October 2023
WELCOME TO OUR OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Online ticket sales have now closed.
However, you can still pay cash on the day at each garden. $10 per person, per garden.
Scholarship Applications are now open
To receive the information on how to apply, email the office. Applications are due by 31st October 2023. officehgf18@gmail.com
Changes afoot in the Hawarden/Waikari Cluster
By Debra Orr
October is an exciting month for Hurunui Garden Festival garden owners and the home gardener. Everything springs to life and starts to fill all those gaps formed by either too much rain, strong winds, bugs that we don’t usually get and maybe a spade that decides it doesn’t want that plant there anymore! Plantings of carrots, beetroot, onions, lettuce, peas, beans, broccoli and spuds to name a few can go in the ground now. Spring flowers also will be planted in abundance, with lobelia, dahlia, marigolds, petunias, sweet peas, cornflowers, and stock being some of my favourites.
We are all busy getting our gardens up to scratch after a very wet and windy winter. Timing is everything this month and like farming, it doesn’t always go to plan! Heavy rain is falling again at the time of writing this, not a familiar sound on the roof for North Canterbury.
Hurunui Garden Festival garden owners are mostly rural gardeners on working farms, so are lucky enough to have men to help in their gardens, be it a husband, father, son, son in law, or friend, who can drive a digger and drop massive trees, build pergolas and do brick work, or create incredible artwork. As a gardener these men are very much appreciated by us all, and they have been very busy in the Hawarden/Waikari cluster this winter! A lot has been happening, and some interesting changes in these beautiful gardens that are always changing to keep them exciting and intriguing. We're looking forward to sharing all these wonderful additions not only in Waikari/Hawarden but the rest of the clusters who have been doing some amazing creations in their gardens too.
A new rose pergola at Red Oak. Rick is very good at building things but also very reluctant to do so! Mike the son inlaw knows better and just does as I ask! This would have taken me days (and wouldn’t look straight), they whipped it up in hours.
Beautiful new stone work for the bird bath at Richard and Anita Todds "Saddlewood,” Richard is a very talented craftsman with many treasures he has made in the garden that you will also enjoy seeing.
This year at Flaxmere it was time to remove a line of cedars Penny had planted to shelter the swimming pool but had grown too tall, ending up by throwing their needles directly into the pool! Mark (Pennys son) and his two amazingly clever sons Ben and Angus with a 22-ton digger had them all gone in three hours! Another two cedars were in the same line and too close to her house, as well as two very large poplars Penny had planted near the cottage 50 years ago needed to go. Andrew Dalzell came to fell them all and once again Angus was on the digger! It was an extraordinary day, and all done in a few hours!
Ann at Hurunui Homestead is lucky enough to have a very talented husband Matthew, who made this copper grape vine for their pergola!! Wow, many hours of work there! This will be well worth a look!
SPONSORS SPOT
As our sponsors support us please support them.
McAlpines Mitre 10 Mega in Rangiora have all of your DIY needs sorted.
Pop in store for friendly and knowledgeable advice on everything from paint and timber, to outdoor furniture, BBQ's and of course gardening.
On this 250 acre, fourth generation sheep & beef cattle hill country property of Black Hills, you will have an insight into the life of the early NZ settlers.
Heritage buildings (circa 1863) were restored between 1999 and 2004, and include a pioneer cottage & stables made from hand-hewn limestone with cob, the original sheep dip and horse drawn agricultural equipment.
The buildings contain natural coloured, handspun wool garments & products which can be purchased onsite, or online at www.blackhills.co.nz
THE FESTIVAL DATES THURSDAY OCTOBER 26TH - SUNDAY 29TH, OPEN DAILY FROM 9AM - 5PM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN!
We are very grateful to our sponsors. Without their support we would not be able to bring you this wonderful event. Our sponsors are listed below plus on our website. The website will begin to be updated ready for this years festival in early to mid June.
If you want to contact the committee, or require any information contact us via our email address info@hurunuigardenfestival.com
If you haven’t ‘liked’ our Facebook or Instagram page yet, we recommend you do as we are often posting snippets of information and updates – more regularly than newsletters.
Check out our website www.hurunuigardenfestival.com which holds information about the gardens, places to go, see and do. This will be updated regularly as we lead up to the festival in October.
