Six spectacular gardens - featuring perfumed roses, productive veggie patches, a dry river bed set among Australian natives and even a bamboo forest walk - will be on display during Eden's Open Garden Festival later this month.
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The garden festival, on Saturday and Sunday, October 25 and 26, is the Eden Lioness Club's major community fundraising event and is held in collaboration with the Eden Whale Festival, which is on the following weekend.
In keeping with the whale festival's nautical theme, another of the open gardens has been created around an eclectic mix of ship anchors, bollards and portholes set among waterfalls and palms, with spectacular ocean views.
Two of the participating gardens this year are new, including one on acreage on the outskirts of Pambula, and for an entry fee of $10 garden ramblers can come and go as they please over the two days.
All money raised at the annual event goes back into the Eden community, with donations in previous years going to SnowyHydro CareFlight and local schools.
Sandra Symonds has lived in Eden for more than 50 years and has been a member of the Eden Lioness Club for 33 years.
While the Lionesses have run an open garden weekend for many years, it is only since the advent of the town's Whale Festival in 1996 that it was decided to combine forces and include the open gardens as a festival event.
Last year about 200 people, including many festival visitors from as far afield as Gippsland and Canberra, viewed the gardens.
Mrs Symonds - who admits she's too busy to spend as much time as she would like in her own large garden - is unfazed by the effect that this week's windy weather will have on the gardens.
"You can't worry about the weather," Mrs Symonds said.
"It's not a garden competition, it's about having a pleasant day out, gaining some new ideas and doing something to help the local community," she said.
The gardens will open between 10am and 4pm.
In addition to the six open gardens there will also be a display.
Catholic Sisters from the Star of the Sea Church will open the church gardens in Calle Calle Street as one of the six gardens, and also invite visitors to pop into Mary McKillop Hall to view blankets made by Wrap with Love volunteers.
Mitre 10 and various garden suppliers have sponsored a garden raffle valued at close to $1000. Tickets cost $2 each or three for $5.
Tickets to the Open Garden Festival, which include a map, are available now from Eden Newsagency.
They will also be available from 8.30am on the weekend of the event from the Lioness tent located opposite the Eden Gateway Holiday Park on the Princes Highway.
Open Garden locations
- 1 Weecoon St, Eden
- 16 Yule St, Eden
- Calle Calle Street, Eden
- 41 Lakeside Drive, Eden
- 49 Government Road, Eden
- 9 Hardakers Road, Pambula
