Cr Kathy Duff, Glenys Bruun and Cr Ros Heit congratulate Wondai Garden Expo president Helen Young on her special national award from The Garden Clubs Of Australia

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.

David and Beverley Killick, from Proston, show Cr Duff and Cr Heit the five awards they won in this year’s Spring Garden Competition, including Champion Garden Of The Show

Moffatdale artist Margariet Laughton, from Margy’s Fun Pots, had a huge range of garden and plant pots on display

Gloria Hibbett travelled from Gympie to display her range of bonsai plants and shrubs, including this beautiful bloom
Maitlyn Klibbe, from Murgon, and Kobie Watts, from Wondai, came to help Louise Van Der Volk (centre) from Crows Nest’s Hanlou Nursery with her stand

Anne Hess, from Wondai, admired the bonsai display from Beenleigh’s Garden Art Bonsais

Wondai’s Shelby Davis, Bob Mitchell and Joanne Wernecke greeted visitors at the front gate
Popular South Burnett covers band “The Stepping Stones” – Sue Bradley, Geoff Grevell, Sue Clair and Lyn Rodgers – kept the crowds entertained throughout the Expo

Cr Kathy Duff and Cr Ros Heit chat with Expo president Helen Young and Wondai Garden Club president Peter Biltoft

Peter Marek, from Proston, had difficulty choosing a tomato seedling variety from the dozens on offer
The Garden Expo’s regular gardening competition produced its usual high standard of entries despite dry conditions across much of the region

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

Division 1: Annuals
Winner: June Jones
Runner-Up Roz OligmullerDivision 2: Perennials & Shrubs
Winner Roz Oligmuller
Runner-Up: Jan and Norm Andressen

Division 3: Roses
Winner: Jan and Norm Andressen
Runner-Up: Dianne and Brian Scully

Division 4: Succulents & Cactus
Winner: Lea and Greg Day
Runner-Up: Roz Oligmuller

Division 5: Shade House
Winner: Beverley and David Killick
Runner-Up: Helen and Noel YoungDivision 6: Ornamental Foliage
Winner: Dianne and Brian Scully
Runner-Up: Jan and Norm Andressen

Division 7: Produce Garden
Winner: Beverley and David Killick
Runner-Up: Helen and Noel Young

Division 8: Special Feature
Winner: Beverley and David Killick
Runner-Up: Lea and Greg Day