FORMER Gardeners’ World presenter Roy Lancaster was in Chawton to open officially the first plant fair roadshow at Chawton House Library.

Set in the gardens of Jane Austen’s ‘Great House’, the event offered visitors the opportunity to see and buy plants direct from the growers, and to gain first-hand advice.

A good number of plant nurseries were in attendance, with experts including Rosemary Hardy, of Hardy’s Cottage Plants, who is currently the leading female gold medal winner at Chelsea Flower Show having won 21 to date.

Other experts on hand to give advice included Quentin Stark, head gardener at Hole Park, and Chawton House Library’s own garden manager, Andrew Bentley, who ran two popular garden tours.

Now in its fifth year, the plant fair roadshow runs a number of events across the South East, with more venues included each year. The Hardy Plant Society, of which Roy Lancaster is president, was celebrating its 60th anniversary during the day.

The library, which recently launched a Reimagining Jane Austen’s Great House campaign, has been ramping up its fundraising and publicity activities with the ultimate aim of expanding and improving its visitor offering.

The house and library were also open to visitors, and light lunches and cakes were available in the Old Kitchen tearoom.