The RHS Flower Show Cardiff 2016 is set to return to the Welsh capital’s beautiful Bute Park from 15–17 April, and a key floral feature at this year’s show will be a celebration of everyone’s favourite children’s author, Roald Dahl.

In the year that marks 100 years since the iconic, imaginative author was born in Llandaff, the famous Flower Show will transport visitors into the Wonderful World of Roald Dahl; getting up close to some of his best-loved characters, including a 12ft sculpture of the BFG made out of willow, and exploring stunning spectacles such as an enchanted garden inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory created by award-winning designer Tony Smith, complete with a chocolate lake. Youngsters will be able to take part in the ‘Golden Ticket Family Trail’ around the showground as well as join in storytelling with Cardiff Central Library in a Gypsy caravan. The annual school wheelbarrow competition, featuring schools across South Wales, will stay in keeping with the Roald Dahl theme and looks set to produce even more inspired and imaginative designs than ever before.

To celebrate the workings of Roald Dahl, we look at the supreme storywriter’s most famous books to discover some fascinating gardening facts;

George’s Marvellous Medicine

Made with random ingredients that George Kranky found around the house, such as hair remover, floor polish and brown paint, it’s no wonder his famous medicine didn’t actually cure anything. However, there are plenty of items that you can find around your garden than will in fact cure illnesses!

• As well as aiding a good night’s sleep, lavender and chamomile can be used to treat anxiety. Chamomile is also an effective cure for indigestion.
• If flatulence is a problem, look no further than parsley. The common herb will also leave you with fresh breath.
• Chewing the leaves of the beautiful feverfew flowers is thought to cure migraines and high temperatures, and can help with arthritis.
• Houseleeks – also tellingly known as liveforever – is a medicinal miracle alleviating such ailments as burns, diarrhoea, insect bites and stings.
• The curiously named Johnny-jump-up has been known to ease eczema, stop spots and free phlegm.

James and the Giant Peach

It’s not just in fairytales that abnormally giant fruit and vegetables exist. Take a look at these extraordinary produce;

• The longest cucumber ever recorded measures 107cm and was grown right here in Wales by Ian Neale. Ian, who lives in Langstone in Newport, also lays claim to the largest celery (33.9kg), swede (38.92kg) and beetroot (23.4kg)!
• The world’s heaviest carrot weighs in at a whopping 9.1kg and was grown by Peter Glazebrook from Nottinghamshire.
• A Japanese strawberry has become the biggest of its kind with a weight of 250g. With a circumference of approximately 30cm the super fruit broke the previous record of 231g which was held by G. Andersen from Kent since 1983.
• The heaviest watermelon tips the scale at 159kg and belongs to American Chris Kent.
• The heaviest cabbage known to man weighed 62.71kg and was grown by Scott A. Robb from Alaska. An expert in growing abnormally large veg, Scott previously held several Guinness World Records including the ‘heaviest turnip’.
• And, possibly taking inspiration from Roald’s much loved 1961 story, Paul Friday, from USA, grew the heaviest peach in 2002. The giant peach weighed 725g – five times larger than a standard peach!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

In real life, there are no Oompa Loompas busy making the chocolate behind the scenes while singing a catchy rhyme, but you’d be surprised what actually goes on to make your favourite choccie bar and how much we eat…

• It takes between three and five years before a cocoa tree actually bears fruit. It will then produce about 1,000 cocoa beans every year which is how many it takes to produce 1kg of chocolate.
• 2million tonnes of chocolate are consumed worldwide each year. This is predicted to rise to 8.5million tonnes by 2020.
• The UK is the world’s largest consumer of chocolate with each person munching 11kg of chocolate each year.
• The Mayan Indians were the first people to use chocolate. They used cocoa beans for money.
• Chocolate is considered a natural aphrodisiac.

Fantastic Mr Fox

Although foxes are seen as a nuisance for gardeners, often trampling on or digging up plants, they are, as Roald Dahl said, fantastic and quite fascinating.

• Foxes are born unable to see, hear or walk.
• When they are roughly six months old the fox will fly the nest to live alone.
• Foxes will hide away any extra food they find to eat when they are hungry.
• Grey foxes, found in North America, are the only type of dogs who can climb trees.
• The arctic fox doesn’t feel cold until –70°c. Its white coat acts as a camouflage in snowy seasons and will change to brown and grey when the snow melts.

For more information or to buy advance tickets for the RHS Flower Show Cardiff visit www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff.