The garden shows must go on . . . with a little help
ON a day when the sun shone and the wheat fields were golden, I drove through familiar countryside heading for Huntly and the Strathbogie Horticultural Society’s annual show.
Here in the north east, where I grew up, there are many famous gardens worth visiting including Pitmedden, with its intricate parterre, and Leith Hall where the elaborate rock garden has recently been restored.
For me, however, the real horticultural treasures of this corner of Scotland are the many private gardens where vegetables thrive and flowers flourish, despite a climate that can make gardening very tough.
In the past winters here were very harsh, but gardeners knew what they were in for.
Recently the weather has become more unpredictable, with fluctuating rainfall and little way of predicting when the last frost will strike.
But you wouldn’t have known from the produce on show in the assembly hall of The Gordon Schools that gardeners here faced any of these difficulties.
On display were leeks as tall as clothes props, dahlias and giant begonias in exuberant colours, vase after vase of scented sweet peas filling the room with their perfume and tomatoes so juicy I was tempted to bite into them when the judges weren’t looking.
I had the great pleasure of handing over cups and trophies to the many worthy winners.
Show president, Ian Scott, told me that, in today’s busy world, it can be difficult to find committee members and that, without volunteers, local flower shows will struggle to survive.
It would be a great shame if that were to happen, especially now when the health and social benefits of gardening are being increasingly recognised.
Flower shows bring people of all kinds and all ages together and they have inspired many, me included, to give gardening a go.
My carrots are tiddlers and my flower arrangements are always wonky, so they’d never win any prizes, but I get huge enjoyment from seeing other people’s marvellous efforts and they always inspire me to try a little harder.
If you are fortunate enough to have a local flower show then you can do your bit to support it by going along on the day, buying a few raffle tickets and sampling the excellent home baking.
After having a look at the flowers and vegetables you might decide to have a go at entering next year. Or you might find you have enough time on your hands to volunteer for the committee. You’ll certainly be welcomed with open arms.
The annual flower show is a great chance to get together with fellow-gardeners, to appreciate the care and attention that has gone into nurturing beautiful plants and exceptional vegetables, and to swap advice with enthusiasts who share your passion for talking about foliar feeds and disbudding tomatoes
And, in a few years, you could be the one going home with your arms full of trophies.