flower?

Growth patches of light with Tulip ‘Queensland’ and yellow Viola ‘Sorbet Lemon Chiffon’ contrast with the orange base of Viola ‘Sorbet XP Deep Orange’, forming the flat petri dish gel. White Chrysanthemum paludosum marks the raised rim, while clusters of mixed flowers depict fuzzy growth spreading within the dish.

Bold patterns emerge with magenta, pink, red, and yellow Tulips – ‘Spryng Tide’, ‘Tom Pouce’, and ‘Kingsblood’ – adding height and life. The pink sausage shape appears in Primula Polyanthus, while the pipette is white Tulip ‘Antarctica’, red Tulip ‘Kingsblood’, and pink Tulip ‘Pink Ardour’, poised to test something new in this colourful petri dish garden.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Disease, bacterial and viral Science

Professor Tuan Van Nguyen AM 

For significant service to medical research, to osteoporosis and fracture prevention, and to tertiary education.

Dr Laurence Mound AO

For distinguished service to scientific research into the identification and biology of plant feeding insects.

Distinguished Professor Judith Clements AC

For eminent service to the biological sciences and to education, through seminal contributions to improving the understanding of cancers, particularly prostate cancer, as an advocate for the development of biomedical research facilities, and to the training of scientists. 

The science lab garden represents the spirit of scientific inquiry. With beakers, flasks, and test tubes, it’s here ideas are tested and reactions observed. The results give us evidence we can trust — leading to innovation in medicines, stronger materials, healthier food, and innovations that shape how we live and care for our environment. The John Curtain Institute of Medical Research based in Canberra is a world leader in Immunology and Infectious Diseases.

Magenta Tulip ‘Barcelona’ with Tulip ‘Spryng’ and blue Pansy ‘Cool Wave Blue Skies’ are the backdrop of the lab. Black Viola ‘Bowles Black’ outlines each piece of equipment, while red Tulip ‘Cerrit Van der Valk’ with yellow edges, paired with an orange tulip, display the layered force of an experimental explosion. White Jonquils ‘Pearl’ and Chrysanthemum paludosum drift through the display like gases from the chemical reaction.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Science Laboratories

Dr Graeme Moad AC

For eminent service to science, particularly polymer design and synthesis and radical polymerization, education, through mentoring, and to professional scientific organisations.

Professor Bronwyn Fox AO

For distinguished service to public administration, to scientific research and development, to advanced manufacturing, and to tertiary education.

Dr Graham Grant AO For distinguished service to biomedical engineering as a pioneer of innovative equipment development, and to medicine.

Physics in action—light passes through a prism and radiates a spectrum of blooms.

Daffodil ‘Bridal Crown’ is the beam of white light in the darkness of black pansies. Silvery hues of Cineraria ‘Silverdust’ border the prism that refracts the white light to rainbow.

The wavelengths of colour flow from magenta Tulip ‘Spryng’ to red Tulip ‘Ile de France’ with Tulip ‘Verandi’. Orange Tulip ‘Rambo’ pairs with Tulip ‘American Dream’, moving to yellow Tulip ‘Novi Sun’. Green Pyrethrum ‘Golden Moss’ shifts to blue Pansy ‘Matrix Light Blue’, concluding with dark purple Tulip ‘Gorilla’ – completing the spectrum.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Physics, Radiation and Nuclear Science

Emeritus Professor Keith Nugent AO

For distinguished service to tertiary education, to science as a physicist, and to the advancement of optical physics.

Professor John Boldeman AO

For distinguished service to nuclear science and technology, particularly through the design and construction of the Australian Synchrotron particle accelerator, and as a mentor of young scientists.

Dr Gillian Hirth AO

For distinguished service to environmental science, particularly radiation and nuclear safety, and to the development of national and international regulatory standards.

The closer you look, the more you see – tiny cells, spores, and delicate structures reveal the hidden beauty and complexity of living things. Under the microscope, patterns emerge, colours intensify, and nature’s smallest details become extraordinary worlds in their own.

Inspired by the microscopic cells of a tulip, Viola ‘Midnight Glow’ outlines the cluster of cells in varied shapes and forms. White cells are represented with blooms of Tulip ‘White Heart’, Daffodil ‘Sir Winston Churchill’,and Daffodil ‘Accent’ – these will provide a ‘living’ textural transformation over the time they bloom. The pink cells are Tulip ‘Ace Pink’, Tulip ‘Menton’, and Tulip ‘Queensland’. Tall bluish-purple Dutch Iris stand tall, representing the nuclei within the cells.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Microbiology

Professor Thomas Gottlieb AO

For distinguished service to medicine as an infectious disease and microbiology specialist, author and researcher, and to professional organisations.

Emeritus Professor Nancy Fannie Mills AC MBE

(introduced fermentation technologies to Australia and created the first applied microbiology course taught at an Australian University)

For service to science particular in the field of microbiology and its application to industry.

