Recent wet weather, and flooding, forced organisers to abandon the event again after two of the biggest gardens were damaged and the rest were left soggy underfoot.

The garden in Regent Street, Central Maitland, was flooded in July while the garden at Berry Park suffered significant damage.

"We feel so sorry for those who love to stroll through the gardens. It's a lovely outing for everybody, and we feel sorry for the gardeners - they have prepared their gardens and they do that so well, and now they've had a disaster," Maitland Black and White Committee vice president Heather McLaren said.

"More rain has been predicted so we thought we had better let it go and look to next year.

"Between the drought year, the two COVID years and now this, you really couldn't believe it, could you?."

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Ms McLaren said the event pamphlets had been printed just before the wet weather hit last month.

The committee, which raises funds for Vision Australia to help the blind and vision impaired, made a $15,000 donation earlier this year out of their operating funds.

It's a far cry from what they normally donate, but Ms McLaren hoped that would change next year.

"It doesn't seem much when we have been sending $100,000 down and now we are only sending $15,000," she said.

The committee's other annual fundraiser - a luncheon - was also cancelled earlier this year due to the uncertainty around COVID-19.

"Life has changed dramatically," Ms McLaren said.

"The luncheon is a plan for another day now. We are looking forward to next year and hoping it will be our year."

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