Calendar

What’s on in September

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

31ST AUG 16TH SEPT Painting in the Park

9am–5pm. Cullity Gallery, The University of Western Australia, cnr Clifton St & Stirling Hwy, Nedlands. 0406 539 572. Free. Exhibition by artist Rowena Keall Walsh, featuring works created during her one-year residency at Kings Park.

1ST 30TH Kings Park Festival 9am–4pm. Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fraser Ave, West Perth. (08) 9480 3600. Free. Outdoor exhibitions, live music, guided walks and science talks among a sea of magnificent native wildflowers.

VICTORIA

1ST 2ND Musk Cottage Open Garden 10am–4.30pm. 371 Musk Creek Rd, Flinders. 0417 528 545. $10 adult. Garden designer Rick Eckersley’s inspirational 4ha property on the Mornington Peninsula, with plants from around the world.

8TH 9TH Australian Plants Expo 10am–4pm. Eltham Community and Reception Centre, 801 Main Rd, Eltham. 0430 513 433. $5 adult, $4 child. Huge native plant fair, displays and books. Talks by Phillip Johnson, AB Bishop and Loretta Childs.

15TH 16TH Werribee Orchid Club Spring Orchid Show

Sat 9am–3pm, Sun 10am–2pm. The Italian Sports Club, 601 Heaths Rd, Werribee. 0418 135 819. $5. Displays, sales, potting demonstrations, expert advice, photography competition.

15TH SEPT 14TH OCT Tesselaar

Tulip Festival

10am–5pm. 357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan.

(03) 9737 7722. $28 adult, $24 conc,

$24 per person for groups of 10 or more. Live entertainment, children’s activities, local and international food and market stalls set among 750,000 tulips in flower.

16TH Yackandandah Garden Club

Garden Expo

10am–4pm. Osbornes Flat Hall, Osbornes Flat Rd, Yackandandah. (02) 6027 1723. $5 adult. Speakers, bonsai demonstrations, plants for sale, refreshments.

22ND Melbourne Clivia Group Expo 10am–4pm. St Scholastica’s Community Centre, 348 Burwood Hwy, Burwood. 0488 998 327. $2. Displays, plants for sale, demonstrations, refreshments.

22ND 23RD Yea Garden Expo 10am–4pm. Yea Saleyards surrounds,

Flat Lead Rd, Yea. 0438 119 429. $5 adult. Stalls with specialty plants, sculptures, tools, books and trees. Speakers’ program. Refreshments available. Free car parking.

22ND 23RD North East Melbourne Orchid Society Spring Show

Sat 9am–4pm, Sun 10am–4pm. Bulleen Heights School, 221 Manningham Rd, Lower Templestowe. 0418 110 345. $4. Orchids of many genera on show, plants and flower arrangements for sale, experts on hand and refreshments available.

22ND 23RD Geelong Orchid & Indoor Plant Club Inc. Spring Show 10am–4pm. Christ Church Hall, cnr Moorabool & McKillop Sts, Geelong. 0414 672 655. $4, includes Devonshire tea. Massive display of judged orchids and indoor plants, and plants for sale.

NEW SOUTH WALES

8TH The New Secret Garden and Nursery Spring Fair

9am–4pm. Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Clydesdale Lane, Richmond. 0414 784 460. $2, includes parking. Plants for sale, market stalls, kids’ activities, live music, Devonshire tea, pizzas, barbecue.

8TH 9TH Australasian Native Orchid Society 41st Annual Spring Show

Sat 9am–4pm, Sun 9am–3pm. Forestville Memorial Hall, Starkey St, Forestville. 0409 545 955. $4 adult. Native orchid displays, native species and hybrids for sale. Raffle, expert advice, refreshments.

8TH 9TH Bonsai of the Central

Coast Annual Show

Sat 9am–4pm, Sun 10am–4pm. Erina Room, Erina Fair. 0417 017 447. $3 adult. An exhibition of traditional and modern bonsai, with a display of Australian native trees as bonsai. Demonstrations of techniques. Sales of bonsai trees, tools, handmade pots and starters.

8TH 9TH, 15TH 16TH Daffodils at Rydal 10am–4pm. Rydal Village parks and gardens. 0400 682 939. $10 for entry to all gardens. Thousands of daffodils have been planted to welcome spring. Free hop-on, hop-off bus runs continuously.

9TH Stony Range Bush Dreaming

Spring Festival

9am–4pm. Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden of Australian Bushland, 810 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why. (02) 9451 1883. Free. Native plant sales and advice, music, photography, kids’ activities, walks, native animals, environmental displays, barbecue.

15TH Southern Highlands Orchid Society Show

9.30am–4pm. Alexandra Room, Mittagong RSL Club, Bessemer St, Mittagong.

0427 849 755. Gold coin. Exhibition and sales, cultivation and care information, potting demonstrations, raffle.

15TH 16TH Home and Garden Show 10am–4pm. Bong Bong Racecourse, 460 Kangaloon Rd, East Bowral.

(02) 4861 7100. $10 adult. Home inspiration, designer garden displays, cooking classes, kids’ activities.

22ND 23RD Blackheath and District Horticultural Society Spring Flower and Craft Show

Sat noon–5pm, Sun 9.30am–4pm. Blackheath Community Centre, cnr Great Western Hwy & Gardiner Cres, Blackheath. 0434 550 488. $5 adult. Quilts, spinning, weaving. Rhododendrons, succulents, camellias. Scarecrows, refreshments.

