On Thursday 24 September, we will meet at 9:30 am at the Benalla Rose Gardens, Royal Hotel end.  We will then visit My Little Potting Shed at 1901 Samaria Road, Samaria, the garden of Melissa and Guy Mounsey.  Melissa grows beautiful cut flowers.  We'll have our morning tea there.  Please bring a plate to share - coffee, milk, hot water, will be available. 

Lunch will be at Tatong Tavern.  Please let me know if you are attending, as I need to confirm numbers - call or SMS 0438627010 or email  [email protected]

Gwen Turner

​   

August Winter Break  There will be no meeting in August while we enjoy our winter break. Shirley Kearney and I are heading to Caloundra on Saturday 25 July for a relaxing holiday.  I will be away from 25 July until 1 September.

September Outing – Wednesday, 24 September

Morning Tea at  Benalla Rose Gardens
Time: 9.30 am (Royal Hotel end)
Please bring:

• Your own morning tea
• A small plate to share

Hot water, tea, coffee, and milk will be provided.

After morning tea, we will visit:visit Melissa and Guy Mounsey's My Little Potting Shed Flower Farm & Florist, 1901 Samaria Road, Moorngag.

We will then enjoy lunch at the Tatong Tavern.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be attending, as I need to confirm numbers with the Tatong Tavern. Also, please advise if you have any food allergies or dietary requirements.

Take care, enjoy the winter break, and I look forward to seeing everyone in September.

Gwen Turner
0438627010 [email protected]

On June 25th we visited St Matthew's Church and garden and the private home and garden of Father Peter and his mother in Albury. Our visit to the St Matthew's Church and garden was splendid with Father Peter entertaining us with wonderful stories. Then to the private garden and on to the ballroom for morning tea, with more great tales.  Father Peter also played their grand piano.  Wow!  Some of you wanted to know when we were  last there - it was June 23rd, 2022.  How time flies! ​

Lunch at the Borella Cafe at Peard's Nursery was lots of fun.    

Special thanks to Corrie Witlox for helping me by collecting the envelopes from RedB4 book shop and to Shirley Kearney for her help on the day.

​July 23rd -  Town Garden,  Benalla. 

We will visit the Garden of Joy Gunn, 9 Dawn Street, Benalla.   Joy is also a beautiful Lace Maker and has offered to show us her work.  Morning Tea will be available 

As it is winter, if you don't  know  where to go,  please meet me at the Gardens next to Royal Hotel at 10am.  Please note the later start. 

Lunch will be at the Royal Hotel.

​If you are attending our July outing, please let me know - text  on 0438 627 010 or email  [email protected].

Once again, many thanks for your company on our Albury trip.   

Gwen ​

Our May 28 Garden Appreciation outing was a delightful day enjoyed by all who attended.

We first visited Corrie’s garden in Benalla, where members admired the wonderful collection of bonsai and the many attractive plants displayed in pots throughout the garden. The peaceful setting provided a lovely place to enjoy morning tea and conversation.

We then travelled to Margaret’s garden in Parkview Parade. Margaret has designed and developed the garden herself over more than 20 years, including all of the brickwork — a remarkable achievement. Members particularly admired the beautiful sasanqua camellias, native plants, and the stunning outlook across the reserve opposite the property.

The day concluded with a very enjoyable lunch at the Golf Club.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day such a success.

Garden Appreciation Bus Trip — Albury, Thursday 25 June

Members are invited to join our Garden Appreciation Bus Trip to Albury on Thursday 25 June.

Meet: Benalla Rose Gardens at 8.30 am
Departure: 8.45 am sharp from the Royal Hotel end.

Our first visit will be to the beautiful St Matthew’s Church and Gardens, followed by a visit to Father Peter’s private garden. Morning tea will be provided, and a donation of $5 per person would be appreciated.

We will then continue to Peard's Nursery, before enjoying lunch at the popular Borella Café.

There are still some places available!  If you would like to attend, please let Gwen know as soon as possible, place money in an envelope marked “U3A Garden Appreciation” with your name and phone number, then leave this at RedB4 books next to Hide’s Bakery for Gwen to collect.  

Gwen Turner

Email: gwenturner243@gmail.com
Phone: 0438 627 010

Gwen

Nellie kindly baked us a beautiful chocolate cake and doughnuts. We had lunch at the Mokoan Hub Café, which was lovely.

