Dunedin Rhododendron Festival: 18 to 26 October 2009.
The cooler climes of Otago in New Zealand’s South Island are perfectly suited to growing rhododendrons and every year, when the blooms are at their best, the city of Dunedin celebrates with a special festival.
This year the Dunedin Rhododendron Festival will be celebrating its 26th anniversary and for the first time the event will run for an extended season to include the national holiday of Labour weekend.
Festival Highlights
More than 50 events make up the festival programme and bookings are heavy.
Highlights include workshops with author and photographer Dennis Greville who has written 15 gardening books and is a columnist for national and international publications. Greville will cover the topic of his latest book, ‘Colourful Gardens’, and share ways to use colour to transform an environment. He’ll also present two workshops on ‘Easy on the Pocket Vegetable Gardening’.
Doug Thomson, curator of Dunedin Botanic Garden’s Rhododendron Dell, will demonstrate aspects of rhododendron care and Dunedin’s tourist attractions – Larnach Castle and Glenfalloch Woodland Garden – will also stage events. ‘Tastings in the Garden’ will feature local foods, fine wines and beers at Larnach Castle and ‘Art in the Garden’ will see local artists and sculptors working in the Glenfalloch Garden with rhododendrons as their backdrop.
The Dunedin Horticultural Society 38th Annual Rhododendron Day will also coincide with the Festival. As well as plant stalls selling rare and unusual plants, more than 20 local gardens will be open to the public and a number of special garden tours will operate during the Festival.
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Our Dunedin travel section tells more about the festivals background and other Dunedin Festivals and attractions …
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