Toowoomba, Australia: The 74th annual Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has kicked off with a burst of color and a warm welcome, thanks to a milder-than-usual winter. Gardens throughout the city are already in full bloom, attracting hordes of visitors eager to soak in the floral splendor.
Toowoomba Regional Council’s dedicated gardeners have labored for months, meticulously planning, planting, and rising early to ensure that the city’s floral displays dazzle visitors from the very start of the Carnival.
Queens Park, a hub of activity, reverberated with the sounds of hedge trimmers and mowers as the Caller caught up with horticulture supervisor Matt Schick. He remarked that the slightly warmer winter had not significantly impacted their efforts.
“There’s plenty of color on display, and while a few things may continue to bloom into the middle of September, there’s already plenty to see,” Schick commented. “If anything, some tulips are flowering a bit earlier than usual, but that’s typical from year to year. Everything is on schedule. Some additional rainfall would be welcome to refresh everything.”
Last year, a remarkable 365,000 people reveled in the celebration of spring, and organizers anticipate even higher numbers in 2023, projecting an economic boost of $22 million for the local community.
Councilor James O’Shea emphasized the significance of this time of year for Toowoomba’s economy and the opportunity to celebrate the “heart and soul” of the community.
“The power of the petal is incredible,” he stated. “We have 190,000 blooms, with 37 million petals, creating a spectacular sight. Don’t ask me who counted them, but I’m reliably informed that’s the number!”
O’Shea noted that despite the cancellation of Carnival’s major events in 2020 due to the pandemic, crowd numbers in the city’s public gardens increased, reaffirming that flowers remain the primary attraction.
“People come here because we’re known as the Garden City. They come to see the flowers and award-winning gardens. That’s what it’s all about,” O’Shea emphasized. “All of that is free. You can stroll through this park all day, every day. It’s free. You can picnic here, bring your own food, your bike, kick a ball around. Whatever it is, it’s free, and you can enjoy what long-time residents love about the place.”
Ensuring that the Carnival of Flowers lives up to its name is a year-round commitment for Council’s gardeners. They begin planning for the next year almost immediately and start planting seedlings around April.
Matt Schick added, “There’s an immense amount of work involved, but it’s incredibly satisfying. We receive a lot of positive feedback from the public, which is fantastic. There aren’t many jobs where you can witness the end result as clearly as we do, and it’s very rewarding.”
This year, a record 52 cafes and restaurants are participating in the TReats initiative, offering feature meals priced between $10 and $20 throughout September. The Festival of Food and Wine will return to Queens Park on September 8, 9, and 10, followed by the Floral Parade on Saturday, September 16.
