Gardening and Rare Plants Expo

Saturday

11.00am

Andrew Raper talks on behalf of the Australian Rhododendron Society about hardy, summer flowering Vireya Rhododendrons. Andrew is one of Australia's foremost experts on the subject of Rhododendrons.

12.00pm

Official open of the 2008 Gardening and Rare Plants Expo

Neville Passmore & Trevor Chochrane of The Garden Gurus officially open the show and talk about their favourite unusual plants.

12.30pm

Merryle Johnson of Country Farm Perennials speaks on Perennials in Tough Spots.  We all have them in the garden, those places where nothing seems to grow, be it the exposed sunny section or the damp shaded bog. Merryle has all the answers and with her good humour and comprehensive botanical knowledge will help you to fill all those tough spots.

1.00pm

Ria Tesselaar of Tesselaar talks on Spring Bulbs and shows you how easy they are. Ria has grown up around bulbs. Ria's parents, the founders of Tesselaar, were some of the first to grow tulips in Australia and they passed their love of this fabulous bulb on to her. Ria has a vast knowledge of spring flowering bulbs and will show you how easy they really are. She is happy to answer any questions you may have on the subject.

1.30pm

Steven Ryan from Dicksonia Rare Plants speaks on growing and maintaining a variety of rare plants. Steven is a gardening author, radio broadcaster as well as nursery owner.  Steven has a wealth of knowledge in the rare and unusual world of botany, he is a very keen gardener and has a great sense of fun in the garden.  Steven promotes plant diversity and has collected some great tid bits and facts to astound and regale you with over the weekend.

2.00pm

Tim Drewitt of Drewitt’s Bulbs speaks on Poultry for the Garden. Poultry or chickens in the garden have a myriad of benefits which can be enjoyed with minimum effort. Make your own compost, collect your own eggs, sell the eggs and more. There are so many benefits to keeping your own poultry and Tim will tell you them all. Tim is speaking Saturday only.

2.30pm

Mark Finnigan of B&T Ferns & Orchids talks on the fascinating history of the orchid. Mark has many years experience in orchids and is extremely conversant on orchids.

Sunday

11.00am

Larry and Tony from MountView Wholesale have been growing Rhoeo or ‘Moses in the Cradle’ for many years. They have developed a frost resistant variety which is drought hardy and can be planted almost anywhere. Inside, outside, sun or shade. These plants are so versatile and Larry and Tony have all the tricks to get them to thrive. Let Larry and Tony tell all you need to know about Rhoeo.

11.30am

Peter Leigh of Post Office Farm in the Macedon Ranges specialises in the Helleborus genus or Winter Rose. For more than 10 years Peter has collected, propagated and hybridised some wonderful varieties of these shade tolerant plants. These drought tolerant, lush plants can be used in all sorts of ways in your garden. Peter will show you how.

12.00pm

Clive Halls from Mt Beenak Orchids will keep you interested with an interesting presentation on orchid culture with a question and answer session as well as practical demonstrations. Orchids you will find are much easier than you think.

12.30pm

Water plant boffin, Daryle Hoogenboom from Oz Watergardens, specialises in water plants of all shapes and sizes. The feel and look of water in the garden is both relaxing and cooling. Daryle speaks about Pond plant use and selection - all you need to create a beautiful water feature at your home.

1.00pm

Merryle Johnson of Country Farm Perennials speaks on Perennials in Tough Spots.  We all have them in the garden, those places where nothing seems to grow, be it the exposed sunny section or the damp shaded bog. Merryle has all the answers and with her good humour and comprehensive botanical knowledge will help you to fill all those tough spots.

1.30pm

Steven Ryan from Dicksonia Rare Plants speaks on growing and maintaining a variety of rare plants. Steven is a gardening author, radio broadcaster as well as nursery owner.  Steven has a wealth of knowledge in the rare and unusual world of botany, he is a very keen gardener and has a great sense of fun in the garden.  Steven promotes plant diversity and has collected some great tid bits and facts to astound and regale you with over the weekend.

2.00pm

Annette Kennedy from Bass Valley African Violets will be speaking on these floriferous and hardy plants. They specialise in the wick watering system, from which they have enjoyed success beyond all expectations. In their talk they will teach you how to grow and care for these beautiful plants – they are so easy (and rewarding).