Show stoppers

THE start of the flower festival season is always a time of excitement.

It's not just a signal to the horticultural world that the growing season has at last arrived, but a stage for us all to see what this year's trends might be.

Here in the north we have the Harrogate Spring Flower Show as our marker.

This year we were blessed with lovely blue skies and rays of warming sunshine, which might be indicative of the summer to come.

Indeed, many gardens reflected this in the use of drought-resistant plants and water saving devices. These are nothing new though, as the rumours of global warming have been rumbling around for several years now. In fact, my mother, an eminent botanist of her time (as indeed she still is today), pointed out that the Antarctic ice mass was shrinking and altering zonal planting patterns way back in the early sixties. So we have had some time to get used to a change in the type of plants that we can grow in our gardens.

As Mary Bond, the press officer for the show explained, there was very little new or different at the show this year, but she remained proud of the fact that it had been set out so that all visitors could simply enjoy their day. This was evident in the food hall, which previously had been indoors, and led to a heaving masses of hungry people all scrambling to get to the freebie samples.

This year it was outside, and in a long, long row, which meant that you could take your time and slowly work your way down the line. It gave everyone plenty of time to chat to the stall holders.

I knew that we are spoilt in this area for home grown and home made food, but I never really realised just how much. Everyone knows that Shepherds Purse cheese is just on our doorstep, but did you know that Thorncroft cordials are based in Eaglescliffe? Other local successes included Fir Tree Pelargoniums from Stokesley who gained a premier award (again), and Dark Star Plants from Osmotherly (but which sells at most of the local markets) which was awarded a silver medal for its purple tinged stall.

The most innovative product at the show, in my opinion, was not the fourperson gliding' rocking chair (retailing in at just under £1,000), but the soil improving product made from the back ends of sheep fleeces.

Dangerously named Sheep-It', it is a by-product of the sheep industry, which has been pelleted down into a versatile and useful product. Sheep-It can be spread around the base of plants, or can be dug into the soil. Either way, the residue from the sheep do' on the wool, plus the natural minerals within the wool itself, combine to make a feed for the soil, which the plants can readily take up.

In addition, the bulk of the fibre in the wool, can assist in breaking down clay soils, or help to bulk up sandy soils. It also has a mulch effect in that it suppresses weeds and retains moisture. At present, the only manufacturer of this product is the small nursery that was showing the product Grow with Joe', Cliff Bank Nursery 01423-734266.

As far as plants go, it seems as though some of my favourites are starting to make an impact at last. Epimediums are excellent for shaded ground cover, shielding their delicate flowers with large, glossy, heart-shaped leaves. The delicately shy geums were popular too, in fact, woodland plants in general were hot. The best in show was a display of woodland and alpine plants.

I asked after erythroniums (dogs tooth violet), which are a similar under-shrub species, but was told that there was none on show as they had all flowered much earlier than usual. Another side effect of global warming?

One of the main reasons for visiting shows though is to gather advice. I learnt that hostas prefer a smaller pot than you think they need, that lily bulbs prefer a moist peat soil and actually do better in a container than in the ground, and that acers shrivel up in the wind.

I learnt that the next big thing in clothing is neoprene (the stuff that divers' wet suits are made of), and that vegetables will one day take the place of ornamental flowers in the border.

The one thing that I learnt from the Harrogate Flower Show is that no one can simply say seen one, seen them all'.

As the climate, or the seasons change, so do the trends, the practices and the flowers.

In order to keep ahead of the game, and your garden well stocked, you really do benefit from making the effort to get to the garden shows. It will all eventually filter down to the garden centres, but by that time you may well be just another runner, and not a contender.

JOBS THIS WEEK

Thin and prick out early vegetable and flower sowings in the greenhouses and poly tunnels.

Feed fruit trees with a high potash feed in order to encourage the fruit to form.

Dig out long-rooted weeds from the lawn. Dandelions and thistles can be removed using a long-bladed knife, such as an old bread knife.

* Brigid presents Ask About Gardening every Sunday on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM from 1-2pm.

Questions will be answered on the day by e-mailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, and texting 07786200995 or phoning 01642-225511 during the show.