KENT’S largest garden show has joined forces with the county’s biggest media group to create the KM Kent Garden Show. And it promises to be a great family show for the green-fingered.

The event, the 11th Kent Garden Show, will be held at the Kent County Showground at Detling, near Maidstone, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday May 24, 25 and 26.

The show has grown in stature and reputation over the years and now attracts more than 300 exhibitors, including some from Europe and as far away as New Zealand.

Many Hampton Court and Chelsea participants are already confirmed entries for 2003, together with some of the best nurseries and specialists in the country.

The show organisers have been inundated with entries and predict that this will be the biggest and best Kent Garden Show to date, with more exhibitors, more displays and more variety to give you inspiration for your own garden.

The KM Kent Garden Show provides the ideal growing conditions for every budding gardener, with the experience and advice of the growers themselves and thousands of plants available, both popular and unusual.

Last year’s show was the first to be held over three days and this will continue in the future. Show director Will Chesson said: “The proximity in time of the Kent Garden Show to the Chelsea Flower Show has been a major factor in keeping the show at two days.

“Last year, however, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee offered us the opportunity to experiment with a three-day event and it was a resounding success.

“Many exhibitors come to us from Chelsea, which finishes the day before we open, and we were worried about the strains we were placing on them.

“However we didn’t allow for the ingenuity many of our exhibitors can display when they have tight time schedules and we are confident that the show will benefit greatly from staying at three days.

“The longer opening time and the involvement of the Kent Messenger also makes the event more attractive to landscape gardeners and garden designers, which is a group from the horticultural industry that we are particularly keen to attract to the show.

“An exciting development will be the feature gardens, which will be competing for the title of Best Show Garden”.

The show is also a day out for the whole family. As well as all of the gardening stands at the show there will be a craft pavilion, demonstrations, brass band, children’s rides and owls on display.

With admission free for children, this event is a great way of starting the half term week with the rest of the week spent with all hands getting the garden just how you want it for the summer.

Miranda Chapman, Senior Marketing Manager for the Kent Messenger Group said: “The Kent Messenger Group is committed to supporting events across the county and the KM Kent Garden Show promises to provide our readers and listeners with excellent value for money”.