In pictures: First day of Harrogate's autumn flower show

The beast from the east and blistering summer temperatures failed to faze growers in the world-famous giant vegetable competition at Harrogate autumn flower show today.
NADV 1809123AM9 Autumn Flower Show. Mark Pattenden with his prize winning dahlias.  (1809123AM9)NADV 1809123AM9 Autumn Flower Show. Mark Pattenden with his prize winning dahlias.  (1809123AM9)
NADV 1809123AM9 Autumn Flower Show. Mark Pattenden with his prize winning dahlias. (1809123AM9)

Thousands of visitors poured into the Great Yorkshire Showground for the first day of the show, and the giant vegetables proved to be a real head-turner. 

Up to 40,000 visitors and 1,000 exhibitors are expected to take part in the show across the three days, featuring displays from nearly 50 plant nurseries and over 5,000 autumn blooms in Britain’s biggest exhibition by specialist gardening societies.

The 2018 show theme is Plants of Pleasure, exploring the origins of those plants often considered naughty but nice, and there is also a special bicentenary tribute to Humphry Repton, the man who coined the phrase landscape gardener. 

This year’s Best in Show for the plant nursery displays went to RV Roger of Pickering for their display of apples, and The Rose Society UK won Best in Show for educational and scientific exhibits. Judges awarded 19 Premier Golds, with 24 Gold Awards, 19 Silver Gilt, six Silver and one Bronze.

The 2018 garden border competition saw three Gold medals awarded, plus two Silver Gilts and a Silver. Themes ranged from a campaigning entry by the Women’s Farm and Garden Association, to a gruesome gothic dinner gathering for carnivorous plants.

The full garden border results are as follows:

Class 1 – One Heaviest Onion

1st Nick Brake 7.755kg

2nd Stephen Purvis 6.885kg

3rd Peter Glazebrook 6.615kg



Class 131 – One Heaviest Marrow

1st Kevin Fortey 72.2kg

2nd B Marshall 47.7kg

3rd Peter Glazebrook 46.5kg



Class 132 – One Heaviest Cabbage

1st Ian Neale 30.2kg

2nd Kevin Fortey 26kg

3rd Chris Marriott 20.3kg



Class 133 – One Heaviest Potato

1st H Oughton 2.192kg

2nd Peter Glazebrook 1.910kg

3rd D Unsworth 1.396kg



Class 134 – One Heaviest Tomato

1st Peter Glazebrook 2.538kg

2nd C Marriott 2.151kg

3rd E Walker 2.126kg



Class 135 – One Longest Runner Bean

1st Joe Atherton 33.5 inches

2nd Peter Glazebrook 33 inches

3rd B Marshall 29.5 inches



Class 136 – One Longest Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus)

1st H Oughton 36.5 inches

2nd J Dale 34.5 inches

3rd Peter Glazebrook 30.5 inches



Class 137 – One Heaviest Leek

1st Mark Shepherd 6.6kg

2nd A Kaye 6.3kg

3rd Stephen Purvis 6.2kg


Class 138 – One Heaviest Beetroot

1st Ian Neale 19.315kg

2nd Chris Marriott 14.725kg

3rd Graham Barratt 11.46kg



Class 139 – One Heaviest Stick of Rhubarb

1st A Wright 813.63g

2nd N Pattison 722.91g

3rd P Glazebrook 708.74g



Class 140 – One Heaviest Pumpkin

1st Graham Barrat 319.8kg

2nd B Marshall 242.6kg

3rd Chris Marriott 187.1kg


Class 141 – One Heaviest Carrot

1st Ian Neale 4.29kg

2nd Daniel Unsworth 3.36kg

3rd Kevin Fortey 3.2kg



Class 142 – One Heaviest Parsnip

1st Peter Glazebrook 4.025kg

2nd Ian Neale 3.795kg

3rd Graham Barratt 3.735kg