THOUSANDS of families and green-fingered folk flocked to the KM Kent Garden Show at Delting over the Bank Holiday weekend.

A total of 330 exhibitors from as far afield as North Wales displayed and sold their blossoming plants to punters. But it was not just familiar and exotic flowers and plants on display.

Visitors to the Kent County Showground at Detling also took the chance to peruse stalls with modern and classic garden furniture, gardening equipment, stoneware, hanging baskets, bird tables, even handbags.

The show, now in its 12th year, was set up by Sittingbourne brothers Will and Richard Chessom.

Will said: "We have over 100 nurseries this year, which is similar to the Chelsea Flower Show. They're all here to sell and 22 are displaying. The star nursery in my view is RouAleyn Fuchsias, from North Wales. They won a gold medal at Chelsea."

The nursery's latest flower, fresh from its Chelsea debut, is named after actress Patricia Hodge. Owner, Gwyneth Jones said that was because the person who bred the new type of Fuchsia for them was related to the TV star.

She said: "Even though we're based so far away from the area we come here every year because many people will have seen us at Chelsea but we're not able to sell there."

Another regular, from closer to home, is Jackie A'violet, owner of Rosie's Garden Plants, based in Rochester Road, Aylesford.

She grows 210 varieties of geraniums from all five continents.

She said: "It's great that the Kent Messenger is supporting small businesses like mine at this time of the year in a beautiful place like this. The show means that people don't feel that they're missing out if they can't go to Chelsea."

FULL STORY IN THIS COMING FRIDAY'S KENT MESSENGER