Program, Speaker Biographies and Bus Tours Biographies
Here is a brief idea of what you can expect at the conference. Please note that we are still finalising details and so there may be some changes to this.
You can view a copy of the current Program here. Please note that changes may be made so check for updates.
Bus Tours
Here is a sample of what you will see.
The Walkley Garden
Stan and jane Walkley purchased their Rosemount property in 2004. It originally comprised 11 acres which they considered would be a manageable size for their later retirement. However, over the years they added two adjacent properties in order to keep out the encroachment of housing developments, and so the property has grown to 22 acres.
Initially the landscaping was very basic and generic – just a few Alexander Palms and the ubiquitous Philodendron Xanadu (quickly dispensed with). Stan and Jane owned an operated a large nursery in Burpengary for 48 years and had plenty of interesting material to reinvent the gardens.
As well as all their other plant interests, they have been seriously growing Bromeliads for pleasure and have used these to restock the garden for 25 years which has resulted in the gardens as you see them today.
Peter and Denise Ball's Garden
Denise and Peter purchased their block of land in 2010 and started with a blank canvas after running out garden space for their growing bromeliad collection in their previous property.
Apart from the Gum trees at the rear of the property, the rest of the garden has gradually been established and is still a work in progress. The front garden was started in 2011 and the gardens in the back yard were started in 2013.
The gardens have a tropical feel with a range of palms, gingers, heliconias and bromeliads to name a few.
The backyard has a number of pathways through the gardens, and the ‘Gum garden’ is also used as a pre-release site for orphaned possums (Denise is a wildlife carer).
There are a number of shade houses on the property and a
couple of these will be open for visitors to wander through on the bus tours.
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Tinto - Barbara and Rob Murray
Tinto was commenced in 1989 when owners Barbara and Rob Murray built and commenced creating a wild garden on just over two acres of land at Narangba. The first ten years were slow but in around 2000, Barbara gained an interest in bromeliads. This has grown from a small hobby under a tree to one that now covers a significant portion of the garden and several shadehouses.
The most significant challenge has been turning the old pine plantation with heavy clay soils into an area that would sustain a good variety of plants. Mulch and compost have been and still are widely used to enhance the growing areas.
Tinto is a garden that flourishes as a wild, lazy gardener’s paradise. It is an eclectic collection of a wide range of common and rare plants covering many different families. Trees, shrubs, creepers, fruit and vegetables exist in an unstructured rambling canvas.
The front sloping gardens have bromeliads, grevillias, aloes and a mix of common shrubs growing under a variety of eucalypts.
The house area has a splattering of more bromeliads including a tillandsia collection. There is a collection of anthuriums, hoyas and epiphyllums. The bus stop – a small shadehouse - has a collection of interesting potted plants.
Climb a few steps at the rear of the house and you enter an orchard of common and exotic fruits plus several shadehouses filled to the brim with bromeliads. Sample the aniseed myrtle (when new shoots appear), try a grumichama or grab a handful of midyim berries in season.
Walk through the shadehouses of neoregelias, aechmeas and vrieseas (all in aplphabetical order) or check out the ‘Dead Mothers’ Society’ before entering the forest and seeing the native bees.
During any season, you will find something that is of
interest – visual or edible.
