Dunedin Horticultural Society president Stuart Brown said the event had been "amazing".
The event was bigger than in previous years and the ever-popular dahlia section had almost doubled since last summer, as a lot of new entrants got into the hobby.
"We’re really thrilled," Mr Brown said.
The dahlias had been of an exceptional calibre and it was lucky there had not been inclement weather like in the North Island, which had led to the cancellation of at least one show, he said.
Dahlias were always a favourite at the show and some of the specimens on display at the St Kilda Bowling Club were particularly large.
It was difficult to get them that big and the technique was usually achieved by clipping all other buds so the plant put all its effort into a single flower and adding plenty of potash for a strong stem, Mr Brown said.
There had also been an uptick in the number of vegetables entered, which he believed was because people were increasingly growing their own food because of the cost of living.
"It’s a sign of the times."
"It’s always a good feeling," Mr Burgess said.
The members-only competition involved people from as far north as Hinds.
He had been growing dahlias for seven years and believed people were drawn to the flowers for their bright blooms, colours and range of varieties.
It had been good to see about half the entries had been from new or novice growers, Mr Burgess said.
"The dahlia is the popular flower of the moment — a lot of young people are taking up gardening at the moment, and they just love the dahlias."
He hoped young people would continue to get into growing the flowers, as the future of the horticulture show system depended on it, he said.
But for now, things were going strong.
"We can’t keep up with demand."
The next big event in the circle’s calendar was their annual tuber sale on Labour Weekend.
Mr Burgess encouraged beginners to start with an established variety and join the circle, as an annual membership was only $5.
