Great lineup of blooms draws crowd

A few weeks of decent weather, after a wet early summer, made all the difference to the floral displays, especially the dahlias, at last weekend’s Dunedin Horticultural Society summer show and Dunedin Dahlia Circle display.

Society president Raewyn Maskill said the show, which ran on Saturday and Sunday at St Kilda Bowling Club, had been very busy, as local people turned out to marvel at the many premier blooms and the incredible array of dahlias.

"I have to say the dahlias are just amazing, and they are certainly a drawcard for a lot of people," she said.

"We are really pleased with our other exhibits as well — the gladioli are looking great too."

Dunedin Dahlia Circle group president Wayne Burgess, whose own blooms were among the top prize-getters, said the show had been "one of the strongest local garden shows in the South Island".

Entries had come in from across Otago and Southland, including first-time exhibitors, resulting in a great selection of blooms, he said.

"It has been a tough year for the dahlias, with the rain and cool temperatures, but we have been fortunate to have a lot of late-blooming dahlias to include in the show."

brenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz