Seven new gardens feature at this weekend’s Millthorpe Garden Ramble with a special performance by a 25-piece wind orchestra.

This year’s iconic village event involves 10 local town and country gardens fully-opened for inspections, afternoon teas, and craft stalls.

“We’ve got seven gardens that are new to the Ramble; that’s a fairly high number, and there’s three old favourites,” Committee Member Lyndall Harrison explained.

Participants this year range from the Mill Green Community Garden, “Roscommon”; an expansive English cottage-style garden with several themed areas; a commercial lavender farm; and a classic 1960s parkland garden.

“I love the variety. I think the whole idea is to enjoy the ambience of the gardens. I like to think of gardening as an art-form,” Lyndall enthused. “A lot of this year’s gardens feature ‘garden rooms’ with particular themes,” she added.

The only garden retained from last year’s event is the expansive and spacious rose and iris farm, Eidolia Park. “That’s 15-acres and really is a day in itself.”

A special treat at this year’s event will be a 25-piece wind orchestra from Sydney. “They just called up out of the blue; they’re playing at a winery on the Saturday night and said, ‘do you want us to play?’ They’ll be performing Sunday morning at Garden Number Nine, Tremearne (Byng),” Lyndall said.

One of Millthorpe’s stateliest homes, “Rosebank” will also feature an art exhibition by Dr Jim Frazier, camera operator for many of Sir David Attenborough’s wildlife documentaries. “The exhibition is opening on the Saturday of the Ramble.”

Organisers are taking a philosophical view of the possibility of inclement weather for this year’s event. “If it rains, we’ll be dancing in it,” Lyndall laughed.

Tickets for entry to all the gardens for the November 2–3 event can be purchased online or on the weekend. For more information, go to Millthorpe Garden Ramble’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/millthorpegardenramble/