After a hard overnight frost, it was a bright and sunny start to the day, although there was a bitterly cold breeze which kept the temperature in single figures for most of the day.

We had a light breakfast before heading up the A1 to the Harrogate Showground for the second day of the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. The show opened to the public yesterday and runs over the weekend closing on Sunday 28^th April 2024. I had learnt from previous visits that to avoid a lengthy walk from the car park to the showground was to book ‘VIP parking’, it costs an extra ten pounds, but it allows you to park on the showground thus avoiding a lengthy undulating walk across the fields to the show. We had a good uneventful forty-five-minute drive from home arriving at the showground for 9.30am.

On leaving the car it was a very short walk to the ‘show gardens’ and ‘creative borders’. The show gardens were quite small compared to the Chelsea Flower Show, but still very imaginative and pleasing to look at, several caught my eye including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance garden, the yellow pagoda and paving would fit in any back garden, The Harrogate Hospital Trust also had a very good garden, the brick paving and raised beds  would be ideal for anyone with a small back yard, the Helmsley Walled Garden was very good too, with lots of alpines and shrubs planted in a gravelled landscape, and finally the Commonwealth War Graves garden was very tidy, effective and poignant. The sound of a brass band was drifting through the air and provided a very pleasant accompaniment whilst walking amongst the stalls, the musicians were well encased under the cover of the bandstand, protecting them from the cold icy wind, later in the morning the bandstand was absolutely packed with the visitors sat in the sunshine enjoying the music.

After leaving the show gardens and once we had got our bearings, we headed for the ‘Main Avenue’ for a cup of tea and bite to eat, fortunately at this time of day it wasn’t too busy, but there were hundreds of visitors coming through the main showground entrance and on to the Main Avenue which is linked to the main car parking areas. For anyone with the slightest interest in gardening you must visit one of these shows, there is just about everything you could think of for the garden on sale here and if it is not on show I am certain they will be able to order it! Stalls full of garden memorabilia lined both sides of the ‘Main Avenue’, from every kind of hosepipe to solar panelled small garden water features, from hot tubs to Garden domes, including some revolving glazed pergola type structures, some a little outside of my budget I have to say. As you would expect there were lots of garden nursery stalls selling every type of bulb, plant and shrub to suit your budget. Many of the hardened flower show visitors were walking around with portable wheeled trolleys full of plants and garden memorabilia for their own gardens at home.

After having a bite to eat we continued our walk through the Grand Floral Hall, this is a huge building which contained many nursery trade stands selling plants, trees, bulbs and shrubs, the sellers sharing lots of information on how to cultivate them when you get home. Also in the Floral hall were some huge beautiful floral displays of Fushia, Chrysanthemums, Peonies, Grasses, Bonsai and Cacti to name just a few. After browsing through the floral hall, we popped into the adjoining food and gardening hall, phew, all foodie products on sale here, any type of pie, cheeses, more pies, sweets, nougat could be purchased here. After swiftly leaving the food hall we walked the full length of the main avenue, before heading into the Floral Art Pavilion, the first thing that hits you as you walk up the slope and into the huge marquee is the scent from all the flowers on display inside. As its name suggests the Pavilion is full of what I can only describe as beautiful and artistic floral arrangements. There were also plant workshops where you could listen to presentations and talks from experts in that field. I am not really a flowery type of person, but the floral arrangements were amazing and so imaginative. On leaving the floral pavilion we headed into the ‘Home and Gift pavilion’ which had a wide and varied selection of gifts for all the family, ranging from children’s toys to handmade jewellery, and from books to clothing.

Heading back outside we walked over to the adjoining picnic area where we enjoyed a very pleasant coffee whilst listening to a Rock Choir performing in the Band Stand.

By now the time was approaching mid afternoon so we decided to head back to the car for the forty-five-minute journey home.

I am now looking forward to the Autumn Flower Show which will be held at Newby Hall from the 13^th – 15^th September 2024.