The Maddingley Botanical Road Show Brings Autumn Colour to Geelong City Market

Hands-on native blooms and expert tips bring colour, confidence, and creativity to Geelong’s mainstay market.

This Saturday, Geelong City Market will bloom with a vibrant display as the Maddingley Botanical Road Show rolls into Little Malop Street. Far from your typical plant stall, this travelling botanic garden is a hands-on, knowledge-driven experience designed to help home gardeners flourish—whether in a courtyard, backyard, or sun-drenched balcony.

Geelong City Market

When: Saturday 18 April 2026, 9am – 2pm

Where: Little Malop Street Mall

Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.

 

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Curated for both beauty and performance, the Road Show features striking native varieties including proteas, waratahs, banksias and leucadendrons. Bold and structural, these plants promise to bring colour, texture and presence to any garden.

Founder Michael Sinclair is on a mission to demystify these often-misunderstood plants. “Proteas and banksias are admired for their show-stopping looks, but many people assume they’re too tricky to grow,” he explains. “Our goal is to give people the confidence to grow them successfully at home.” Sinclair notes that the Geelong region is particularly well suited to these species. “With the right soil, drainage and positioning, they can become standout features in almost any garden.”

Autumn provides the ideal planting window, with warm soil and settling conditions giving new plants a strong start before winter. “It’s a practical time to set your garden up properly,” Sinclair says.

Set against the lively backdrop of Geelong City Market—where fresh produce, local makers and community spirit converge—the Maddingley Botanical Road Show promises more than plants to take home for the garden. It offers learning, inspiration and a chance to connect with the rhythms of the season.

See Little Malop Street in bloom this weekend and find out more about Geelong City Market, and their lineup of stallholders here.