Harrogate Autumn Flower Show: Spectacular celebration of the season returns to Newby Hall and Gardens
He’s been a judge many times – but now a retired head of parks is hoping his show feature gets the public’s thumbs-up.
Roger Burnett and life-long veg grower Brian Boyes have poured much time and effort into creating an elaborate display, which they hope will dazzle at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show.
Organised by the North of England Horticultural Society, the show, held at Newby Hall and Gardens near Ripon from September 19 to 21 attracts more than 30,000 visitors, seeking inspiration for their own gardens from vibrant displays of dahlias, pelargoniums and geraniums.
Roger, who retired last year as head of parks at Scarborough, and volunteers for the Yorkshire Pelargonium and Geranium Society, said: “This year we decided instead of doing purely pelargoniums we’d do a show feature.
“We’re doing 15 varieties of veg, 30 plants of each variety – but you have to grow more than what you want so you can pick the best.
“We have over 2,000 varieties of pelargoniums, many dating from the period.
“I get a lot of people coming to our stands saying ‘my grandmother grew these on her window sill’.
“They are very iconic British flowers.”
The display, which will take four days to build, will depict a Victorian walled garden complete with greenhouse, wildflower area and vegetable garden.
The volunteers have been hard at work for months now growing hundreds of plants for the feature.
Roger was a show judge at Chelsea, judging tender ornamental plants in the marquees, and for the last 22 years has judged for Britain in Bloom.
However he said he’d found growing veg to show standard, a steep learning curve, as it’s been 30 years since he last did it seriously.
"I’ve realised that veg gets every pest and disease known to man,” he said. “Mesh won't keep flea beetle out – it managed to get through my defences. It has been a labour of love”.
Show highlights include the magnificent floral displays in the Grand Floral Pavilion where visitors can enjoy seasonal displays from the UK’s best growers, nurseries and specialist plant societies, including the National Chrysanthemum Northern Championships.
The Incredible Edible Pavilion will showcase the pick of this year’s harvest, from the popular NEHS Giant Veg competition and the National Onion Championship to the National Vegetable Society’s Northern Championships and classes for seasonal produce.
The show sees the return of popular live stages where experts share gardening advice and inspiring floristry demonstrations.
New this year is the Makers Table stage with demonstrations on how to make the most of the seasonal harvest.