THEY fought off bands of marauding bandits, pirates, pestilence and dangerous terrain in tales that would put Indiana Jones to shame.

Now Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is paying tribute to those who risked life and limb to bring back plants from around the world.

The theme for this year’s show, from September 15 to 17, is Postcards from the Hedge, inviting visitors to trace the global ancestry of many plants.

One of the intrepid explorers featured is Reginald Farrer, who travelled from his home in Clapham, North Yorkshire, to Asia in search of new species.

He was renowned for his eccentricities, including a habit of using a shotgun to spread seed on rock cliffs to achieve a natural effect.

Show director Nick Smith said: “It is easy to forget a small band of dedicated people risked and, in some cases, lost their lives to bring us exotic species to brighten our flower borders."