Growing every year

Over the years, this element has increased in size and prestige and is widely recognised as a super show. And there are a number of “firsts” to look out for.

With the aim of appealing to experienced and aspiring gardeners, both young and old, the organisers have pulled out all the stops to provide a varied programme of talks and demonstrations, exciting competitions and displays of beautiful blooms.

Mike Prest, Garden Show organiser, said: “The theme this year is one of inclusivity – we want to encourage everyone to come to the show, from the older, more experienced gardeners, to young children who want to take up the hobby for the first time.

“Anyone can garden and enjoy gardening. You don’t need to be an expert or have expert knowledge. We want to show visitors what can be done in an ordinary garden or window box and we want people to be inspired,” he said.

Going for gold in the Feature Garden Competition, introduced for the first time last year and supported by paving specialists Marshalls, will be nine teams of professional landscape gardeners whose task is to create a garden from scratch.

The pressure will be on to add interest and colour and striking features to the area to impress the judges – gardeners from across the region, including Harrogate-based Stepping Stones in Suburbia, York’s Lizzie Tulip Garden Design and the Northern Fruit Group are amongst those going head to head.

In an exciting new addition to the Great Yorkshire Show, visitors will also be able to watch gardens being created throughout the event by a team of landscape garden students co-ordinated by the training centre at Askham Bryan College.

As part of the first heat of the WorldSkills competition, students will be battling it out against the clock, and under the judges’ watchful eyes, in the hope of being chosen as a member of “Team UK” for the 2013 international competition taking place in Leipzig, Germany.

Once again the finalists of the popular Children’s Vegetable Garden competition will be invited. Hundreds of schoolchildren from across the Yorkshire area have been growing fruit and vegetables in boxes provided by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and keeping diaries detailing their work – the best are invited to the event, with the winners chosen by TV gardening expert Christine Walkden.

Along with a daily packed programme of talks and demonstrations, and the usual colourful and creative displays from a wide range of exhibitors, the Garden Show is sure to prove a real draw.