Killearn Cottagers' Horticultural Society
Updated: 27 May 2025
Annual Show | 2025
Saturday 30 August 2025
Killearn Kirk, Village and Church halls
Based around the Kirk, Village and Church halls the Show is a family-friendly event in which everyone can join in — young or not so young. Read below about how we are encouraging youngsters to enter the Annual Show.
Everyone is welcome not just to attend on the day, but also to enter the Show competition itself.
This year, we're changing the way we distribute the Annual Show Schedule. And if you sign up to our site, you will be able to see all the Sections in the Schedule.
Below is a timetable showing what happens throughout the day.
Ahead of the Show, our online competition for Section M below will open in late July.
It’s not just about plants: there are more than a dozen sections all told, including ones for baking, craftwork, art and photography, as well as the very popular cut flowers, vegetables and pot plants, to name but a few.
Further down are details about how to enter the Annual Show, where to place your exhibit, the Categories and the timetable.
The Show is open to the residents of Killearn and to people from outwith the area.
All cut flowers will be made available for sale on the afternoon of the Show unless otherwise stated by displaying a ‘NOT for SALE’ sticker on your vase.
Proceeds will go to a local charity.
Fruit & Veg exhibits can be donated to Drumchapel Foodbank – look for the sign in the Village Hall on the day showing how.
All change – Schedules are free!
The Horti is changing the way it distributes the Schedule for its Annual Show
From May, copies will be distributed for FREE, door-to-door across Killearn.
The Sections and Classes within the Schedule are also available if you register online for our emails.
Tickets will be sold on the day for entrance to the Show.
But we need your help. Although we have a loyal set of volunteers who distribute the Schedule, this year we need even more. Distribution starts at our Plant Sale on 17 May and continues until mid-July.
If you want to help, please get in touch. You just need to tell us the street(s) you can deliver to — and when — and we’ll get you the right number of Schedules.
Even if you can only distribute to a few neighbours in your part of Killearn, every little helps.
How to enter the Show
The Schedule has all the details of how to enter the Show, with all of the Categories and Classes.
You don’t need to register, but ideally, buy your entrance “ticket” on the Saturday morning of the Show.
Bring your exhibits either on Friday evening or Saturday from 7.30am.
Ensure your name and the class number are clearly written on the supplied entry cards.
Halls close at 9.45am for judging!
Check all the Rules (also in the printed Schedule) and keep an eye on this page nearer the day.
The village and church halls will be open for staging of exhibits the evening before and early on the day of the show. See timetable below.
Placing your exhibit
The halls will be open for staging of exhibits from 7.30pm to 9pm on Friday evening and from 7.30am to 9.45am on the day of the show. Halls close at 9.45am for judging!
Bring your scarecrows BEFORE 1.30pm on Saturday for display in the Scarecrow Competition.
The Society shall provide entry cards and the competitor must ensure that their name and class number are clearly written on the card.
Remember, Plants and Cut Flowers should be NAMED as far as possible and staged in Society vases.
Exhibit locations:
See map below. Look for the yellow signs on the day, stating where to place entries.
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Cut Flowers is in the Village Hall. The preparation room is next-door in the Committee Room
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Floral Art is in the Kirk
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Pot Plants is in the Kirk
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Vegetables is in the Village Hall
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Fruit is in the Village Hall
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Baking is in the Church Hall
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Preserves is in the Church Hall
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Wine & Cordials is in the Church Hall
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Craftwork is in the Kirk
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Class Paintings is in the Village Hall
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Youth (Art & Craft | Floral | Photos) is in the Kirk
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Youth (Horticulture veg/fruit) is in the Village Hall
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Youth (Baking) is in the Church Hall
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Photos is in the Foyer of Kirk/ Church Hall
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Art is in the Foyer of Kirk/ Church Hall
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Scarecrow Competition is along the Car park fence
Exhibits may not be removed until the Show closes at 4.30pm.
Cut flowers sale
All cut flowers will be made available for sale to the public on the afternoon of the Show unless otherwise stated by displaying a 'NOT for SALE' sticker on your vase. Proceeds of this sale will go to a charity nominated by the Horti committee.
If you have a question please ask a Member - who will be wearing a green rosette or yellow name badge.
If you want to support the Horti by making a donation – many thanks.
