4 - 5 October
The best of the season's harvest is celebrated at this year's RHS London Autumn Show 2011, in the heart of London. There will be a host of activities and displays including woodland scenes, competitions and book readings, making it an enjoyable experience for all. Here are some of the highlights:
Giant mushroom competition
Enter our Giant Mushroom Competition to win a £250 prize - £100 cash, £100 National Garden Gift Tokens and an RHS Membership.
Foraging for fungi is a pastime of closely guarded secrets and hidden locations. Some mushroom hunters even cover their baskets so, on a chance encounter with another forager, their bounty isn’t revealed lest it gives a clue to the whereabouts of rich pickings.
If you know where to find prodigious puffballs or a huge hen-of-the-woods then you're in with a chance. Bring your mammoth mushroom to the RHS Horticultural Halls in Westminster between 8am and 9.30pm on Monday 3 October or between 7am and 8.30am on Tuesday 4 October. The largest mushroom, and winner of the £250 prize, will be announced by 12 noon on Tuesday 4 October.
Please refer to the British Mycological Society’s Code of Conduct here before setting out on your fungi foray.
(97kB pdf)
Life-sized woodland scene
Autumn arrives in the Lindley Hall as visitors are greeted by Lindley Wood, a recreation of native woodland with mature trees. Wander through the wood and spot fungi amongst the moss and bracken in this delightful centrepiece to our theme of responsible foraging and wild food. Lindley Wood will be the location for our Foraging Forum where well-respected foragers such as Fergus Drennan, chefs, ‘wild men’ and writers such as Helen Babbs (see below) will be in conversation.
Relax on rugs set among fallen leaves and piles of pumpkins and gourds and enjoy poetry, music and readings on horticultural themes. Fergus Drennan, a forager and ‘wild man’, will be preparing spicy rosehip and beetroot soup, rosehip bread and other culinary treats while Yun Hider will be letting us in on his secrets of foraging for London’s top chefs.
Author of My Garden, the City and Me Rooftop Adventures in the Wilds of London Helen Babbs has received numerous positive reviews in national newspapers and publications including the August issue of Gardens Illustrated. She is starting a blog for The Guardian on ‘a year in a window box’.
We’re privileged to host Helen as she reads excerpts from her book in the Harvest Hangout and joins conversations in Lindley Wood’s Foraging Forum. Helen will also be signing My Garden, the City and Me so treat yourself to a copy at the show – it’s a great, inspiring read. Meanwhile, find out what sort of gardener Helen is, and what she's got planned for her first RHS show.
Dahlia extravaganza
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Autumn colour erupts into the Lawrence Hall as National Dahlia Collection holder Mike Mann lights up the room with his dazzling display. Bold, tropical foliage acts as a foil to Mike’s vivid blooms from renowned dahlia nursery Winchester Growers. This statement feature is not to be missed if you’re after inspiration to pep up your late-season borders and containers.
Carl Warner
Witness Carl’s amazing Foodscapes – classic, often bucolic scenes that only on closer inspection reveal the truth – they’re created entirely from food.
As well as an exhibition of his most astonishing, internationally acclaimed work to date, we’re thrilled that Carl has decided to exclusively preview his new work Pumpkinland at this year’s RHS Autumn Harvest Show. This gourd-inspired image is a sneak peek into his upcoming children’s book, due for release in spring 2012. Carl will be on hand throughout the show to discuss the painstaking creation of his images. He will also be signing copies of his previous work Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes and he will have a limited number of Pumpkinland prints for sale.
Mrs Tee's Wild Mushrooms
Mrs Tee is a fascinating woman – not only is she the only person licensed to commercially gather wild mushrooms from the New Forest (after 32 court appearances) she has also owned the world’s largest Great Dane, been show jumpers’ Breeder of the Year twice and travelled the world as a Pan Am air hostess for eight years.
She knows all the top chefs and during the peak mushroom season delivers to London every morning. During the RHS Autumn Harvest Show she’ll be drawing the crowds – not only with her market stall of wild mushrooms and venison sausages for sale but also with her wildly entertaining tales.
Further information
Venue
RHS Lindley and Lawrence Halls, Greycoat Street and Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE. Find directions and travel information
Opening times
Tuesday 4 October: 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 5 October: 10am - 5pm
Admission
FREE for RHS members, £5 for non-members (£3 on Wednesday).
Further infomation on ordering tickets