Explore the nasty and the nice at flower show

Charity Horticap, which is based in the town, will follow the success of its Gold Award winning Wallace and Gromit spring garden with Friend or Foe?, which will include snails, aphids and moles lurking amongst the plants, along with a living bee hive.

The garden will form a major part of The Avenue, which will comprise of a series of garden sections including an allotment, a formal decorative area and a wildlife haven. At its heart will be a recreation of the winning entry from a competition to find Harrogate’s most ‘interesting’ shed, a joint venture between Harrogate and District Allotment Federation and Harrogate in Bloom.

Show Director Nick Smith said: “Our autumn show is all about the practical things people can do to improve their garden, grow great produce or simply get ready for the new growing season. Horticap’s fun approach to show gardens gives us the opportunity to get the message across and make our visitors smile at the same time. The students put a lot of work into their hand-made sculptures and I am sure people will enjoy them as much as they did in the spring.”

Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, staged at the Great Yorkshire Showground from September 16 to 18,is the only show to offer autumn gardens.

New attractions will include The Dark Side, taking visitors on a journey through the twilight zone of the horticultural world, including poisonous plants and tips on creating the perfect evening garden.

The show’s annual giant vegetable competition continues to get bigger, with growers from all over the country competing for the title of heaviest and longest.

For tickets visit www.flowershow.org.uk or call 01423 546157.