As the festival celebrates its 30th year by recreating some of the most popular displays since 1988, last year's experiment of using planter boxes to create the display has been taken to the next level.

Several levels in fact, for this year many of the the boxes have been raised and tilted for maximum effect.

Peter Casimaty, the chief operations officer of StrathAyr who designed the boxes, said the new raised frames would enable the flower beds to take on different shapes.

"Having the planter boxes over three levels will give Floriade some creative scope to make the designs three dimensional," he said.

"If you look at these tilted beds, and once the tulips are in bloom, taking the height to another 25-30cm, it will be quite an experience walking through this display, people will feel immersed in the flowers."

The planter boxes began arriving on site on Tuesday and the unloading and siting is expected to take three days, as the numbered boxes are placed onto corresponding chalk outlines..

This tilted garden, positioned near the main gate, is a new feature but other bed designs might look familiar.

There's the Formal Garden designed around the theme "Carnival of Cultures" from 1995; the Lotus, which has appeared many times, but was last seen in full bloom in 2005; Flower Power from 1999, with the theme "Magic of the Gardens"; and Fruit Salad from 1998's Floriade, which had the theme "Gardens and Gourmet", among others.

The main display involving the planter boxes is entitled Tetris, designed around the theme of "Games in the Garden", seen at the 2000 and 2016 events.

While some pansies and English daisies are already in bloom, there's not a tulip in sight. More than a million flowers have been planted across the 8000 square metre site, including those in the 190 planter boxes that have been growing at a nursery in Mitchell.

Growing conditions this year have been excellent, according to Events ACT. In 2016 it rained for half of August, several days of the actual event were also rained out.

Along with the flower displays, this year Floriade has collaborated with ArtsACT and a selection of sculptures will be dotted throughout the site. Created using everything from natural stone to repurposed plastic, the sculptures will be a popular addition.

There will also be a twilight concert on September 15, the night before the garden's official opening, featuring the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and a David Bowie tribute act, The Ziggy Band.

Floriade runs from September 16 to October 15 and is open from 10am to 7pm every day. NighFest runs on September 22-24 and September 29-October 1, from 8-11pm.