For thousands of years, we’ve looked to the night sky to guide our journeys, inspire our stories, and mark the passing of the seasons. Today, astronomy helps us see what planets are about, how galaxies evolve, and how our climate is shifting. ‘In Space’ is a celebration of that quest for knowledge—and a reminder of why it’s so important to protect our dark skies, allowing the universe to shine in all its brilliance. Space exploration drives progress in GPS, communications, and Earth observation—helping us stay secure, understand our changing climate, and see our planet, and beyond, in new ways.

The Mount Stromlo Observatory located just outside Canberra is a beacon of astronomical discovery from pioneering research to educating the next generation of astronomers.

Lavender purple Tulip ‘Saigon’ alongside Pansy ‘Spreading Purple’, represent the dark sky. The moon glows with yellow Tulip ‘Strong Gold’ and Pansy ‘Spreading Yellow’, while white Tulip ‘Antarctica’ with Pansy ‘Matrix Primrose’ captures the reflected light. Saturn, a rocket, and a satellite share the sky, in luminous shades of yellow, orange, pink, and white.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Space Science

Mr Mike Dinn OAM

For service to engineering, particularly deep space tracking.

Dr Jeanette Dixon AM

For service to education through roles in promoting space science, through contributions to the learning of science in schools and as a teacher

Mr John Saxon OAM

For their service to science, particularly deep space tracking and exploration.

Inspired by the precision of gears, pulleys, and levers, this design is a nod to the creativity and problem-solving at the heart of mechanical engineering. Moving parts have shaped industry and everyday life for centuries—think of the ancient water wheel, the clocks of the Industrial Revolution, and everything from bicycles to spacecraft. Mechanisms move us, help us build, and drive transformation.

The bright yellow Tulip ‘Strong Gold’ and Pansy ‘Spreading Yellow’ highlight the key components of the mechanism. White Tulip ‘Antarctica’ forms the drive belts connecting each gear, while blue and dense Muscari ‘Single Blue’ mixed with Triteleia ‘Spring Star Pale Blue’ act as the hubs. At the terminus of the system, the light bulb – a universal symbol of innovation – is represented by Tulip ‘Strong Gold’.

The entire assembly is mounted against a backdrop of magenta Tulip ‘Spryng’ and Pansy ‘Giant Flower Purple’, alongside pink Tulip ‘Queensland’ and Pansy ‘True Blue’ accentuating this engineered display.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Engineering

Professor Xinhua Wu AM

For significant service to manufacturing science, to tertiary education, and to engineering.

Emeritus Professor Andrew Blakers AO Professor of Engineering; Co-inventor of Sliver solar cell technology

Emeritus Professor Roy Green AM

For significant service to business, and to tertiary education in the fields of science, technology and innovation.  

The ‘Temperature’ garden is a living heat map. Temperature influences when plants flower, animals hibernate, and insects pollinate. A thermal image of human hands reminds us that we all play a part in shaping our future climate, with choices that can make a difference. This space invites us to pause, reflect, and recognise how our actions can positively ripple through to the environment and our communities.

Pansy ‘Delta Pro Clear Light Blue’ serves as cool temperature background. Moving from the outer edges of the hand, the thermal colours gradually warm up, starting with bright yellow Viola ‘Tiger Eye Yellow’, warming to a pink-toned Tulip ‘Ace Pink’, and blending with Pansy ‘Delta Pro Rose with Blotch’. The hottest is red Tulip ‘Ad Red’, paired with Pansy ‘Delta Pro Red with Blotch’.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Climate, Environment and Sustainable Science

Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO

For distinguished service to science as an engineer and inventor, to sustainable materials research and technology and waste management.

Professor Andrew Pitman AO

For distinguished service to science as a leading researcher, particularly of climate systems and the environment.

DNA’s double helix is life’s unique code that makes every living thing one of a kind. About 99.9% of human DNA is identical – we’re all more alike than we think. Just like people, every flower has DNA. Change a tiny part of that code, and you could turn a red tulip yellow, give it fringed petals, or make it flower earlier in spring.

The double helix is featured by contrasting in colour and texture. The spiral strands twist pairings of Red Tulip ‘Verandi’ paired with Pansy ‘Large Rose’, and the yellow Tulip ‘Jan Van Nes’ mixed with Tulip ‘Strong Gold’ and Pansy ‘Matrix Lemon’.These are further highlighted by the magenta color of Tulip ‘Spryng’, complemented by Bellis perennis ‘Bam Bam Mixed’.

Hyacinths fill the gap between the double helix’s ‘base pairs’ (represented by tulips), with the varying heights creating contrast that allows the coloured tulips to stand out.

At the end of the garden bed, Ranunculus ‘Mixed Colour’ symbolizes chromatin – the flexible structure of which controls how DNA is used.

Australian scientists honoured in the field of Forensic and Genetic Science

Professor Adrian Linacre OAM

For service to forensic science

Associate Professor Kristine Barlow-Stewart AM

For significant service to medicine in the field of human genetics, and to education.