Straight-talking Big Allotment Challenge judge, Jim Buttress, will be making guest appearances at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show this week.
Jim, who has been a senior judge and supporter of Harrogate Flower Shows for many years, will give visitors a behind the scenes glimpse of the new BBC gardening series at 11am on Thursday 24 April, when he joins the team from Kitchen Garden Live to talk grow your own.
Later in the day, at 2pm, Jim will also be entertaining visitors to the Dig It Garden Theatre with a talk about the work of Perennial, the charity set up 175 years ago to help support people in need who work, or have worked, in the horticultural industry.
Jim, who was superintendent of the Royal Parks for 25 years, holds the Victoria Medal of Honour – the highest accolade in horticulture. He was head judge for Britain in Bloom for 25 years, where he was nicknamed ‘Judge Dread’.
Currently a moderator of the judging for plant nursery and specialist society displays at Harrogate Flower Shows, Jim is one of the most respected show judges in the industry. He is starring as the panel expert on ‘growing’ for The Big Allotment Challenge, which launched on BBC 2 last week (15 April).
Visitors who would also like Jim to sign their copies of the allotment challenge book, The Patch – grow, make, eat, are welcome to bring them along to Gardening Hall 2 between 11.30am and 12 noon.
