Colour, colour and more colour… The theme for the 37th Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show (taking place from 21 to 24 September) is “Out of my paint box”, which has created great excitement among exhibitors, who cannot wait to show off their creations!
The show will take place at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg from 21 to 24 September 2012. Although the show traditionally runs for three days, it has been decided to extend the event to include the Heritage Day public holiday on the Monday.
Acknowledged as the largest horticultural event of its kind in the southern hemisphere and modelled on the Chelsea Flower Show, the show includes up to 50 designer gardens, the quality (of most) ranking with the best in the world.
Orchid lovers will be spoilt with a wide selection of this ‘perfect blossom’With an emphasis on inspirational show gardens, visitors are exposed to the latest landscaping techniques, innovative design features and displays of indigenous and exotic plant material.
One of the many highlights of the occasion is the Hall of Orchids and with an international array of exhibitors, this is a must-see for anyone who is interested in what is sometimes referred to as the “perfect blossom”.
There are many other attractions to keep you intrigued. A new addition to the already jam-packed programme of things to see and do is the Tourism Expo, showcasing the attractions of the province. Exhibitors at the Skal International Tourism Fair will be businesses directly involved in marketing the tourism industry and preference will be given to tourism business in the KZN Midlands, Drakensberg and Northern KZN.
For the Bonsai fans, the Bonsai Society will be back this year after not managing to exhibit last year due to a major bonsai show being held in Durban at the same time, so don’t miss out!
The Bonsai Society of SA will be on hand to showcase their beautiful creationsThe Midlands Quilters Guild is the oldest of its kind in South Africa. True to form, the quilters have pulled out all the stops, putting together what can only be described as a glorious palette of colour and texture in fabric. This piece will be raffled at the show and tickets will be available at the exhibit. This is truly a showpiece.
2012 will see the inclusion of another new component focused on sustainability, under the banner of the Happy Earth Hall. Internationally, the ‘green conscience’ continues to evolve and by way of initiation in the formative years, the show will again focus extensively on youth development via the inclusion of mini horticultural exhibits by school-going youngsters, many from rural areas, spanning grades 4 to 12.
The Sunday Tribune Garden Show has long been renowned for hosting the premier floral cake icing competition in the country and this, together with a colourful, meaningful participation of leisure-type exhibits will afford any visitor a very colourful experience.
For more information, visit www.gardenshow.co.za