Queensland Garden Expo marks 40th anniversary with extended four day event

The Queensland Garden Expo, a horticultural staple in Australia for four decades, is preparing for its 40th-anniversary celebration marked by an extended four-day event  from 4th-7th July at Sunshine Coast’s Nambour Showgrounds which is anticipated to attract over 40,000 visitors.

Since its inception, the Queensland Garden Expo is estimated to have welcomed close to one million visitors and contributed over $200 million to the Sunshine Coast economy.

The Nambour Showgrounds will once again host a seven-hectare immersive gardening experience, featuring Australia’s largest gardening speaker program including crowd favourites like Costa Georgiadis, Sophie Thomson, Jerry Coleby-Williams and Phil Dudman, plus celebrations to recognise the pivotal role of exhibitors since the Expo began in 1985.

Event Manager Marion Beazley said, with over 360 exhibitors offering an extensive range of gardening-related knowledge and products, this year’s four-day event will bring together Australia’s gardening royalty, local permaculture and community groups, and more than 55 growers and nurseries who will all share their wealth of knowledge with Expo visitors.

Beazley noted “The Queensland Garden Expo was conceived by a group of Sunshine Coast nursery and garden industry colleagues who wanted to share their love of gardening and their knowledge with local gardeners, and has grown year-on-year into the gardener’s paradise our visitors travel far-and-wide for today.

“Since its inception, we estimate that the Queensland Garden Expo has welcomed close to 1 million visitors and has contributed over $200 million to the Sunshine Coast economy.

“More than 65% of people who attend the Expo have travelled from outside the region with many stating the great access to the who’s who of gardening, the more than 150 free lectures and demonstrations across six live speaker stages and the direct access to nurseries and growers to ask questions relevant to their own gardens, as the main reasons they love this event.

“That’s the beauty of the Expo, you definitely don’t need to be a pro-gardener as we have something for everyone – from absolute amateurs to fanatical green thumbs and everyone in between!

“Last year’s popular Poultry Spectacular will return in 2024, this time with an expanded program and some surprises, which will no doubt attract quite a crowd. We also have the very popular Kitchen Garden with a range of experts sharing how to grow your own produce at home, and the Cook’s Garden stage with chef Matt Golinski and Sunshine Coast Foodie, Martin Duncan – to name but a few.”

Joining in the excitement once again, is none other than Australian gardening and TV personality, Sophie Thomson (pictured above), who has been a regular speaker at the Queensland Garden Expo since 2016.

Thomson said she always finds time for the annual Expo in her busy schedule as a popular presenter on the ABC’s Gardening Australia and more recently the recipient of an Inspiring South Australian Women's Award.

Thomson added “The Queensland Garden Expo gives you both inspiration and information for whatever size garden you have, wherever you live, and whatever your budget.

“It's designed by gardeners for gardeners. I love the incredible array of plants and garden art, and the program of over 150 garden talks is incredible.

“When I get the program, I go through the talks with a highlighter to mark all the ones I would like to listen to.

“I also love that you can talk to experts whether it’s specialist plant growers, beekeepers, floral artists or members of the Horticultural Media Association.

“I always love the Kitchen Garden displays created by Tohm and members of the Perennial Poppies, but to be honest the entire event is wonderful as the exhibitors, the garden clubs, the nurseries and the speakers are all part of one big family.”

The four-day Queensland Garden Expo will be held from Thursday 4th July to Sunday 7th July at the Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour.

Entry is free for children aged 15 and under with a giant kids’ playground and free garden activities to keep them entertained.

To find out more and purchase tickets online, please visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au

FAST FACTS

• More than 7 hectares of gardening inspiration

• 360-plus exhibitors and displays, including 55 nurseries

• 150-plus free lectures and demonstrations

• 6 live speaker stages

• 50,000 plants for sale each day

Where: Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast
When: Thursday 4th July to Sunday 7th July 2024
Opening times: Gates open 8 am and close 4 pm daily
Disability access:The showground offers excellent facilities for wheelchair visitors with on-site disabled parking, easy access and ground level exhibits along with disabled toilet facilities. Guide dogs are welcome.
Tickets available for purchase at www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.
Adult entry – $22.50 (online) / $25 (gate price)
Children 15 years and under – Free
Groups of 10 or more – $20 each
Two-day weekend pass (Saturday and Sunday) – $40
Three-day pass – $60
Four-day pass – $75