Garden Expo goes four days to mark four decades of growing success

Costa Georgiadis, Matt Golinski & friends at last year’s Expo. This year’s event is on July 4-7.

The Queensland Garden Expo, a horticultural staple in Australia for four decades, is gearing up for its 40th anniversary celebration with an extended four-day event (July 4-7).

The Nambour Showgrounds will once again host a seven-hectare 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 the event would bring together Australia’s gardening royalty, local permaculture and community groups, and more than 55 growers and nurseries.

“The event was conceived by a group of Sunshine Coast Nursery Industry people who wanted to share their love of gardening and knowledge with local gardeners, and has grown year-on-year to the gardener’s paradise our visitors travel far and wide for,” said Ms Beazley.

“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.

“This 40-year celebration is really a call out for locals; we couldn’t do it without the support of our Sunshine Coast community – the hundreds of volunteers, the community groups and everyone who joins us year-in-year-out – they have all wholeheartedly embraced this event over the years.

“If you’ve always thought about coming to check out the Expo in our beautiful hinterland town of Nambour – this is truly the year to do so. You definitely don’t need to be a pro gardener to have a great time at the Expo as we have something for everyone – from absolute amateurs to fanatical green thumbs and everyone in between!”