General News
27 April, 2023
Flower show back in bloom at Laanecoorie
Laanecoorie will once again be in full bloom this weekend as the town hosts the Bendigo Goldfields Chrysanthemum Championship for the second time, marking the event’s 25th year. Coming off the back of last year’s successful championship, which...
Laanecoorie will once again be in full bloom this weekend as the town hosts the Bendigo Goldfields Chrysanthemum Championship for the second time, marking the event’s 25th year.
Coming off the back of last year’s successful championship, which saw around 400 people from across Victoria make their way to Laanecoorie, organisers are expecting this weekend to be just as big a hit.
With quality blooms entered from Melbourne, Ballarat, Shepparton, Bendigo and the local area, Bendigo Goldfields Chrysanthemum Championship coordinator Graeme Cain said the two-day championship is looking to be another success.
“We had always run the event at the showgrounds in Bendigo but it wasn’t necessarily feasible for the club moving forward,” he said.
“We brought it to Laanecoorie last year and it went very well and this year we’ve got people from Ballarat, Melbourne and quite a few other areas coming in to show their flowers so it’ll be a good weekend.”
With around 300 chrysanthemums of all different shapes, colours and sizes to be on show this Saturday and Sunday, Mr Cain said the championships are something worth seeing.
“It’s always a good weekend and it’s enjoyed by everyone,” he said.
“It tends to be an older crowd that comes to this sort of thing but I think everyone enjoys flowers and while they probably aren’t as good this year as they have been in the past, they still look great.
“A lot of people are involved in setting the event up and they deserve a thank you for their efforts.”
An avid chrysanthemum grower himself, Mr Cain said his love of the flower stems back to his childhood.
“My mum used to grow chrysanthemums and would show them at the hall with the Country Women’s Association and that sort of thing and I used to help her with it all,” he said.
“I’ve only been showing them myself in the last 20 or so years but it is something I enjoy.
“It’s not the prize money that you’re after in the championships, that’s not why you get involved, I do it because I love it.”
The 2023 show will take place this weekend at the Laanecoorie Mechanics Institute Hall, 19 Main Road.
Floral art displays and horticultural exhibitions will be on show across the weekend, as well as morning tea and a trading table.
The hall’s doors will be open from 9 am until 4 pm tomorrow, Saturday, April 29 and from 9 until 3 on Sunday, April 30 with a $5 entry fee for adults.