Our bank details are:
“Killearn Cottagers And Horticultural Soc”
Sort code: 80-12-48
Account: 00387993
Buy your ticket on Show day
On the day of the Show, each household will be sold a £3 “ticket” in the form of a “wearable sticker”.
The sticker will allow visitors and entrants to gain access to the halls and Kirk.
If you wish to make a donation, larger than £3, thank you!
Please ensure your sticker remains visible so that ticket sellers don’t inadvertently approach you again!
Entrances to the Show are:
• the Village Hall from the cafe
• the Church Hall vestibule
• the Garden Room.
No entry via Committee Room stairs on the Show afternoon.
Restricted mobility quiet hour
We recognise that our Show can be very busy and we understand that some people, including those with restricted mobility, would perhaps like to view the exhibits at a quieter time. Therefore the Show will open from 12:30pm until 1:30pm to allow access for visitors with restricted mobility and their companions.
Show timetable | 2025
🎭 Place your exhibits on Friday evening from 7.30pm to 9pm or Saturday from 7.30am to 9.45am.
📋 From 9.45am Saturday only judges & stewards are allowed in the Halls.
🧵From 1pm Saturday Killearn Country Market's stalls behind the Village Hall and in the Garden Room, 1pm-4pm.
⏰ Admission to halls from 2pm on the Saturday.
♿︎ Restricted mobility visitors from 12.30pm
🎫 Buy your ticket on Show day
🏆 Presentation of prizes at 2.30pm
🫖 Tea & cakes in the Church Hall from 2.45pm
💐Flower sale at 4pm
✋Closes 4.30pm.
Throughout the afternoon
🐕 Dogs are welcome on a lead outside, but they’re not allowed in the Halls.
🎵Live music from The Almost Credible String band.
🎪 Visit the Horti-related contributors stalls, including:
🐝 B Moore Bees – selling local honey
🥀 Colourful Killearn – fundraising plant sale
🦆 RSPB – conservation of birds and nature
🧵Killearn Country Market's Horti-related stalls
🚲 Cycling Killearn – village eco bike scheme
🚜 Vintage tractor on display by Church Hall
🥌 Floor curling in the Games Room of the Village Hall
👩🏻💻Find our event on wherecanwego.com
About the Schedule
Volunteers distribute the Annual Show Schedule door-to-door around Killearn from mid-May.
The Schedule has a very special offer from The Old Mill when booking in advance (T&Cs apply).
You can see the 2024 Schedule by registering on this site.
Our sellers will have visited everywhere in the main village by the end of July, but if you miss them, please email us, or message our Facebook page.
Every year we review suggestions by exhibitors about the Schedule sections and classes and make changes accordingly.
One idea which we made recently was a Class for a "Vegetable box" which after the Show gets donated to a local foodbank, if the exhibitor agrees. We are happy to promote this excellent idea which can be found in Section D of the Schedule.
The Horti committee is always considering its green credentials and would like to see a reduction and eventual elimination of the use of oasis-type plastic foams. Each year a box of natural biodegradable floral foam is available for use by exhibitors in the flower preparation area.
After each Show most of the cut flowers are available for sale, if the exhibitor agrees.
Encouraging youngsters to enter the Annual Show
The Horti is particularly keen to ensure that there are lots of entrants in the Youth section, which is for youngsters aged under 18, split into three school age groups.
If you are a parent or carer, guardian, or grandparent, do have a look through our downloadable A4 sheet and encourage your youngster to enter.
While there are some categories that younger children may need help with, there are many that children of all ages can tackle themselves.
As an incentive, there are even prizes!
If you have any questions, do get in touch and we’d be happy to assist in any way we can.
Thanks
Download the
Annual Show Schedule 2025 for youth
The Art & Craft section is split into 15 categories for all three age groups. Some categories are easier to create while others will take longer.
The Horticulture section features fruit and vegetable entries with three categories for two age groups as stated. For the “Basket of plenty” we are looking for a basket filled with fruit and vegetables, displayed in a decorative way. Don’t forget the most amusing misshapen vegetable category either!
The Floral section has two categories for three age groups. Here the imagination can run wild for the “Arrangement in an unusual container” and the “Arrangement in a mug”.
Lastly, the Baking section has four categories for younger children and four categories for teenagers. Don’t eat too many test products though when practising(!)
Having said all that, youngsters can enter ANY class in the Show — not just the Youth section.
Section M “My Garden” online competition
Killearn’s Annual Show is in August, and our online competition opens at the end of July.
