Garlic winners

A garlic specialist is celebrating after winning a top award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

The Garlic Farm, from the Isle of Wight, won a coveted Gold Medal at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show.

The Garlic Farm was honoured for its display of produce in the Growing & Showing Marquee, the quality of the produce and its educational significance.

A huge world map covering the back of the company’s stand linked garlic's central Asian origins to the different garlic types found all over the world today.

In preparation for this year’s show, The Garlic Farm took 40 varieties of garlic from across the globe and grew them successfully on the Isle of Wight to form part of the display.

Gardeners and those with a real passion for garlic - called ‘alliophiles’ - will be pleased to hear that many of these will be available for planting from The Garlic Farm.

Colin Boswell, owner of The Garlic Farm, said: “We are delighted to receive a Gold Medal from the RHS for our first display at a RHS event. The interest aroused by our stand and in garlic generally shows what we have suspected: The British are beginning what we anticipate will be a long and fruitful love affair with garlic.”