Don’t miss this year’s Camellia Show
Our own winter gardening extravaganza goes from strength to strength
ONE of the highlights of the gardening year, the Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo, will be held at the TAFE Queensland South West Horticulture Centre, next weekend, July 15-16.
Did you know that the first camellia show was held around 45 years ago and was founded by St Andrew’s Hospital as a fundraiser?
Camellia show committee members grew hundreds of plants to provide blooms for the annual show held in July.
After the founder of the Toowoomba Hospice, the late Sr. Frances Flint csb OAM, was handed the reins in 2004, the show soon outgrew the All Seasons Function Centre, then relocated to the brilliant venue at the TAFE Queensland South West Horticulture Centre, and is now considered one of the largest and finest seasonal displays of camellias in the country.
This year the show committee is pleased to announce the return of popular gardening Australia personality, Jerry Coleby-Williams, as guest speaker.
Of course, all good horticultural shows need a couple of great local gardening personalities, and Toowoomba’s Brian Sams (Wattletree Horticulture), as well as Brisbane’s Claire Bickle (Gardening for the Good Life!) are set to pass on their horticultural anecdotes and wisdom to patrons in the spacious speaker’s pavilion.
No doubt the stars of the show each year are the hundreds of exquisite camellia blooms on display in the Joan Falvey Camellia Hall.
This year the hall will take on a Japanese theme, including bonsai and ikebana displays, showcasing these amazing flowers in all their beauty and grace.
One of the show highlights for camellia lovers will be the Queensland release of ‘Ballerina’, a stunning new Slimline sasanqua camellia bred by Australia’s Paradise Plants.
I’d recommend that if you’d like one of these gorgeous plants, get in early on Saturday as stocks will sell quickly. ($5 from each sale will be donated to the Hospice.)
Of course, in addition to an extensive variety of camellia plants on sale, there’ll be around 40 exhibitors with a massive range of quality garden plants, and garden related tools and machinery on display.
Entertainment will be provided by talented local groups and performers such as The Toowoomba Choral Society, High Altitude Harmony, After Five Vocal Ensemble, and a roving performance by Left Field quartet.
For those visitors who love their motor cars and bikes nearly as much as their gardens, there’ll be a display of Minis and Harleys on Saturday, and on Sunday, an extensive display of vintage cars and bikes.
Most camellia growers will be aware that the humble tea plant is indeed Camellia sinensis, and to honour this plant, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony will take place each morning, where a small number of lucky patrons will be able to partake in this beautiful and intimate display of Japanese culture. Don’t miss this!
Each year, as part of the Camellia Show weekend, a garden is selected as representative of how camellias can be easily combined with other plants in a landscape.
This year, our magnificent Winter Garden is Colin Fitzgerald’s “Stirling House”, situated at 32 Leslie St, Rangeville.
The garden, planted from the 1960s onwards, boasts over 100 camellias, and is a classic example of thoughtful integration of camellias into a wonderfully eclectic collection of specimen and rare plants.
Of course, there’s plenty of temperate and cool climate plants to view as well, including many deciduous trees such as a Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), Japanese maples (Acer cultivars), oaks (Quercus species) and liquidambers.
One feature plant in this garden is the Golden Camellia, C. nitidissima, believed to be the first one of its kind grown in Toowoomba.
Other winter flowering beauties to look for are gorgeous magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas. While you’re there, check out the stunning views to Table Top mountain and the Lockyer Valley! Entry to the Winter Garden, open from 10am to 4pm both days, is only $5 and of course, all proceeds will go to the Toowoomba Hospice.
See you at the Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo! The entry fee is a ridiculously low $8 this year, and there’s plenty of free parking (Entry to both the Show and Winter Garden is only $10).
Go to www.toowoombacamelliashow.com for directions and more details.