The best weather of the year brought record crowds to the parklands of Cardiff Castle this week with the RHS Show Cardiff making the best possible start to the Royal Horticultural Society outdoor show season.
Over 20,500 visitors from across the UK enjoyed the best of the spring blooms from nurseries across the UK, with ideas and inspiration for the growing season ahead, all gathered under blue skies.
RHS Shows Director Stephen Bennett said: “It’s been a fabulous weekend, and that has brought record numbers to the show. The RHS loves the Cardiff event, it’s our first outdoor show of the season, and we enjoy a close and very successful working partnership with Cardiff Council to ensure this success continues into the future.”
This was the sixth annual show for the RHS in the Welsh capital, and it contained displays created by the finest Welsh horticultural talent, including Best In Show garden designer Gaynor Witchard whose nostalgic Irene’s Garden was inspired by her mother’s love of white and pastel flowers. Gaynor created a garden for last year’s Cardiff show while still working for the BBC, and feedback from the public was so strong she has subsequently set up her own garden design business.
Once again the schools wheelbarrow competition supported by Legal & General attracted huge attention with over 4,000 people voting for their favourite from the 50 plus entries. Once the votes were counted Cardiff’s Millbank Primary School was declared the winner, with runner-up Ysgol Ton-yr-Ywen followed by Stacey Primary School in Third Place.
Cardiff Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture said: “The RHS Show Cardiff is a pedigree event for the city that makes a wonderful day out for visitors who are now attracted from across the UK. The great weather certainly brought out the crowds and the atmosphere on site was terrific.”
Exhibitors were also delighted with the success of this year’s event and were pleased to be back in the picturesque setting of Bute Park.
Trehane Nurseries in Dorset has attended all six RHS Shows in Cardiff, winning four Gold medals for their display, including this year, and for them, this was the best so far.
Dandra Trehane said: “This year’s show was excellent for us, the best ever, with the result, the perfect weather and the volume of business. We sold everything we brought up with us, and were surprised by how good business was considering the economy.”
Organisers have now started planning for the RHS Show Cardiff 2011 on April 8-10.
