New Shoots celebrates and cultivates poems inspired by plants and place to deepen our creative and cultural connections with nature. 

Beginning in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, we commissioned poets to create "poetic pathways" now installed throughout the Garden. Since then, New Shoots has sprouted in botanic gardens and parks across Australia with over 20 commissioned poets and partners spanning Sydney Olympic Park, Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, Byron Bay, Cairns, Wollongong and the mallee of Kings Park, Perth. Linked poetic learning resources support ongoing workshops across these sites.

New Shoots at home

Plant your poem
Got a plant-inspired poem? The gates to the garden are open for new poetic blooms. We'd love to have your plant-inspired poems gifted to the garden. Submissions are open all year round. Plant your poem by sending it in an email to amelia@redroompoetry.org.

Digital poetry anthology
Celebrating and cultivating poems inspired by plants, the free New Shoots Poetry Anthology gathers 163 poems from 105 poets across the world. The word ‘anthology’ literally means ‘a gathering of flowers’, in every sense, this anthology can be seen as a bouquet, arranged with an assortment of poetic blooms in all colours, moods and shapes.

Bring to your garden to life
Limited edition poetic seed packets are available in our Store. By purchasing one of these seed packets you'll cultivate your own green places to inspire writing while supporting future learning programs.

New shoots radio series