Ten beautiful Blue Mountains gardens will be on show over two weekends in September during the 35th Mid-Mountains Garden Festival.
This year, two new gardens make their festival debuts. Kingscliff in Linden was created on a hanging swamp and features a stunning view, stone walls from the early 1900s, a vegetable garden and an orchard.
Also appearing for the first time is Number 72 in Woodford, which features a terraced garden using up-cycled materials, sculptured deciduous trees, solar-powered water features, native plants, fruit trees and city views.
Over both weekends, Glenalva in Hazelbrook will hold a scarecrow competition for students of Hazelbrook Public School. The scarecrows can be seen among Glenalva's tranquil garden, magnificent exotic trees and thousands of bulbs.
The Hazelbrook Public School student recorder group will be performing recorder music at Kingscliff on both Sundays. Home-grown produce including jams, marmalade, sauces and scones will be for sale at Tarraleah in Hazelbrook.
To celebrate its 35th year, the Mid-Mountains Garden Festival - formerly the Hazelbrook-Woodford Garden Festival - has launched a new logo and website.
Run by the Hazelbrook Public School Parents and Citizens Association, the garden festival raises money every year for much-needed facilities at the school, including reverse-cycle air conditioning to replace the old, unflued gas heaters in classrooms.
None of the garden owners have children or grandchildren at Hazelbrook Public School but have generously offered to open their gardens to raise money for the school.
Thanks to the Garden Festival's cafe partner, 20 Mile Hollow, ticket holders can present their ticket at the cafe and receive a free coffee or tea.
The festival will run on the weekends of September 14-15 and 21-22 from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are available from all gardens and from 20 Mile Hollow Cafe.
Tickets are $5 per garden, or $25 for all gardens ($20 concession). Children under 16 are free if with an adult.
Plants that have been propagated from local gardens will also be for sale at Tarraleah, Banool and 20 Mile Hollow Cafe.
As part of the garden festival, fuchsia expert and grower Barbara Cooper will be selling fuchsias at Tarraleah on September 14 and 15.
More details: www.midmountainsgardenfestival.com
