Lakes Entrance Garden Club started 2026 with a relaxing and enjoyable social lunch at the Bruthen Inn Hotel in January, attended by 65 people.
The first meeting of the year was held in February, with 57 members and six visitors enjoying another well-attended gathering. Donations from the club will go to support local services, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Lakes Entrance CFA and Lakes Entrance Neighbourhood House.
Showbench judge Diana Walter praised the lovely entries, which included dahlias, roses, hydrangeas, and an array of fruit and vegetables. Two special sections featured this month: Valentine’s Day theme floral art and potted plant in flower.
In the Valentine’s Day section, four bright entries were showcased. Second place went to Shirley Bardwell for her fluffy green cyperus and red-and-white flowers, while first went to Dearne Albert for red roses and delicate maidenhair ferns arranged in a heart shape with raffia.
The potted plant in flower section had five entries. Second place was awarded to Truus Adams for a pretty pink orchid. Joy Davenport, with a bright orange-flowered begonia, and Dearne Albert, with a striking clerodendrum vine featuring heart-shaped leaves and bell-shaped white flowers tipped with red, shared first place. In a club first, these two entries also shared Best Exhibit for the Day.
Guest speaker Josephine Jakobi presented a thought-provoking talk on transforming the 15-hectare site at 55 Palmers Road, often called “The White Elephant.”
The former Tambo Shire offices are largely unused, but Josephine proposed turning the site into a community hub with a lookout tower, art gallery, exhibition space, music and performance areas, a restaurant, and a Coastal Botanic Gardens. The site offers sweeping views of the Gippsland Lakes and the Southern Ocean, with bushland planted by botanist Bill Peel flowing down to the Salt Marsh Wetland.
The next meeting of the Lakes Entrance Garden Club will be held on Monday, March 16, at 1.30 pm at Mechanics Hall, Mechanics Street, near the library. Visitors are always welcome.
