Spring Garden Trail ‘truly astounding’

Julie Gittoes and Carol Tierney (far right) welcoming visitors to “Binna Burra” on Monday

05th Nov 2024

The numbers are still being finalised, but there is no doubt that the New England Garden Festival (NEGF) has been an outstanding success.
Physical ticket sales for the main event held in Armidale over the weekend were around 4500, but organisers expect that number to rise once digital ticket sales are added to the final tally.
While Armidale was the centre of the event, organisers worked hard to make it an event that would benefit the whole region by encouraging visitors to visit a trail of gardens extending from Walcha up to Tenterfield.
NEGF President Lou Forsythe said that they are absolutely thrilled with the result and she is delighted to see the garden trail going gangbusters.
“People are loving the chance to get together and are going from town to town visiting gardens along the way,” she said.
“It is not surprising because Armidale has always had beautiful gardens, but so do the surrounding towns like Guyra, Uralla, Walcha, Glen Innes, all the way up to Tenterfield.
“Gardens unite us all, and we hoped people would be supportive of the Garden Trail idea, but to see the number of people who have completed the trail is astounding.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting people from all over. There are three sisters who have come down from Central Queensland on a week’s holiday together and they are going from town to town, staying overnight, eating out and visiting all the gardens.
“The Guyra gardens on Monday were simply stunning and I haven’t heard a bad word from anyone. Gardening is truly something that brings people together rather than dividing them and that was so evident as I wondered through these beautiful gardens.”
The NEGF is a not for profit event with profits this year directed towards Can Assist. Guyra members assisted on the weekend and also manned the gardens on Monday.
President Wendy Jackson said that there were around 300 people who visited Julie and Kerry Gittoes’ garden and around 200 at the other gardens belonging to John and Barbara Ross and Tony Duke.
“There is no doubt that this is a great event, and it is in no small way due to the efforts of organisers and the generosity of the gardeners who open their gates to let the visitors in,” Wendy said.
Garden enthusiasts won’t have to wait another year to visit New England’s beautiful gardens with an autumn garden trail being planned for next year.
It is anticipated that 18 cold climate gardens will be open to the public across the region commencing on Thursday, April 28th, 2025.

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Spring Garden Trail ‘truly astounding’

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