Organisers moved the date, and the wet weather followed!
As ever with the spring shows, rain is never far away. This year we got a monsoon! Most of the show is on grass, and it’s muddy, so wear wellies and a waterproof (showerproof won’t cut the mustard). Leave the floaty frocks and high heels at home, this is Yorkshire.
One big difference this year is timed slots. You can visit either in the morning or the afternoon, but slots must be pre-booked. This is disappointing for those who liked to turn up at the gate. However, the numbers had to be controlled for a COVID-safe environment.
What worked at the Harrogate Spring Essentials Show…
Space is never an issue at the Great Yorkshire Showground, which meant social distancing wasn’t a problem. One-way systems and hand sanitisers led to a sense of comfort, certainly for me. Will the autumn show at Newby Hall be able to offer the same space and sense of security? Time alone will tell.
Everyone was genuinely pleased to be there, despite the weather, so the atmosphere was terrific. The show is always friendly, full of chatty people, but even more so. There were only six show gardens, and these were smaller than usual, but it was good just to see them, including my pals at Horticap! There was a one-way system here for safe viewing.
I thought the GROW! Garden Stage and FEAST! Over the Fence stages might struggle, but the former was mostly under cover and worked well. Don’t miss Sarah Hopps’ talks, a woman after my own heart. As always, the shopping worked perfectly (see below)…
… and what didn’t work at the Harrogate Spring Essentials Show
To be fair, not much. The organisers seemed to have thought of most things, although the heavy rain and grass combo wasn’t great but what could they do about that?
The displays in the big halls were obviously a miss. There were no grand set pieces from the nurseries, only small displays at the edge of the shed. The number of nurseries and garden sundries suppliers was down, too, but there’s still enough there to warrant the entrance price. Equally, having no floristry displays or the spring flower shows was disappointing. I imagine the growers, flower arrangers, and students must be pretty gutted.
Shop until you drop
As I always say, you don’t need to be a gardener to enjoy the Harrogate Flower Shows, and Spring Essentials was no exception.
Here’s who caught my eye this year:
- A big hello to Neil from Vegepod, fresh from the company making it to the finals of the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Product of the Year Award.
- I finally replaced my knackered gardening gloves with two new pairs from The Glove Specialists, a really supple leather pair and a more lightweight ‘red back’ with latex palms, www.glovespecialists.co.uk.
- Always on the lookout for unusual pots, I found a trio of fairly traded hand-painted ceramic containers from Thailand. Thanks to Kes and his team for the shelter! www.travellersfinds.co.uk.
- If ewe like sheep, ewe’ll love York-based Merv’s cheeky pop-cultured influenced prints. I’m now the proud owner of a set of coasters, www.mervyntay.com.
- Wakefield-based artist Holly Greenwood’s fresh, contemporary cactus prints are now in my collection! Find her at www.hollygreenwooddesign.etsy.com.
- For pottery with a touch of magic and the wildwood, visit Scunthorpe-based www.pentanglepottery.com.
- The only plant I bought was an Angelica gigas from Garth Cottage Herbs, of Northallerton, https://www.facebook.com/Garth-Cottage-Herbs-593697060653169/
- And finally, an amazing German salami mix from www.continentalcottage.com.
For more information on the latest flower show, visit www.flowershow.org.uk.
