Malvern Autumn Show 2024 in pictures: Three Counties crowds

Crowds of people were attracted to the Three Counties Showground to enjoy this year's Malvern Autumn Show - a highlight in the horticultural calendar.

Green-fingered guests were able to get buckets of inspiration and bags of expert advice from Friday (September 27) to Sunday (September 29).

FLOWERS: Visitors to Malvern Autumn Show peruse the flowers in the RHS Flower Show floral marquee (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

From enormous vegetables and fabulous flowers to a veritable emporium of plants, bulbs, seeds, tools and equipment, visitors were also able to get insights and tips from some of the best-known personalities in the horticultural world.

BUSY: Thousands of people enjoy the Malvern Autumn Show at the Three Counties Showground (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

There were also some familiar faces including BBC Radio 2 and Escape to the Country presenter Nicki Chapman who was joined by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost on Friday, with Rachel De Thame on Saturday and Arit Anderson on Sunday.

Several of the experts will also come together for a Gardeners’ Question Time during the show.

SIGN: Giuseppe Dell’Anno, Great British Bake Off 2021 champion, signs copies of his book (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

Gardening consultant and broadcaster Martin Fish will return to Malvern Autumn Show to host The Potting Shed theatre, located in the Harvest Pavilion, and he’ll be joined by a variety of guests throughout the weekend.

GROW: Gardeners show off their mammoth vegetables at Malvern Autumn Show (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

One of the most popular attractions are the supersized produce on display in the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship a renowned source of new Guinness World Records for spectacularly large crops.

This year, a monster pumpkin weighing more than a tonne broke a British record and was so big a telehandler was needed to winch it onto scales at a country show. 

CAKE: Giuseppe Dell’Anno gives a baking demonstration at The Great Malvern Bake Off stage (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

Twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton, 63, spent three hours a day for three months cultivating the gigantic 188 stone (1198.2kg) squash ready for Malvern Autumn Show.

Unfortunately, they fell just short of the world record 1,247kg but were delighted to set a new British record with their creation which weighs the same as a small car.

SWOOPING IN: An owl impresses the crowds at Malvern Autumn Show (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

Green-fingered Ian said: "It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication. 

"We drove it up in the back of a large Volvo very carefully, staying at around 50mph. You get some strange looks from other drivers that's for sure."

POPULAR: Great British Bake Off fan favourite Lizzie Acker took part in a demonstration at Malvern Autumn Show (Image: Mikal Ludlow Photography)

Exhibiting for the first time in the Plant Village was Malvern Salvia Collection, a specialist grower with a passion for salvias.

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Rob Edwards is on a mission to make gardeners aware of the many hardy cultivars of this colourful and often fragrant perennial.

FETCH: A dog shows off its skills at Malvern Autumn Show (Image: Mikal Ludlow)

He said: “There are more than 1,000 different varieties of salvia and many are so hardy and easy to grow.

“Salvias look lovely in borders and make great companion plants: when their leaves heat up in the sun they provide a natural fungicide and are great from deterring aphids from roses and pests from vegetables."