A Blooming Good Saturday: Plantapalooza Returns to Rocklea's Saturday Fresh Market

Brisbane's green thumbs have a date for the diary. Plantapalooza, the Saturday Fresh Market's spring plant festival, returns to its undercover home at 385 Sherwood Road, Rocklea, on Saturday 10 October — and this year's line-up is bigger than ever.

Held alongside the regular Saturday Fresh Market, the festival brings together local nurseries, growers and horticulture experts for a one-stop spring shop: indoor and outdoor plants, succulents, herbs, veggie seedlings, seasonal flowers, pots and garden supplies, all under one roof and with expert advice on hand for anyone whose last seedling didn't quite make it.

It's not a reason to skip the rest of the market, either. Plantapalooza sits inside the Saturday Fresh Market's usual sprawl of more than 100 stalls, so a wander for plants is also a chance to stock up on fresh produce, flowers, meats, cheeses, deli goods and baked treats, with a browse through the homewares stalls thrown in. Breakfast stalls and live music keep the food court going from 6am to 12 noon, making an easy case for an early start.

Families are well looked after too. True Blue Reptiles bring a free wildlife show packed with native reptiles from 9 to 11am, face painting runs from 8 to 11am, and a jumping castle keeps the kids moving all day. For the littlest gardeners, Little Garden Growers lets kids get their hands dirty decorating their own pot and potting up a seedling to keep, at no cost.

Plantapalooza runs from 6am on Saturday 10 October, with $2 entry. More information, including directions and a site map, is available at brisbanemarkets.com.au/plantapalooza.