Gardeners gear up for annual Expo
July 6, 2016
With sunshine, soil, speakers and swarms of people at the ready, all the ingredients are in place for Australia’s largest sub-tropical gardening event, the Queensland Garden Expo, which kicks off on Friday, 8 July at the Nambour Showgrounds.
Event Manager Marion Beazley said more than 35,000 people were expected to attend the event throughout the three-day program and the showgrounds were currently being transformed into a sea of colour in readiness for the wave of visitors.
“This year’s Expo is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet, with more than 130 presentations and workshops being delivered by a range of gardening, landscape and horticulture experts over the three days,” Ms Beazley said.
“We offer the biggest gardening speaker program in Australia including icons such as Graham Ross, Costa Georgiadis, Sophie Thomson and Jerry Coleby-Williams, and cover everything from getting the most from your worm farm and the best plants to grow in the sub-tropics, right through to using herbal therapeutics for disease prevention and creating beautiful spaces in the garden that can be enjoyed at night.”
Ms Beazley said the program would cater to a diverse range of ages and interests, offering something for gardening novices and experts alike.
“For the animal-lovers, we’ll have an opportunity to learn the basics of caring for chickens, living with reptiles and even keeping stingless bees in the backyard.”
“Landscape and horticulture expert Sean Morrow will also deliver a presentation regarding frog ponds and habitat gardening and Sunshine Coast Council will detail how to convert your pool into a backyard billabong that acts as a haven for native wildlife.”
Barbara Wickes — who coordinates the Giant Kitchen Garden feature area and will present about the basics of using herbs in the kitchen at the expo — said if past years were anything to go by, she expected a strong contingent of foodies and eager home cooks would also frequent the event over the weekend.
“Gardening and cooking are past times that are intrinsically linked for many people, so the Giant Kitchen Garden endeavours to equip attendees with both information and inspiration to help them make the most of their fresh produce in the kitchen,” Ms Wickes said.
“This area of the expo will display variety of herbs, vegetables, unusual plants, fruit trees and colourful garden beds for kids, as well as a verge garden – a popular gardening trend this year involving growing ornamental and edible plants around footpaths.”
“Cooking enthusiasts will also have the opportunity to learn about creating homemade wine from common fruits around the home, dehydrating and fermenting produce, incorporating Sri Lankan spices into their recipes and making dressings, marinades and sauces from scratch.”
The 2016 event will offer the largest range of children’s activities ever seen at the Expo, with new Kids Garden Patch area incorporating a craft area as well as an opportunity to dig for vegetables and plant seeds.
Ms Beazley said she also looked forward to unveiling the landscape garden competition entries, with the spectacular garden displays sure to impress event-goers.
“This year we have several landscapers who will transform a simple patch of grass into a beautiful themed garden. The landscape teams manage to raise the bar every year so I’m excited to see the creative designs put forward and to see who takes out the coveted gold medal in 2016.”
Other popular elements of the Queensland Garden Expo that will return this year include the plant clinic where attendees can speak to a dedicated team of gardening experts and seek free advice about their plants, the Old Macdonald’s Farm exhibit and the multitude of food stalls.
The 2016 Queensland Garden Expo will be held on 8-10 July at the Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour and will host more than 360 exhibitors including over 55 nurseries selling in excess of 40,000 plants per day.
To view the speaker program and purchase tickets online, please visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.
Fast facts — Queensland Garden Expo
- Three-day event
- 35,000-plus attendees
- 360-plus exhibitors and displays including 55 nurseries
- 130-plus free lectures and demonstrations
- Eight speaker stages
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