A birds' eye view of a previous Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair. Photo / Anthony Young Photography
A birds' eye view of a previous Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair. Photo / Anthony Young Photography
Cross Hills Gardens owners Angela Wilson and her husband Scott will this month open the gates to their private gardens for the annual Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair.
The gardens make the perfect setting for a day of shopping and fun, she said.
“Set in 18 acres (7.2 hectares] of the most beautiful private gardens you’ll find a record number of artists, makers, creators, growers and all-around clever people who have travelled from all corners of the North Island… to showcase their products.”
Cross Hills Gardens, in Kimbolton, north of Feilding, is part of the Wilson’s multi-generational sheep and beef farm.
“The property was first purchased by Scott’s grandfather in 1938. He married Merle and they started creating the garden. Scott’s parents Rodney and Faith Wilson then ran the property, further developing the garden and nursery business. Now Scott and I are the caretakers with our boys, Henry and Eddie.”
Wilson had the idea to host a country fair at the property after she and Scott had their first son, Henry.
“He was born in November when the garden was in flower and I would walk him through the garden, sometimes overwhelmed with the size and work that goes into maintaining a garden of this size. I decided we needed to use it for another purpose. So I arrived back at the house and said to Scott ‘I think I’m going to organise a fair next year,’ and off I went. Safe to say I had a wonderful venue to start with.”
The Cross Hills Gardens annual country fair takes place on Saturday, November 16. Pictured here are attendees of a previous event. Photo / Anthony Young Photography
The event has grown in popularity over that time, she said.
“Our first fair was in 2009 and we had 70 stalls and 1200 people come. We now have over 200 stalls and get between 5000 and 6000 people attending.”
Wilson said the country fair offered shoppers a curated experience, with stalls hand-selected for the event.
“A lot of time and energy goes into creating a wonderful day of shopping, flowers, food and fun. Stall are handpicked, to ensure a wonderful variety, the property is groomed, local musicians are picked to create a relaxing vibe and we have lots of high-quality food trucks.”
As well as getting some early Christmas shopping done Angela said the day was the perfect opportunity to see the gardens’ collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and trees.
“Cross Hills Gardens is also a nursery where you will find one of the biggest selections of Rhododendrons and Azaleas in New Zealand. People can come and park up for the weekend and attend the fair while getting the most amazing view of our beautiful countryside,” she said.