Coming up:.
May 28th – Garden Visit (Benalla)
Meet at the Benalla Rose Gardens (Royal Hotel end) at 9:30am.
We will visit two town gardens:
1st Garden
Corrie Witlox
3 Ibis Court, Benalla
2nd Garden
Margaret Walsh
20 Parkview Parade, Benalla

Lunch will be at the Benalla Golf Club.

June 25th – Bus Trip
We will travel to St Matthew’s Church in Albury, then visit Father Peter’s private garden at his home, followed by Peard’s Nursery and Café where we will have lunch.

Benalla Bus Lines has offered us a great price of $25 per person.

Payment is due by the May outing, or you may leave it at Red B4 Bookshop (next to Hides Bakery).

Please place money in an envelope marked:
“U3A Garden Appreciation”
Include your name and phone number.

Please let me know if you are attending any of the outings.

​
Gwen Turner
0438 627 010
[email protected]

47 of us visited two lovely Benalla gardens for our March outing. 

Firstly, Phil and Sandie Chrimes beautiful, mature garden, where we enjoyed morning tea.

We then moved on to the garden of Ross McMahon and Sharon  Deakin.  This is a large garden with beautiful garden beds around the house, and a great lawn.  Ross must have one of the best lawns in Benalla. 

Coming up Thursday 23rd of April.

We will  visit  the  Garden  of Nellie O'Brian,  346 Goudie Rd., Chesney Vale, followed by lunch at the Mokoan Hub Cafe.

If you wish to  attend  our  April  outing  please email me at [email protected]  or  text  0438 627 010.
​
Please note:  I  may  have  to  cancel  this  outing owning  to the  petrol  crisis.  I will let you  know  by email.


Gwen Turner

​

Our February outing to Park Lane Nursery was most enjoyable.  Stopping at Glenrowan for morning tea was a delightful way to meet new and current members over coffee.  At Park Lane Nursery, as always, the plants were of a high standard — and many have since come back to Benalla.  Lunch at the Pinsent Hotel was beautiful, although we did have a short wait for the food.

Coming up on 26th March - Two Benalla Gardens

We will visit the garden of Sharon Deakin and Ross McMahon, 195 Samaria Rd, Benalla.   A second garden is to be confirmed.
Lunch will be at the North Eastern Hotel (The Northo), Benalla.

Meet at 9.30am – Benalla Rose Gardens (Royal Hotel end).

If you wish to  attend  our  March  outing  please  Email [email protected]  or  Text  0438627010. 

Gwen Turner 
0438 627 010

Welcome to our new and current members. We are looking forward to seeing you at our first outing on Thursday 26 February. 

We will be going to Park Lane Nursery, 95 Park Lane, Wangaratta.  We may be able to ask the nursery people how to regenerate our gardens after such a hot summer! 

We will meet at the Benalla Rose Gardens (Royal Hotel end) at 9.30 am, as the U3A car park may still be closed.  

BYO morning tea – we can have it at the nursery.   Lunch venue to be confirmed. 

It is very important that you let me know if you are attending, as I need to confirm numbers. Please also advise of any food allergies. Mobile: 0438637010 Email: [email protected].

Stay cool!

​
Gwen Turner
📞 0438 627 010
✉️ [email protected]

What a great year we have had visiting private gardens and public ones, including our bus trip to the Blue Lotus Water Gardens and visits to Nagambie Ferns, Shepparton Nurseries, Benalla Racecourse, Sandra's Nursery, Mansfield Nursery, and Caos Concepts.

Our Christmas meeting on Thursday 4 December promises to be another highlight!  Les and Robyn Maclean (21 South Street), and Geraldine and Garry McCorkell, have been kind enough to open their gardens, with lunch catered for by the Pink Ladies at Geraldine and Garry’s, 'Avonlea' 686 Samaria Road, Benalla.

Thank you all for your company this year. I am looking forward to 2026 and to visiting more lovely gardens with you.

Have a safe and relaxing Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Gwen Turner

​Lunch at the Nagambie Rowing Club was delightful and thoroughly enjoyed by all, with the beautiful statue of Black Caviar on the lake a feature.  

