Guests will be spoilt for choice at the 2021 Queensland Garden Expo with today’s launch of the full speaker program including two exciting new speakers who will join the line-up of over 40 of the country’s most impressive gardening gurus at this year’s event from 9-11 July.

Thrifty Gardener and ABC Gardening Australia presenter Millie Ross and plant medicinal expert Associate Professor Rohan Davis have both joined the program, which is the largest gardening speaker program in Australia.

Queensland Garden Expo Event Manager Marion Beazley said there have been hundreds of Australia’s leading gardening experts who have shared their wealth of knowledge at the event over its 36-year history and the breadth of the information available at the event has been a big part of attracting new visitors and inspiring the crowds at the three-day event.

“We are excited to welcome back Costa Georgiadis, Sophie Thomson, and Jerry Coleby-Williams, ABC’s Gardening Australia gurus, as well as Expo favourites Claire Bickle, Dr Kevin Redd and Phil Dudman – just to name a few,” Ms Beazley said.

“We are also welcoming back Adam Woodhams who recently won the 2021 Horticultural Media Association of Australia Joy Harland Photography Award – so our visitors will have the opportunity to learn a trick or two about using phones to photograph plants from one of the best in the business.

“These are incredible speakers with a diverse range of expertise on all things gardening. Our outstanding fan favourites have paved the way for an impressive line-up and we can’t wait to welcome our new speakers to the Queensland Garden Expo family.

Horticulturist Millie Ross is known for her wonderful insight on ABC’s Gardening Australia and putting pen to paper in her book Thrifty Gardener where she encourages everyone to create their very own garden without a huge budget or even much experience.

“This is my first time at the Queensland Garden Expo which everyone raves about it, including the visiting gardeners and presenters!” Ms Ross said.

“I am so looking forward to meeting some of the very best plant growers in the country and all of those passionate plant people who come to the event. For my talk, visitors will have a bit of fun! I’m not a local plant expert and there will be plenty of specialists there – so instead I hope to encourage a little experimentation and creativity in punters.

“I am always astounded by the ideas and innovation that goes on in backyards around the country. I hope to share some of the best ideas I have seen, and spark a new idea in everyone. You don’t need anything particular to start gardening, tools or knowledge. I want everyone to have a crack!

“I’ll be encouraging people to start with whatever they have to work with, and it will grow from there. If it goes well, great. If it doesn’t, compost!”

Another new face on the program, Associate Professor Rohan Davis from Griffith University, will share his experience in the world of plants and the healing qualities they bring.

“Rohan is the lead for NatureBank, a unique Australian bio-discovery resource located at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), which is a unique drug discovery platform based on natural product extracts and fractions that have been derived from Australian plants, fungi and marine invertebrates,” Ms Beazley said.

“Rohan will share how periwinkles, may-apples, yew and happy trees have all delivered therapeutic drugs to help people across the globe, at a time when more and more people are seeking natural remedies — some of them from our own backyards.

“For the many people who are interested in Australian Native bees we also have a treat.  Dr. Tim Heard, one of the leading experts in Native Bees, will be giving four talks on Saturday covering the very basics to the more advanced techniques of keeping native bees.”

The Queensland Garden Expo itinerary is blooming with fun with guest speakers and 350 exhibitors including 55 nurseries as well as plenty of activities.

“We are always looking for new activities to join our action-packed program and this year we’re thrilled to introduce the Enchanted Garden Competition,” Ms Beazley said.

“Entries will have the chance to win one of three $100 prizes. All they have to do is follow the criteria on the Queensland Garden Expo website and design their own magical garden. All entrants will also receive a free ticket to our event!

“We love to see the amazing creative designs that our visitors come up with! We have already received many entries for the competition and we encourage people to sign up before admissions close on Friday 11 June.”

The Queensland Garden Expo is hosted from 9-11 July with 60,000 plants on sale each day and plenty of activities for all ages to experience over 7 hectares. Tickets are $20 for adults, while children under 15 are free.

For more information, visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.

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Fast facts — Queensland Garden Expo 2021

• Three-day event
• 60,000 plants on sale each day
• More than 7 hectares of gardening inspiration
• 350-plus exhibitors and displays, including 55 nurseries
• 120 + free lectures and demonstrations
• 10 speaker stages

Event details