More than just a fundraiser…
Over the weekends of 12-13 and 19-20 September 2026, the Mid-Mountains Garden Festival brought together a community of garden lovers in the spring sunshine. Residential streets were buzzing with activity as a stream of happy visitors from near and far, wandered in and out of beautiful home gardens on a garden trail that would lead them from Linden to Lawson, and back again. Garden owners had opened their gates to welcome everyone in, all in the name of raising funds for their local public school, Hazelbrook Public School.
This year, the Festival showcased 11 private gardens, many returning Festival favourites and two brand new additions to the Festival.
A broad spectrum of garden design was on display. The formal sweeping lawns and topiaries at Tundarra and winding hidden pathways at the heritage listed Banool offered spots for quiet contemplation. Cottage garden lovers enjoyed tumbling blooms nestled into rock shelves at Tanglewood, glorious displays of dogwood blossoms at Windborne, and collections of unique orchids at Adelina Cottage.
Fans of productive gardening were inspired by the established orchard at Frugal-lea, the abundance of edible and medicinal plants at Totoro and enclosed vegetable garden at Satis House. For cactus and succulent lovers, Aldebaran transported guests to the Mediterranean, and devotees of native plants were delighted by offerings at Binyang and the modern landscaping at Black House, Green Garden.
There truly was something to delight everyone this year. Every visitor could claim to either be full of admiration of what they saw or came away with ideas to take home to their own patches.
Being a school fundraiser, the Festival has always been proudly family-friendly. Like previous years, garden sculptures that were made by each class at Hazelbrook Public School were hidden in each garden to tempt little visitors on a scavenger hunt to discover it all and claim a goodie bag for their achievement. In every garden, children could be seen running around holding scavenger hunt booklets or playing in treehouses, cubby houses and trampolines with glee.
The plant stall at the Hazelbrook Scout Hall was also an incredible drawcard this year, providing visitors the opportunity to purchase plants that were propagated at the school’s greenhouse by Hazelbrook parents and donated by local businesses. It was easily the school’s largest plant stall they’ve ever had with so much on offer – a variety of flowers, veggies, herbs, native tubestock, popular perennials. Sales of which would contribute to the overall fundraising Festival goal.
The Festival experience was further ennhanced by free string performances by Blue Mountains String Quartet on every day of the Festival, transforming Tundarra Garden and delighting relaxed picnickers there. Festival goers also had the opportunity to take part in workshops on flower arranging or weaving to break up their day with some creativity. There were sausage sizzles at Tundarra and Hazelbrook Scout Hall throughout the weekend to ensure visitors could get a quick bite, a free kids’ craft program run by Story Garden on the second weekend at Scout Hall, and Riley’s Ice-Creamery outside Tundarra ensured we all stayed cool on that sweltering final Sunday.
This Festival may be primarily a Hazelbrook Public School P&C fundraiser, but everyone involved and anyone who experiences it for themselves will know that it’s so much more than that. Over two weekends, the open gardens gave us all a rare opportunity to gather together in wonderful spaces for much-needed connection and celebrated the spirit of generosity and kindness of these garden owners and our community. Our hearts are a little bit fuller from it.
Together, we have raised an incredible $65,087 for the students of Hazelbrook Public School, a sum that will make an incredible difference to these kids’ school lives and their families.
Thank you to everyone who came, everyone who supported us. We hope you’ll come back and do it all over again when we return in 2028.