Native flower show ready to bloom

WITH the increasingly warm weather you’d be hard-pressed to think it wasn’t almost spring; just in time for the Bendigo Flower Show in September.

The Bendigo Plant Society has been running the event since 1974, when a group of people came together to share their knowledge and love for native Australian plants.

Secretary for the group Sandy Birch said interest in the display of plants, books and other related items is becoming increasingly popular each year.

“Last year there was a queue half-an-hour before the show opened, so we just opened early,” she said.

“Of particular interest to the very early people is getting in to get the best of the books and the best plants.

“Everything relates to Australian plants in some way, so there’ll be gardening, talking about touring the bush, birds, butterflies, things about the soil.

“There’ll be books about those topics; what eats them, what helps them grow, etcetera.

“Any topic you can think of that relates to growing Australian plants.”

Ms Birch said of note for aspiring gardeners is this year many plants are likely to flower earlier than usual, in September rather than in October.

“With all the rain we’ve had last year it’s changed the soil’s interaction with the plants,” she said.

“Because it’s wetter, the plants are happier to use the water and grow more and flower more.”

As to what to plant in your garden, Ms Birch said Correas used to do well in the region, but as it gets drier, she said other plants will likely do better.

“Now, despite the big rains we had last year, we’re finding lots more desert species like Erymophillas grow happily in this area, and they’re very, very pretty plants,” she said.

Ms Birch said meadow flowers like daisies, which bring in pollinators, are a pick for this season, while scattering Wahlenbergia seeds will result in a “blue knee-high forest.”

Other plants at the flower show include Grevilleas, Hakeas, Bendigo waxflower, orchids, and Banksias.

The 2023 Bendigo Flower Show will be held at Victory College in Strathdale on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September from 9.30am to 4pm with admission at $5.