Gardens on Show in 2026
We are proud to have a diverse range of gardens on show in 2026, from historic heritage estates and cool climate cottage gardens to sustainable, family-oriented spaces. Visitors can explore everything from whimsical sanctuaries and productive food patches to low-maintenance Mediterranean landscapes and tranquil bushland vistas.
Garden locations and our Festival Plant Stall can be found on the Festival Map and in Google Maps
Satis House | Woodford *New to Festival*
69 Railway Pde, Woodford
Courtesy of Keely & Daniel
Step through a spectacular wisteria feature cascading over the driveway entrance to find a hidden courtyard at the front of the house that has a vibrant tropical feel. As you move through to the back garden, the emphasis shifts to colour and productivity. A large, fully enclosed vegetable garden sits alongside a quail home, with spring flowers woven throughout the productive spaces. In the lower part of the garden, a sunken fire pit area and a no-mow native lawn offers an idyllic sanctuary for play and relaxation. This is a garden designed to be both lived in and shared.
Keely and Daniel are parents of two Hazelbrook Public School students and active members of the school community. Keely has led the rejuvenation of the school’s greenhouse and developed a hands-on gardening programme for students in 2026. Their garden has been cultivated over the past seven years, gradually evolving into a series of spaces that encourage time outdoors and everyday enjoyment of the garden.
Tanglewood | Woodford
71 Bedford Rd, Woodford
Courtesy of Jo & Brian
A much-loved and longstanding feature of the Garden Festival, Tanglewood has been captivating visitors with its cool-climate beauty since first opening to the Festival in 1994. Nestled on a hillside, this enchanting garden showcases delicate azaleas and elegant camellias flourishing alongside weeping maples and ancient bush rocks.
Winding paths beckon visitors down through lush ferns and past tranquil ponds to the edge of the bush beyond. From below, the garden offers a striking perspective back towards the contemporary designed home, beautifully framed by layered planting and mature trees.
Brian and Jo have a strong commitment to education and community. Brian was an art teacher, while Jo taught English and worked as a psychologist. With close ties to Hazelbrook Public School through neighbours and long-standing involvement in the Festival, supporting the Garden Festival and the children of the school has been a natural and enduring contribution since 1994.
Tundarra | Linden
15 Dawes Rd, Linden
Courtesy of Robyn & Steve
A formal, park-style sanctuary on the outskirts of Linden, Tundarra returns to the Garden Festival for the second time, following its debut appearance in 2024. Its tranquil ambience and lush greenery have already made it a memorable setting for visitors and it is easy to see why it has also been chosen as the backdrop for many weddings.
The picturesque design features a wide variety of plants carefully selected for their ability to withstand wallabies as the property borders adjacent bushland. Towering trees provide generous shade, interspersed with more formal moments of topiary and carefully framed garden spaces. At the edge of the property, visitors are rewarded with a breathtaking view.
Picnickers are welcome. Bring a rug, find a spot on the grounds and take it all in.
Robyn and Steve’s garden is set on a 25-acre property and is now 37 years old. Since Steve’s recent retirement, the garden continues to evolve with more time devoted to its care. With two grandchildren attending Hazelbrook Public School, they are delighted to once again open their garden in support of this much-loved community fundraiser.
Banool | Linden
1 Martin Pl, Linden
Courtesy of Anne & Philip
Banool is a Federation stone bungalow built in 1908 by Paddy Ryan, who also built Norman Lindsay’s National Trust listed home in Faulconbridge in the same style. The garden’s original structure was laid down over the following 90 years, and the current owners have since redeveloped it into a series of inviting garden rooms.
Magnificent lilly pilly hedges form a walled garden, punctuated by bursts of colour from clivias, azaleas and an enchanting wisteria walkway. A wonderful array of trees, tranquil ponds and an enticing treehouse are among the many treasures that await visitors to this festival favourite.
When Anne and Philip purchased Banool in 2000, restoring the garden to its former glory became a priority, and fortunately the bones were still there to work with. Both grew up in families that loved the backyard garden and now enjoy sharing the space with their own large family and grandchildren. Opening the garden allows others to enjoy the same delights while supporting the local school
Aldebaran | Linden
39 Martin Pl, Linden
Courtesy of David & Amber
A modern garden lovingly designed by its landscape designer owner, Aldebaran is an informal blend of classic Mediterranean and Spanish Mission styles. The garden complements the 1920s bungalow and its expansive views, while demonstrating how low maintenance design can work beautifully with water-wise planting.
Featuring many rare succulent species, the garden balances structure with softness. There have been additions of water features since its last Festival appearance in 2022, further enhancing the garden as a place for relaxation and enjoyment.
Succulents propagated from the garden and honey will be available for sale.
David first took part in the Garden Festival in 2017. When David and Amber moved to the property in 2006, Aldebaran was created in large part to realise David’s lifelong dream of having an open garden and sharing his appreciation of plants with fellow garden lovers.
Totoro | Linden
60 Martin Pl, Linden
Courtesy of Marilyn & Lewis
Named after a Japanese anime nature spirit, Totoro is a rustic cottage style garden growing across a terraced slope, with an emphasis on scented, medicinal and edible plants.