Gwen Turner 

A big welcome to our new group members Cathie and Doc Hair, John Lindsay and Anna Lynch!​

Our recent outing to Mansfield was a wonderful day. We began at Caro’s Concepts, where we admired the steel artwork by Chris Jones—some of which will be coming back to Benalla for our gardens. Next, we visited Tris Thomson’s lovely large garden, filled with beautiful trees and plantings. ​

We then stopped at Snowgum Nursery, where many of us enjoyed more plant shopping! By then, we were ready for a delicious lunch at the Delatite Hotel. Afterward, there was still time for some shopping in Mansfield’s main street.

On Thursday, October 23rd we will be meeting at the U3A Car Park at 9:30 am and visiting Nagambie.   Please bring your own morning tea to enjoy near the Black Caviar statue on the lake. There are beautiful gardens all around the lake.  From there we’ll continue on to Nagambie Ferns Nursery in High Street. Lunch will follow at the Nagambie Rowing Club, right on the lake.

If you would like to join us for the Nagambie outing, please let me know by email at [email protected] or text/call 0438 627 010.

Please note: The November meeting will now be held on 4th December.

Gwen Turner

Shirl and I had a lovely five weeks in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.

Our next outing will be on Thursday 25th September to Mansfield, meeting at the U3A car park at 9:30 am.

We’ll visit Snowgum Nursery, Caos Concepts Artwork, and a private garden.

Please bring a small plate to share for morning tea.  Lunch will be at the Delatite Hotel, Mansfield.

If you're interested, please let me know - [email protected] 0438 627 010


Gwen Turner

We are now taking a break for winter. See you all in the spring!

To our members who have been unwell, we hope you are feeling better.

Take care and stay warm.

Gwen Turner

​On June 26, we had a lovely time at our Swap Table morning at the old Court House  — with lots of chatting! It was a very cold morning, so it was great to be in the warm hall enjoying a hot cuppa and some delicious cakes. Plant cuttings found new homes, and some were kindly donated to the Holy Trinity Op Shop.

A big thank you to Shirley and Geraldine for taking everyone around my garden. Afterwards, we headed to the Bowls Club for lunch.
​
Next Gathering:
Lunch Only – Wednesday, July 24

At the Golf Club, 12 noon.
Note: There will be a winter break in August.
Please text or email me if you’re coming to the July lunch:
📱 0438 627 010
📧 [email protected]

Stay warm!

Gwen

Email from Dean Steegstra, BRCC 25th May 2025 Message to U3A Benalla Garden Appreciation Group Information for meeting at the Old Court House, Anglican Church, Arundel Street on Thursday 26th June. "Sorry I can’t make the meeting. You might like to read this quick summary of what we do"...

Our forthcoming programs include annual rose pruning in the Benalla gardens and Bridge St medium strip Lomandra pruning.

Benalla Rural City Council (Council) provides an array of asset maintenance over 8 Townships. These townships are Benalla, Thoona, Winton, Tatong, Baddaginnie, Goorambat, and Devenish.

The Asset & Infrastructure Department Open Spaces team are responsible for the maintenance of over 170 hectares of parks, reserves and open spaces including the Benalla Botanical Gardens, Lake Benalla, Riverine parklands, Playgrounds, Roadside verges and Urban landscapes. Roadside verges or nature strips include the 11,500 recorded street trees assets.

Other specific services provided are:- Committee of Managements – Sport & Recreation; Streetscapes including Town entrances, medium strip and roundabouts, pergolas, streetlights, seats, bins; Lake Benalla including, fish ladder, noxious weed treatment (Cabomba) and Mokoan Biolink Channel.

Council staff delivers majority of its Parks and Gardens services in-house, although some are outsourced to contractors, depending on the type of maintenance work. Contracted works include Powerline clearance, Elm leaf treatment, Roadside slashing, Roadside spraying.

The Open Space team comprises of 7 full time staff including the Coordinator Open Spaces, 2x Botanical Gardens Officers, 2x Parks and Gardens Officer, 1x Mower Operator and 1 x Maintenance Officer.

Staff qualifications include Business Management, Arboriculture and Horticulture.

Programmed works and reactive maintenance activities ensure Council assets remain in a condition where they are safe, functional, and fit for community purpose, until such time when they are renewed/replaced, upgraded, or decommissioned.