29TH Twin Towns & District Garden Club Flower & Garden Show 8.30am–2.30pm. Tweed Heads Civic Centre, Brett St, Tweed Heads.

0412 638 373. $5 adult. Plant sales, exhibits, produce, raffles, workshops for kids (gold coin donation), morning tea.

29TH Rose Growing Workshop 10am–3pm. Loftus Community Hall, 119–129 Loftus Ave, Loftus. 0422 157 353. $30 (includes lunch). Must book. Advice for growing in the ground and in pots.

29TH SEPT– 1ST OCT, 5TH–7TH OCT

Leura Gardens Festival

9.30am–4.30pm. Tickets at 19–21 Fitzroy St, Leura, ticket office in Leura Mall or at gardens. 0431 095 279. $8 each, $25 for all gardens. 10 cold-climate gardens in a variety of styles and sizes. Plant sales. Visit leuragardensfestival.com.au for locations.

QUEENSLAND

2ND Noosa Botanic Gardens Plant Fair 9am–3pm. Noosa Botanic Gardens,

Lake Macdonald Drive, Lake Macdonald. 0412 053 281. Free. Rare collectible plants, natives and exotics, orchids, herbs, fruit trees, cut flowers, guest speakers, refreshments.

8TH Blackbutt Avocado Festival 7am–late. Various locations. 0488 946 702. Free. Grower displays, avocado games, cooking demonstrations, kids’ activities, woodchopping, live music.

14TH–16TH Tamborine Mountain Scarecrow Festival

Sat 8am–Sun 6pm. Various locations.

0414 300 558. Many activities free, various prices for others. Kids’ activities, live entertainment, old-fashioned games, pig racing, petting zoo, bubble soccer, rides. Food trucks, market stalls. See hundreds of scarecrows along a 17km trail.

15TH–16TH Eastern District Orchid Society Spring Show

Sat 8.30am–4pm, Sun 8.30am–2.30pm. International Shooting Complex, 1485 Old Cleveland Rd, Belmont. (07) 3245 5428. $4 adult. Orchids on display, floral art and craft, potting demonstrations, sales of orchid accessories.

16TH Botanical Bazaar

9am–4pm. Country Paradise Parklands, 231 Beaudesert Nerang Rd, Nerang. 0406 007 583. $15 adult. Community garden festival showcasing urban and organic gardening, medicinal herbs, sustainable living and a variety of other gardening concepts. More than 90 green-inspired exhibitors. Botanical homewares, nature workshops, and talks by Jerry Coleby-Williams and

Phil Dudman. Food and entertainment.

21ST–22ND Glasshouse Country Orchid Society Spring Orchid Spectacular

Fri 8.30am– 4.30pm, Sat 8.30am–2.30pm. Beerwah and District Community Hall, 25 Peachester Rd, Beerwah. 0418 621 563. $3 adult. Displays, potting demonstrations, plants and floral art for sale. Refreshments.

21ST–25TH Toowoomba Orchid

Society Spring Show

Fri–Mon 8.30am–4pm, Tues 8.30am–3pm. St Paul’s Hall, cnr James & Phillip Sts, Toowoomba. 0424 644 068. $4 adult. Plant sales, raffles, refreshments.

22ND–23RD Wondai Spring Garden Expo Sat 8am–4.30pm, Sun 8am–1pm. Wondai Sports Ground & Lions Pavilion, Bunya Hwy, Wondai. (07) 4168 9297. $5 adult, $8 for both days. Horticultural show, stalls, raffle, guest speakers, entertainment.

ACT

15TH SEPT–14TH OCT Floriade

9.30am–5.30pm. Commonwealth Park, Canberra. 1300 852 780. Free. Australia’s biggest welcome to spring, with more than one million blooms planted in spectacular displays. This year’s festival celebrates the best of pop culture, featuring retro-inspired flowerbeds, installations and entertainment.

18TH–20TH International Bonsai Art and Culture Biennale & Universal Penjing Conference 9am–4.30pm. National Arboretum Canberra, Forest Dve, Molonglo Valley. $35 masterclass observer, $499 full conference package; day passes and evening tickets available. Demonstrations, panel discussions, masterclasses, Australian native bonsai, evening networking events. Visit arboretum@act.gov.au

22ND–23RD Canberra Orchid Show

Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm. Ainslie Football Club, 52 Wakefield Ave, Ainslie. (02) 6251 7660. $2 adult. Display and sale of native and exotic orchids.

TASMANIA

1ST–2ND Daffodil, Camellia and Spring

Flower Show

Sat 1–5pm, Sun 10am–3.45pm. Claremont Memorial Hall, cnr Main Rd & Bilton St, Claremont. 0429 811 968. $2 adult. Heritage daffodil display, camellias, plant stall, children’s exhibits, morning and afternoon tea, lucky door prize.

16TH Create a Bird-Friendly Garden

1.30pm–4pm. Inverawe Native Gardens, 1565 Channel Hwy, Margate. (03) 6267 2020. $30, includes notes and afternoon tea. Bookings essential. Tour of the gardens with plant selection and landscaping tips for welcoming birds to your garden.

22ND–23RD Blooming Tasmania Flower and Garden Festival

Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–4pm. Albert Hall, cnr Cimitiere & Tamar Sts, Launceston. 0438 434 656. $6. Floral and plant displays, plants for sale, garden ornaments and a two-day program of talks. GA