Wondai & District Garden Club member Lyn Weatherburn at the club’s stall

April 24, 2013

Brilliant autumn weather helped shape a brilliant Wondai Autumn Garden Expo at the weekend.

Wondai Garden Club president Helen Young said it had been a fantastic show with a record gate on Saturday and strong numbers on Sunday.

The 120 stallholders also reported good results, and she said the crowds seemed to stay later into the afternoon than usual.

The live entertainment marquee was popular with visitors wanting to take a rest in the shade.

Visitors also made good use of the “cloak room” run by the Garden Club where people could store their purchases while they continued browsing.

Also popular was an Anzac-themed display in the main pavilion.

Five buses turned up … more than had been expected. These came from Cooloola, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Chinchilla and Bundaberg.

Helen said the guest speaker, SQIT horticulture teacher Brian Sams – well-known for his appearances on WIN-TV – had told her he was “blown away by the sheer size of the event” and said the expo would put most big city garden shows to shame.

Helen said there had been no apparent effects on the show from the floods although entries in the cut flower competition were down on normal.

She attributed this to recent rainstorms at Wondai, which had delayed many blooms.

Cr Kathy Duff and Elaine Madill were browsing through the main pavilion

The Stolzies helped to entertain the crowd, from left, Dennis and Ken Stolzenberg

Erin Steffensen and her daughter Annie McBride, from Kingaroy
Wondai & District Garden Club members Shirley Wenck, Peter Biltoft and June Roberts were working hard at the club’s stall

First Prize Section 1 Class 17: Container Annual Flowers – Diana Bolton

Champion Section 1, First Prize Section 1 Class 10: Gerbera Old Fashioned – Noela Ardrey

Champion Section 1, First Prize Section 1 Class 20: One Stem Any Other Flower – Helen Young

First Prize Section 1 Class 19: One Cut Or Stem Bulb – June Jones