Malvern Autumn Garden Show Review
Hosted over the weekend of 29-30 September this year, the Malvern Autumn Show saw more than 65,000 guests turn out to celebrate all things horticultural. There were growing competitions, giant vegetables, cooking demonstrations and stalls selling all sorts of culinary delights, alongside various other family-friendly attractions.
Among the many highlights at the 2017 event were the RHS Flower Show Competition and the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship, both of which were close-run races and helped to showcase some of the best growing talents in the country.
A feast for all the senses
As in previous years, the 2017 Malvern Autumn Garden Show was a treat for all the senses thanks to its gloriously colourful floral displays, heady aromas from the celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, and a wealth of artisan food and drink to sample and buy. Growers, tradesmen and craftsmen came from across the country to participate in this ever-popular celebration of all things gardening, swelling visitor numbers to unprecedented levels.
The 65,000 guests who flocked to the Three Counties Showground in the normally quiet town of Malvern enjoyed a whole range of fun, family-friendly activities, which included the Old Tyme Fairground, a classic car display, various craft and traditional skill workshops, storytelling, dog shows, and a number of other animal competitions.
With trade stands selling everything from autumn hanging baskets and gardening gadgets to summer houses, clothes, fresh bread, liqueurs and cheeses, visitors were spoilt for choice when it came to shopping opportunities at this year’s fair. The very best of British was placed on prominent display, with fantastic companies such as Plantagogo, Masons Yorkshire Gin, the Crusty Pie Company, the Snowdonia Cheese Company and Lime Tree Pantry Foods selling their wares.
Top of the crops
Top of most people’s agendas, however, were the main competitions. The wildly popular CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship drew in record crowds to see Matthew Oliver claim the top spot in both the pumpkin and squash growing contests, with a pumpkin weighing in at 438kg and a squash that tipped the scales at 340.2kg.
One of the day’s biggest winners was Joe Atherton, who took the silver medal for the heaviest carrot and golds for the heaviest beetroot (16.4kg), potato (2.8kg), bell pepper (0.54kg) and three onions (17.4kg). He also walked away with the gold medal for the longest beetroot (7.7m), carrot (4.7m), parsnip (6.6m) and runner bean (0.9m).
In the hotly-contested RHS Flower Show Competition, golds went to C&K Jones for their exquisite roses; Hoyland Plant Centre in the agapanthus, amarine and nerine category; and Pheasant Acre Plants for their gladioli. Other winners on the day included RV Rogers Ltd for orchard fruit and W Robinson and Son Ltd for their show-stopping vegetables.