TV gardening expert from Carnforth attracts visitors from across the globe to see his 6,000 dahlias

And for anyone who likes the kind of colourful blooms which dahlias produce each year, Jack Gott’s Milnthorpe home is indeed a little slice of heaven.

For more than 50 years, the former electrician has been growing dahlias, and now he’s a renowned expert with fellow enthusiasts travelling from as far as Australia and America to see his glorious garden and nursery for themselves.

He’s appeared on Gardeners’ World and as a National Dahlia Society judge, he spends many weekends judging other growers’ blooms.

“I’m busy all year round and I’m trying to slow down but it’s not easy,” said the 76-year-old.

“I started with about a dozen different varieties which an old lad at work gave to me and now I have over 400 varieties and 6,000 dahlias.”

Jack is passionate about all the different varieties and forms of dahlia. He became known as having the UK’s largest collection of dark leaf dahlias and now cites waterlily and collarette dahlias as among his specialities.

It’s all a world away from Jack’s former working life as an electrician, firstly at Libby’s Milk Factory and then at Beetham Paper Mill for 28 years.

Back then, growing dahlias was just a hobby after he had abandoned growing potatoes. He even grew 1,000 gladioli before dahlias took over.

All are grown in the garden and allotment in the street where he’s lived all his life and which has now become a place of pilgrimage for those – like Jack – who dote on dahlias.

For more information, see https://jrgdahlias.com/