More than 3000 people attended the Garden of Earthly Delights – a two-day festival to celebrate the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah’s 30th birthday on November 11-12.
Visitors were immersed in a culmination of creativity and enjoyed more than 50 art installations, works of art, poetry, entertainment, food, music and special guests including Australian design icon, Jenny Kee.
The long ‘must-see’ list for the weekend featured an impressive Darug Welcome ceremony, ‘Bacchant’ dancers inspired by Greek mythology, a human dragonfly and a five-metre tunnel installation.
The tunnel ‘Love in Bloom’ was an incredibly popular installation for young ones who played beneath the net filled with flowers.
Families relaxed on picnic blankets on the Brunet Family Meadow with plenty of fun for kids including detailed face painting, hoola hoops and wool craft.
The live Q&A with Jenny Kee, Dr Shane Smithers and festival curator Dr Susan Cochrane drew tears and laughs with their deep discussion about the importance of connection to land and landscape from artistic and cultural perspectives.
“Partly inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s world-famous painting with the same title, The Garden of Earthly Delights was a fusion of nature and culture for all the community to enjoy,” said artistic director Susan Cochrane.
“Surrounded by pristine World Heritage Listed Area, the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden has such a powerful energy, it epitomises the untouched beauty that attracts so many creatives to the greater Blue Mountains region.”
An exhibition featuring 22 artists and 10 of the installation works will continue until the end of November.
For more details visit: https://www.bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au/