Events & Entertainment, Verwood | Posted on July 30th, 2026 | return to news

It's show time in Verwood

People of all ages are being encouraged to take part in The Verwood and District Horticultural Society Autumn Show.

The Verwood and District Horticultural Society is encouraging people of all ages to take part in its autumn horticultural show.

Taking place on Saturday 12 September, the show features more than 100 classes covering flowers, fruit and vegetables, handicrafts, baking and photography.

Despite what has been a particularly challenging growing season, with the relentless heat, the Society is hoping gardeners across Verwood and the surrounding area will still bring along their best blooms and home-grown produce to showcase.

Vouchers will be awarded to the best exhibit in the show’s 11 main categories

Thanks to the generous support of local businesses, £20 vouchers will once again be awarded to the best exhibit in each of the show’s 11 main categories.

Children encouraged to take part

The Society is especially keen to encourage local children to take part. This year’s junior section includes a Summer Scavenger Hunt, where youngsters are challenged to collect 50 items in a paper bag. Bags and entry forms are available from Verwood Library. Children can also enter a flower arrangement in a jam jar, bake and decorate some cupcakes, create a habitat scene inside a shoebox, from a rainforest or garden to an underwater world, or just exhibit something they’ve made and are proud of! Entry to the children’s classes is free, with prizes on offer for successful entrants.

These classes complement The Great Verwood Grow Off 2025, the children’s growing competition launched earlier this year, featuring tomatoes, zinnias and French marigolds. The Society hopes the competitions will inspire more young people to enjoy gardening, develop new skills and proudly display their achievements to visitors.

Photography section

Alongside the horticultural and floral classes, the show also includes a photography section. This year’s colour photography themes are Country Life, Leaves and Food, Glorious Food, while the black and white category is open to photographs on any subject. Budding photographers are encouraged to spend the coming weeks capturing images for entry.

The show will be open to the public from 1.30pm on Saturday 12 September, with the presentation of trophies and the raffle taking place from 4pm.

For more information about the show, entry classes and how to take part, visit www.verwoodhorticulturalsociety.co.uk or call Ollie on 07508 577114 if you do not have internet access and would like a printed copy of the Autumn Show handbook.