Behind the scenes at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show (From York Press)

Behind the scenes at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show

1:18pm Saturday 17th September 2011 in Gardening

Autumn already, how did that happen? Still there’s one consolation; the Harrogate Flower Show. MATT CLARK goes behind the scenes at this year’s event

SUMMER may have let us down but judging by the colour on offer at the Great Yorkshire Showground, autumn is more than compensating – at least for this weekend.

Because with exotic carnivorous plants and borders influenced by clashing hues from the punk era, it’s all change at this year’s Harrogate Autumn Flower Show.

That’s not to say the old favourites will be missing, but this is the centenary of the North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS) and show director Martin Fish says he is looking to mark the milestone with something a bit out of the ordinary.

Like the new series of classes for giant vegetables.

“The NEHS has been showcasing the very best in horticulture for 100 years,” he says. “We continually look for new exhibits to inspire our visitors and this year there will be some of the biggest specimens you will ever see.”

One of the highlights will be the National Onion Championship, including a world record weigh-in for the heaviest.

Even conventional gardens have had a makeover. There is a new competition for garden borders to mark the Society’s anniversary and Jeni Cairns, in conjunction with the Joseph Trust in Elvington, has entered ‘Reclaiming the Border’ which uses recycled materials.

Then there is the punk garden by Knaresborough’s David Massey Garden Construction.

But surely the most radical entry is a transformational journey to recovery for a drug addict. It starts with a weed-infested wasteland before blossoming into a beautiful garden.

For more traditional gardeners, there will be plenty of advice on offer with the garden roadshow and kitchen garden live team presenting talks each day on growing less gargantuan fruit and veg at home.

And in the flower halls, scores of the country’s leading nurseries will be on hand to help solve your spring planting dilemmas with everything from prize winning gladioli and clematis to world class hostas and delphiniums.

Not to mention 3,500 dahlias, 1,000 chrysanthemums and the biggest exhibition of bonsai outside Japan.

• Ticket prices: Today £14; Sunday £13; under-16s free. Opening times: 9.30am – 5.30pm. Car parking is free.