TOOWOOMBA
EXHIBITION GARDENS
Queensland, Australia
Friday 18 September to Sunday 27 September 2026
SUPPORTED BY
The Toowoomba Chronicle
Supporting Charities
Who We Are and
What We Do
Toowoomba's Exhibition Gardens are open Friday 18 September to Sunday 27 September 2026.
All gardens have an admission fee, which is donated to Charity.
This differs from The Chronicle's competition gardens as they have free entry, and the winners are awarded prizes.
The exhibition gardens are private gardens, open for 10 days during The Carnival of Flowers. These Gardens have a variety of permanent plantings that look good all year round. On display are large and small gardens brimming with trees, flowers and ideas, which we hope will inspire you.
So come along and meet the owners, have a chat, get some advice or purchase plants (not available at all gardens).
2026 Exhibition Gardens
EIGHT BEAUTIFUL GARDENS
Friday 18 September to Sunday 27 September
9AM - 5PM
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Garden Ticket's sold at Gardens
NO EFTPOS AVAILABLE
$6 per garden
or $20 for 4 gardens or $40 for 8 gardens
CHILDREN FREE WITH AN ACCOMPANING ADULT
Enquiries to: toowoombaexhibitiongardens@gmail.com
Val Peachey
5 Fern Drive
Kearney's Spring, 4350
Val's Garden is an integrated garden with structural evergreens, weeping standard maples, and a range of roses, alstromerias, hellebores, bulbs and salvias. The Garden is beautiful all year round with a variety of perennials flowering at different times but comes to life in spring with a display of flowering annuals such as: larkspurs, foxgloves and hollyhocks planted amongst the roses. The back garden features a philadelphus, magnolia, varigated spirea, scadoxus and camellias . The garden also includes a vegetable garden and a fernery.
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Val will have variety of plants for sale.
This garden is wheelchair accessible.
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Proudly supported in 2025: TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE
Toowoomba Exhibition Gardens
A Short History
Toowoomba has long been recognised as the “Garden City”.
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Since 1950 when the first Carnival of Flowers was held, The Chronicle organised the garden competition in conjunction with the Carnival.
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Ten times grand champion gardener in Toowoomba, the late Cec Swenson decided
to withdraw from the competition to leave the championship open to other gardeners.
He still wished his garden to be available for public inspection during future carnivals because
every year local and interstate garden lovers returned to enjoy the splendour of his garden.
He believed this would happen even though his garden was not in the competition.
So the Exhibition Gardens were born.
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The Swensons had been visitors to Leura Gardens in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, and were impressed by the organisation of the Leura Exhibition Gardens and to some extent modelled Toowoomba Exhibition Gardens concept on Leura.
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It was decided to charge visitors to the gardens and donate the proceeds to charitable organisations.
Since its establishment in 1973, there have been numerous gardens displayed in this way.
Each garden owner selects a suitable charity of their choice and volunteers from this organisation sell and collect tickets at the gate.
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Since 1973 over $1,300,000 has been distributed between the selected charities.
Garden takings are pooled and divided equally between each charity.
A Special Thankyou to Our 2025 Sponsors