Look closely and you will find fantasy sculptures inspired by films the owners have worked on, peeking through the foliage alongside whimsical objects cleverly repurposed from recycled materials. Together, they create a garden brimming with energy, imagination and creativity.
Do not miss the succulent planted earth roof and the cosy teahouse inspired by Totoro himself. Plants propagated from the garden will be available for sale.
Marilyn and Lewis worked for many years in a tiny city terrace as film technicians and artists, but Marilyn always dreamed of an earth roofed, hobbit- style cottage garden. Totoro became a reality in the early 1990s, with Lewis’s large film sculptures finding new life as garden art.
Binyang | Hazelbrook
39 Terrace Falls Rd, Hazelbrook
Courtesy of Pete & Wayne
A relatively young garden in the mid-Blue Mountains, Binyang features a rich mix of natives, exotics and productive planting, all set against expansive views of the bush valley beyond.
Designed by its creative owner, the garden delights with pops of complementary colour, striking feature plants and artistic focal points. Rock terraces anchor the front garden, leading past a thriving greenhouse and into a dramatic bush garden beyond.
Pete’s background is in theatre, though in recent years he has worked for the NSW Government. Wayne was an award-winning children’s book illustrator and designer. After 20 years living in Newtown, they moved to the Mountains and have never looked back. Following the purchase of an empty bush block in 2010, five years were spent designing and building the house before laying the foundations of the garden.
Black House, Green Garden | Hazelbrook *New to Festival*
4 Park Rd, Hazelbrook
Courtesy of Sarah & Ryan
With a name reminiscent of a children’s picture book, it’s no surprise that Black House, Green Garden feels like you’ve stepped into a place of wonder and discovery. A water easement runs along much of the garden, with rustic bridges linking to different spaces of exploration – the north facing rainforest trail created within the sheltered microclimate of a mature lilly pilly, the section featuring an in-ground trampoline, fire pit and pizza oven that’s destined for gatherings, and the productive patch at the back, complete with fruit trees and contented chooks and ducks.
A variety of long flowering natives have been planted to encourage biodiversity and are harvested year round to supplement The Wild Corridor bouquets that Sarah creates. Black House, Green Garden exemplifies how you can seamlessly blend the two loves of native planting and family life.
Sarah and Ryan are new parents to Hazelbrook Public School and keen gardeners with a passion for horticulture. Since purchasing the property in 2019, they have worked steadily to unlock its potential, creating a garden that supports their young family while welcoming bird and insect life.
Windborne | Hazelbrook
86 Windbourne Rd, Hazelbrook
Courtesy of Sandie
Windborne’s front garden beautifully frames its quaint Mountains cottage, creating the feel of a picturesque retreat. As you wander further, a newly designed back garden is revealed, showcasing a vibrant tapestry of colourful plantings.
A strong sustainability focus is evident through the creative use of local stone and a characterful shed built from recycled timber and restored antique leadlight panes. Areas of both sun and shade support the growing of produce and exotics alike, while offering visitors inviting places to relax and unwind.
Sandie is an occupational therapist by profession and a gardener at heart. Since purchasing the property on Winbourne Road twelve years ago, she has patiently nurtured a garden that now sits perfectly alongside the home she has created there.
Frugal-lea | Lawson
94 Honour Ave, Lawson
Courtesy of Andrew & Lauren
A wild haven tucked away in the bush at the back of Lawson, Frugal-lea is a creative blend of productive gardening and rustic charm. Netted enclosures brim with fruit trees, berries and a flourishing kiwi vine, while raised vegetable beds are crafted from handmade mud bricks.
Garden structures blend seamlessly into the landscape beneath towering white eucalypts, inviting visitors to explore a series of garden nooks. These include chicken coops, beehives, ponds and whimsical archways.
Honey harvested from the eight beehives on the property will be available for sale. Please be mindful of these beehives when exploring the garden.
Andrew and Lauren purchased the bush block in 2002 and have evolved the garden over time, drawing inspiration from other Mountain gardens. Many of the ornaments and sculptures have been sourced from garage sales or handmade by Andrew. Opening their garden was a natural way to give back to the community.
Adelina Cottage | Lawson
76a Honour Ave, Lawson
Courtesy of Cathy & Richard
Built in a New England style, Adelina Cottage is surrounded by an evolving cottage garden set across a series of hedged terraces. Native and introduced trees and shrubs provide dappled shade for under plantings of bromeliads, clivias, orchids and violets, while Manchurian pear trees deliver striking seasonal colour.
Paths wind past ferns before merging into a single trail that meanders down to a native hanging swamp, where button and nodding greenhood terrestrial orchids may be found. Some orchids will be available for sale. Visitors can also enjoy a 1980s Spring Bridal themed display, reflecting the owners’ interest in collecting vintage clothing.
Richard and Cathy retired to Lawson from Balmain in 2014. Richard worked as a structural draughtsman with NSW Water Resources and as a seminar organiser at NSW Public Works. Cathy was a visual arts teacher and museum educator at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Together, they also spent 12 years as directors of an events management company.