Festival Trustee Natalie Bridges added that this year the festival would have a real international feel, and bring many thousands of visitors to the Bay as well as being a key event on the local calendar.
Festival director John Beech said it was the ninth time the biennial festival would take place in the Bay, and it was bigger and better than previously.
Mr Beech said there would be more than 90 stops along the garden trail, which included more than 60 private gardens across the Bay.
"Gardeners are very generous people. They are generous with their souls, their seeds, their time and their knowledge, and thanks to them we bring you a garden trail to savour, with many enchanting experiences."
This year's event also features a festival hub, the Lakes Expo Pavilion, with exciting displays and exhibitions, 16 speakers, workshops and a cafe.
Mr Beech said the festival would be spilt into four areas.
Each area would be open for one day during the week, and then all areas would be open from the Friday to the Sunday of the event, he said. "It will be a full week of art and garden."
Mr Beech said Pickled Whimsy by Coraleigh Parker was one exhibition new to the festival this year.
Ms Parker practised kokedama, the Japanese art of preserving plants as objects which were then suspended in the air, he said.
"She has a 15-metre walkway. We are hanging hundreds of these suspended plants, which will create a really wonderful suspended forest."
Karena and Kasey Bird were taking time out from their schedules to present an early evening session Saturday, November 22, he said.
The Garden and Arts Festival
Each area on the garden trail is open for one day during the week. Then all areas are open from Friday to Sunday. A garden ticket comes with a comprehensive souvenir booklet describing all the gardens and artists on display, as well as a map to get you around the trail.
Monday
Area one: Katikati, Pahoia and Omokoroa
Tuesday
Area two: Te Puna, Bethlehem and Tauriko
Wednesday
Area three: Tauranga, Oropi, Pyes Pa, Ohauiti and Welcome Bay
Thursday
Area four: Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Te Puke
Friday to Sunday
All areas are open
- additional reporting Annemarie Quill