Garden festival very popular | Star News

The four-day Hurunui Garden Festival drew hundreds of visitors over the weekend to an array of gardens throughout North Canterbury.

Hailing from as far afield as Australia and all points between North Auckland and Invercargill, the bus loads of visitors and self-drives, were greeted with a cacophony of colour, delicate arrangements, unique flower beds and expansive lawns as they toured the 25 sites spread out between Amberley and Hanmer Springs with side trips to Cheviot, Greta Valley Hawarden and Waipara.

This was the fifth year the festival has been run.

Karilyn Rutland of Christchurch, said she admired the huge amount work a lot of people have put into their gardens while Judith Eastwick of Lincoln, found it all fabulous.

Aucklander’s Albert and Virginia Meads, were very impressed with the displays they visited.

Albert said he was also very envious of all the wonderful varieties North Canterbury gardeners can grow compared to what is doable in his own garden.

Amberley sculptor and gardener Sharon Earl exhibited for her second year and said she was surprised by how many people came to talk to her about her new no dig /organic garden and worm farm atAmberley.

‘‘I was surprised by just how many wanted to find out how I do it,’’ she said.

High in the Waipara Valley, Karetu Downs station owners Bruce and Karen Forrester say they had a great turn out this year to see their historic homestead garden.

‘‘Being a bit far up the valley we don’t often see a lot of visitors from the festival but this year the numbers were encouraging,’’ Bruce said, a view reflected by Motunau Beach Road exhibitors Suz and Richard Mowat.

‘‘We also had steady numbers through to our garden which we are happy for as it is helping to bring people into the Hurunui district,’’ Suz said.

Festival chair Meg Macfarlane says she was happy with the way the festival went.

‘‘We were very lucky with the weather and many I talked to were very positive about the festival and the gardens they had visited.

‘‘It was nice to have the Aucklanders back again and many said they felt the personal touch of being able to talk to the owners made this festival a special one,’’ she said.