Finishing touches ahead of gates opening this Thursday
The who’s who of Australian gardening will converge at the Nambour Showgrounds this week as the Queensland Garden Expo celebrates its 40th anniversary with a four-day immersive gardening experience, featuring more than 360 exhibitors and displays, including dozens of nurseries with more than 50,000 plants on sale each day and a huge range of gardening-related products.
The event offers visitors seven hectares of inspiration as well as Australia’s largest gardening speaker program with over 150 free lectures and demonstrations from ‘Australian gardening royalty’ like Jerry Coleby-Williams, Sophie Thomson, Claire Bickle, Millie Ross and Phil Dudman – to name but a few.
Joining in the excitement once again, is none other than Australian gardening icon and Logie-award-winning TV presenter, Costa Georgiadis, who has been a regular speaker at the Queensland Garden Expo since 2011.
Mr Georgiadis said the Queensland Garden Expo is always a highlight in his calendar.
“The Queensland Garden Expo is a legendary event that unites gardeners of all levels, all ages and all walks of life,” Mr Georgiadis said.
“Celebrating 40 years of this green thumb gathering shows the power of the gardening community and our shared love for reconnecting with nature and taking care of our planet.
“Gardeners have the power to change the world. By going green and embracing more sustainable practices, both in the garden and out of it, we can create thriving backyards and a healthier planet for years to come.
“At this year’s 40th celebration, I’m most excited about connecting with fellow garden enthusiasts and sharing ideas that can make a real difference. The energy and passion at the Queensland Garden Expo is truly contagious and seeing that passed on to the kids is even better!”
Event Manager Marion Beazley said the 50-strong, expert-studded speaker line-up and the ever-popular Giant Kitchen Garden are among the highlights for this year’s event.
“On Thursday, the gates to the 40th Queensland Garden Expo will open welcoming gardening enthusiasts, as well as industry members and suppliers who connect over spectacular garden displays, insightful speakers and a vibrant community of like-minded gardeners,” Ms Beazley said.
“Attendees can look forward to hands-on gardening advice and practical inspiration from many of ABC Gardening Australia’s much-loved presenters as well as a myriad of experts, many of whom have been presenting at the Expo for many years.
“Having access to such a wealth of gardening knowledge is a truly unique opportunity and is one of the things that really sets us apart from other gardening events. The Plant Clinic has been a highlight of the event since it started in 1985, where visitors can bring photos and cuttings to get their burning gardening questions answered by some of Australia’s most knowledgeable gardening gurus.”
Ms Beazley said finishing touches are also being added to the onsite Giant Kitchen Garden, which is put together each year by local volunteers from gardening and permaculture clubs across the Sunshine Coast.
“This year’s Kitchen Garden is thriving thanks to the local permaculture groups and dozens of volunteers who work together for weeks ahead of the Expo to cultivate a wide variety of fresh produce to build the onsite kitchen garden,” Ms Beazley said.
“Visitors can get ideas for their own at-home veggie gardens, learn about different produce varieties, and they’ll experience firsthand how a well-designed and maintained kitchen garden can be both beautiful and productive. Not to mention, great for your mental wellbeing!
“With all the newfound knowledge visitors can put into action, they can also get inspiration for eating their bountiful produce from leading Australian culinary icons like celebrity chef Matt Golinski and Martin Duncan a.k.a. The Sunshine Coast Foodie.”
Ms Beazley said, while the Expo has grown to be the Sunshine Coast’s biggest annual event, the passion and dedication of its exhibitors, volunteers, values-led sponsors and visitors has ensured the event stays true to its beginnings as a grassroots community-minded event.
“Since its inception, we estimate that the Queensland Garden Expo has welcomed close to 1 million visitors through the gates and has contributed over $200 million to the Sunshine Coast economy.
“We can’t underestimate the benefit to the local community and we would like to thank our sponsors, including Queensland Country Bank, for making significant regional events such as ours possible year in, year out.”
Queensland Country Bank CEO, Aaron Newman said he is thrilled to be returning as the Expo’s Presenting Partner for the second year in a row, because just as gardens need constant care and attention, so to do major events like the Expo.
“As a member-owned bank with a distinct purpose of helping all Queenslanders live better lives through better finances, while giving back to the communities we operate in, it makes perfect sense to support this incredible event, one which shares so many grassroots values with us,” Mr Newman said.
“Community support and partnerships like the Queensland Garden Expo are at the centre of our business, allowing us to give back to, and be an active part of, the communities we serve. Plus, our team are all amateur gardeners, from growing a few herbs in the kitchen to some who are fully-fledged green thumbs! Me, I love spending time in the garden, it’s a nice way to relax after a busy week.”
To read the full Queensland Garden Expo program and purchase tickets online, please visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.