If you have any concerns or service requests, please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 0357 602 600

"Regards Dean Steegstra - Coordinator Open Space Benalla Rural City Council"


Thank you, Dean.

On 26th June we will meet at the old Court House, 67Arundel Street Benalla.
 
We will have a Swap Table, so bring cutting, plants, pots, plant books, etc.  If you don't have anything to swap, just come along for a chat and  a cuppa.
 
Please bring a gold coin donation towards the use of the Hall and a small plate to share for Morning tea.  Tea, coffee, milk and hot water will be available.
 
We have a guest speaker Dean Steegstra.  Dean is the Manager of  Parks, Rose Gardens, Street Trees at Benalla Rural City Council.
 
Before we go to lunch you are welcome to have a walk around my garden and also the 2nd Chance Op Shop.
 
Lunch at the Benalla Bowls Club, Arundel St.
 
Interested in attending? Please email or text me - [email protected] or 0438 627 010.
​
 
Gwen

On Thursday 27th May, twenty-seven members of Garden Appreciation travelled to Shepparton Nursery in Archer Street, then on to Riverside Nursery on Melbourne Road.  Many of us came home with more plants—after saying we weren’t going to buy any. Famous last words! We were lucky to get a lovely drop of rain too.

Lunch at the Pepper Mill Hotel was lovely.  It was a fun day all around.

Next Meeting – June 26th

Meet at the Old Court House, 67 Arundel Street, Benalla at 10am.

We’re having a Swap Table—bring cuttings, plants, pots, plant books, etc.   If you don’t have anything to swap, just come along for a chat and a cuppa!  

Please bring a gold coin donation towards the use of the hall and a small plate to share for morning tea. Tea, coffee, milk, and hot water will be provided.

Lunch will be at the Benalla Bowling Club in Arundel Street. 

Interested in attending?   Please email or text me:  [email protected] 0438 627 010

Happy gardening! 

Gwen

​On 24th April, we enjoyed a lovely morning tea at Sandra’s Nursery — great coffee! Thank you to Sandra and Clive. We also had a wonderful tour of the Benalla Race Club and a lovely lunch at the Golf Club.

Our next outing will be on 22nd May. We will meet at the U3A car park at 9:30am before heading off for a tour of Shepparton’s nurseries. We will begin at the New Echuca Shepparton Plant Farm, located at 535 Archer Street, Kialla. After visiting the nurseries, we will lunch together at the Pepper Mill Hotel.  Please text (0438 627 010) or email me ([email protected]) if you are interested in attending

Gwen Turner

On April 24th, we will meet at the U3A car park at 10 AM. Please note the new time, as we don’t have to travel far. Our first stop is Sandra's Nursery at 141 Witt St, Benalla, where a coffee van with tables and chairs is available. They receive new stock each week. Next, we will tour the Benalla Race Club Grounds and Track, followed by lunch at the Golf Club.

If you’re interested in attending the April outing, please contact me at [email protected] or 0438 627 010.

Gwen Turner

​What a lovely morning we had in late February at Lyn Tanner's Garden, with 53 attendees!

We enjoyed a beautiful morning tea in a peaceful garden setting, surrounded by stunning views over the lake and large, shady trees. It was so cool and relaxing—we could have stayed there all morning!

Next, we visited Tony Smith’s front garden, which featured beautiful trees and plants.

Our third stop was Kathie and Brian Wragg’s garden. This lovely, spacious garden had fantastic views of the lake, plenty of trees, and well-maintained garden beds.

A big thank you to all the Mitchell Street garden owners for sharing their beautiful spaces with us!

We wrapped up the day with an enjoyable lunch at the Royal Hotel, where the conversation continued. It was wonderful to meet our new members and welcome back familiar faces—a great way to start the year with happy company!

27th March – Bus Trip to Blue Lotus Water Gardens

Meet at Benalla Rose Garden (near the Royal Hotel, Benalla) at 7:45 AM.

Cost: $74 (includes bus travel, entry, lunch, tea, and coffee).

Our numbers are a bit low, so if you know anyone who may like to attend, please let me know. Payment is due before March 12th.

Money can be left at RedB4 Bookshop (next to Hide Bakery in Bridge Street). Please place it in an envelope marked "U3A Garden Appreciation" with your name and phone number.
​
Gwen Turner
​
0438 627 010 (Text) or
[email protected].