Spring Blossoms At Wondai Expo

September 29, 2014

Organisers of this year’s Wondai Spring Garden Expo said they are delighted with attendance figures over the weekend.

By noon on Saturday 1600 paying visitors had passed through the gates of the Wondai Sportsgrounds.

Bob Mitchell, from the Wondai Garden Society, said that probably 200 more early-birds had passed through before the gates were manned at 8:00am.

“All up, I think there are probably close to 2000 people here right now,” he said.

“And this is just the first morning of the Expo’s first day.”

As usual, the weekend-long show featured a wide range of exhibitors. The tents and shade structures stretched two-thirds the way around the main arena and packed out the exhibition shed.

They were selling anything from potted plants and fruit tree saplings through to garden ornaments, outdoor furniture and accessories.

Even Guru Bill was on hand to quench thirsts with his home-made ginger beer which – he assured visitors – was a South Burnett produced product that put the much better known Bundaberg ginger beer “in the shade”.

This year’s Garden Competition produced the usual competitive excellence despite the drought.

Keen Proston gardeners Beverley and David Killick were the stars, taking out five first places including Shade House, Produce Garden, Special Feature, Best Large Garden and Champion Garden.

The couple said their garden at Proston was a labour of love, and they were both surprised and delighted with their success in this year’s competition.

Wondai Garden Expo president Helen Young also received an unexpected accolade from The Garden Clubs of Australia.

Glenys Bruun, who came from Nambour as the club’s special guest to officially open this year’s Spring Garden Expo, presented Helen with The Garden Clubs of Australia’s National Award for “outstanding contribution by an individual to gardening and/or horticulture”.

Glenys said Helen had shown “a long-term contribution to gardening and/or horticulture through writing, teaching, broadcasting, exhibition, judging or speaking,” and congratulated her on her accomplishment.

Only five national awards are handed out each year, Glenys said.

The next Wondai Garden Expo will be held in April 2015.

2014 Spring Garden Competition Results

Best Large Garden and Champion Garden – Beverley and David Killick, Proston
Best Small Garden – Jan and Norm Andressen, Wondai
Best New Garden – Gayle and Keith Kratzmann, Tingoora

  Wondai