Keen Green Thumbs Enjoy Expo in Muttaburra

The challenge had been set. Three days of judging took place. All that was left was to find out who the winners were of the 2022 Barcaldine Regional Council Get Gardening Competition. 

On Saturday 10th of September entrants and community members from Alpha, Jericho, Barcaldine, Aramac and Muttaburra gathered at the Muttaburra Memorial Hall for a morning of activities, shopping, gardening education but most of all to learn who the winners of the annual competition were.

We were greeted at the fence with an array of handmade scarecrows for the Get Gardening scarecrow competition, some funny and others equally scary! The Muttaburra Nursery had a wide selection of plants on display for everyone to buy – what better place to buy a plant than at a gardening expo? It was very tempting to not pull out that Eftpos card and buy a few!

In the hall, locals had set up stalls with handmade goods for sale, along with a delicious selection of biscuits, cakes, slices and coffee.  And delicious those biscuits were!

Out the back of the hall Melinda Rogers demonstrated her wire sculpting skills with a demonstration where she produced a beehive that was then auctioned off, the funds going directly back to the community. It was certainly a highlight watching her creative genius and the sculpture come to life before our eyes.

And of course, there were activities to keep the kids entertained during the morning. A colouring in competition was set up and open to all children 12 and under, and out the back the kids could paint themselves some rocks or plant a seedling to take home.

Phil Dudman provided the adults with some of his knowledge and tips for composting and mulch, before the winners of the Get Gardening Competition were announced.

Not being avid gardeners, there was a lot of gardening information to take in.  Like did you know that temperature is really important when creating compost? I know we certainly didn’t! And who would have thought that painting some rocks could be so enjoyable? We certainly didn’t think so, but boy were we wrong!

Having gone into the Gardening Expo with just the idea of capturing a few photos, it was surprising to have had such an enjoyable morning. A relaxed and friendly atmosphere that by the end of the experience we left feeling content and happy with what we had been a part of.