The Royal Horticultural Society is returning to the parklands of Cardiff Castle with a show that is ready to dazzle the Welsh capital with charming show gardens, beautiful displays of spring flowers and a host of fun activities for gardeners of all ages to enjoy.
History of the show
The RHS Spring Flower Show, Cardiff is in its fourth magnificent year.
The show was first held in 2005 and formed part of Cardiff’s celebratory centenary year as a city, as well as its 50th anniversary as the capital of Wales.
The show was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal.
Prior to its return to the capital in 2005, the RHS last held a flower show in Cardiff in 1920.
Schools' Wheelbarrow Competition
Jean Vernon reports on a Wheelie Good Show!
The RHS Spring Flower Show Cardiff kicked off with a dramatic display of more than 50 dynamic wheelbarrow gardens created by children from local Welsh schools.
And the winner is...
Around 2,500 votes were cast by visitors for the best wheelbarrow. The first prize was won by Tan-yr-Eos Primary School who created a plant man sitting in a wheelbarrow (pictured right).
The Competition is a cacophony of colour and inspiration, a true snapshot of the imagination and enthusiasm of childhood and a brilliant way to encourage children into the wonderful world of plants.
Every single wheelbarrow has been planted in a different design, colour scheme and theme; a true reflection of the nation’s gardens, in a small, but perfect vessel on wheels. Even the barrows themselves have been dressed in seaweed ribbons, funky wellies and magical chariots.
Each and every one has been painstakingly designed, planted and finished with the same finesse, passion and dedication that has gone into the show gardens, and like the adult versions these wheelbarrow gardens will be pored over, inspected and judged. But it’s the people’s vote for the wheelbarrows. A chance for the public to examine a cornucopia of Welsh dragons, fairy gardens, Noah’s ark, Narnia, butterfly and bird gardens and even an Italian Renaissance Grotto. There’s a garden of the five senses, a fabulous tiger, a phoenix and a range of environmental inspired themes; plenty to enthuse, inspire and amaze every visitor of every age. It’s a showcase of young imagination, a resource rarely tapped for adult garden spaces – perhaps there’s a lesson there for everyone.
The wheelbarrow competition is just one way that the RHS is encouraging school children to get involved with gardening. The RHS recently launched the RHS Campaign for School Gardening with a call to action to all UK primary schools to use gardening to teach the National Curriculum. The campaign aims to have 4,000 schools gardening, with RHS help, by the end of 2008.