Although the majority of entries will be physical, Section M “My Garden” is an online competition with six classes.
There will be a trophy for the Hidden Garden class and we’ll be putting large printed photos of all the top entries on display at the Show.
Find out if you are one of the winners at the Show!
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M1 – Hidden Garden (Killearn)
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M2 – Hidden Garden (Other Locations)
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M3 – My Vegetable Plot
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M4 – A Hanging Basket or Hanging Pot
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M5 – A Planter or Container
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M6 – An Animal in My Garden
Syd the Snail is currently having a snooze after the Show, but before he slithered off to the greenhouse he managed to tell us that he had lots of positive comments about the 2024 Show.
We had 238 youth entries and 866 entries overall, up on last year’s 852 entries.
We had 342 visitors who came in via the main entrance.
The flower sale made £163.05 for Strathcarron Hospice and Orla, the 10-year old running her bracelet stall at the Show, has donated £25 to the hospice too.
We've donated all the fruit, veg, jam, cakes and scones that were kindly left over after the Show to the Drumchapel Food Bank. They were very appreciative.
Here is a one-minute video of some of the people at the Show, which you also can see on our Facebook page.
And we appeared as the centre-page spread in the Stirling Observer!
We've uploaded lots of photos here.
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Stirling Observer
6 September 2024
Rules of our Annual Show
Constitution
The Killearn Cottagers’ Horticultural Society was established in 1850 for “The encouragement of the art and practice of gardening and horticulture.” Its affairs are managed by a committee and Trustees are elected annually at the General Meeting (page 4).
Qualification
All classes are open to exhibitors from Killearn and all other areas.
Responsibility
Whilst every precaution will be taken to preserve exhibits the Society will not be liable for any loss or damage to the property of any exhibitor before, during or after the Show.
Exhibits
All horticultural exhibits must have been grown by the exhibitor and been in their care for two months prior to the Show. The exhibitor must have made all the other exhibits. Entries in the Craftwork and Art section do not need to have been made in the past year but must not have been shown at this show previously. Exhibitors may only enter one exhibit in each class.
Novice Class
Exhibitors shall not have entered any class in this section previously.
Entry Fee
Our Schedule is free, as is entering as many exhibits as you wish – but there will be a charge of £3 on the door to enter the Show. Please ensure your sticker remains visible throughout the Saturday.
Staging
The Halls will be open for staging of the exhibits from 7.30pm to 9pm on the FRIDAY EVENING immediately prior to the Show and from 7.30am to 9.45am ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW. Exhibits may not be removed until the Show closes at 4.30pm. The Society shall provide entry cards and the competitor must ensure that their name and class details are clearly written on the card. Plants and Cut Flowers should be named as far as possible and staged in Society vases. The Exhibitor must provide boards for cut blooms.
Judging
The judges’ decision shall be final. Judges shall have the power to withhold or modify any exhibit. Competitors shall not be allowed in the halls during judging. Any protests must be in made in writing to the Secretary before 4pm on the day of the Show.
Points
Points will be awarded in all Sections as follows: 1st Prize, 3 points; 2nd Prize 2 points; 3rd Prize, 1 point. In the event of a tie the competitor with most Firsts, if still equal most Seconds, then Thirds, to decide. Special Prizes do not count.
Prize Money & Claim forms
Prize money will be paid out from the stage between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on the day of the Show. Collect a claim form from the stage area.
Trophies
All Trophies remain the property of the Society and must be returned to the Vice-Chair 14 days prior to the Show.
Flower Sale
All cut flowers will be made available for sale to the public on the afternoon of the Show unless otherwise stated by displaying a ‘NOT FOR SALE’ sticker on your vase. Proceeds of this sale will go to a Charity as nominated by the members’ committee.
For the Show we print an A5 size colour publication.
The “Schedule of Classes” has a three month shelf-life and is distributed across a wide local area starting at our Plant Sale in May.
In the weeks afterwards, the Schedule is distributed door-to-door in Killearn, as well as to outlying show contributors in the surrounding villages.
If you wish to place an advert please email info.kchs@btinternet.com as soon as possible.
Facebook: For an additional £10 we will put your advert on our Facebook page.
Banner: We are also offering for an advertiser to be named on the Schedule’s front cover AND on an advertising banner for the Annual Show: “XXX is proud to support the Annual Show”. Price +£30