Shrewsbury Flower Show is the world’s longest running independent flower show. Nearly every year since 1875 – the only exceptions being during both world wars – the show has been held in the heart of Shrewsbury’s town centre.

On 12 and 13 August the beautiful 29-acre Quarry Park will be awash with wonderful flowers, fabulous food and live entertainment – the ultimate summer day out! This is one of the country’s premier flower show events, attracting top exhibitors from all over the country so expect fantastic floral displays, horticultural competitions and high quality trade stands.
With children 15 years and under admitted free when accompanied with an adult, and a dedicated children’s area which features lots of activities, unusual animals to see, ponies and ducks to pet, plus much more, Shrewsbury Flower Show is an ideal family day out.
The large Quarry Marquee is home to the top national nurseries and growers who create stunning displays to admire and inspire, whilst the Severn Marquee is full of home grown flowers and vegetables. Advice is on hand from many exhibitors and horticultural organisations. The Dingle is awash with beauty with spectacular floral art creations on display.
The arena offers a variety of entertainment to suit every taste. The major attraction for 2016 is The Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment who will perform twice each day with 24 horses. Other highlights include Grade A showjumping and Dingle Fingle comedy car act. There’s live music on Friday night from The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and on Saturday from The Christians. Throughout the event will be performances from choirs, while a massed band finale and stunning firework display wrap up the show on both nights.

For the green fingered visitors, horticultural expert Sarah Raven will be sharing gardening tips and advice. Sarah has written for The Daily Telegraph, Country Living, Gardens Illustrated, Gardeners’ World Magazine, The English Garden and Sainsbury’s Magazine. Her gardening and cookery books have won her a number of awards.
Sarah has presented on BBC Gardeners’ World and had a well-received TV series in 2012 called Bees, Butterflies and Blooms, following her attempts to flower up the nation to hugely increase insect habitat and food supply.

Over in the dedicated Foodhall celebrity chef Gizzi Erskine will be creating mouth-watering, indulgent but healthy food. Her edgy attitude has caught the attention of the fashion world and she regularly makes the fashion pages of the UK’s style magazines.
There are lots of great shopping opportunities in the large trade stands area and wonderful unique gifts are on offer in the craft marquee and artisan crafts and farmers’ market.

For more information go to http://shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk/

Shropshire really does have some jewels of gardens and there is no better time than the long, sunny days of July to go out and about in our beautiful county to enjoy them. Many of the county’s best gardens are open as part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) which raises much-needed funds for cancer and nursing charities.

From north to south, east to west, across the county, there is a garden to suit everyone: what could be nicer than spending a summer’s afternoon sitting in a beautiful garden having a homemade tea – what a very British pastime!
There are two opportunities in July to visit the acre garden at Ruthall Manor at Ditton Priors sitting amongst beautiful Shropshire farmland with views of Brown Clee (8, 29 July). The garden, lovingly tended by Lynda and Gerald Clarke, is a medley of unusual specimen trees which partition the garden into intimate sections, linked by recently extended, winding paths with some new planting combinations using rare and distinctive plants. This year, new projects include a redesigned vegetable and fruit garden; a natural stone path beneath the canopy of trees, which leads visitors from the woodland garden, under an arch smothered with clematis and roses to the shade garden; along with subtle changes to the eclectic pottery and ironwork.
48 Bramble Ridge in Bridgnorth has colourful, plant-packed terraces which afford outstanding views across the Severn Valley (17 July). This fascinating garden has many features to interest visitors: as well as its borders, there is a vegetable and herb garden and wildlife pond. Also open on the same day will be the neighbouring garden at 16 Bramble Ridge.
Between Bridgnorth and Ludlow in the beautiful Corvedale, visitors can find the pretty walled garden and nursery at Mynd Hardy Plants in the grounds of Delbury Hall (24 July). This warm, walled space is not to be missed by plant lovers looking for a delightful place to visit and have tea and to find that extra special plant to take home to their own garden.
Also in the Corvedale is Norton Farm (1 July), now a collection of pretty holiday cottages on the site of an old farm. This delightful setting has been tastefully restored and planted with colourful summer borders, some in a Mediterranean style, heritage orchard and ornamental pond, all with far-reaching views over the Clee Hills.
The NGS is well-represented in the north of the county too. Opening for the first time for NGS on Sunday 24 July is the half-acre town garden, Sunningdale, in the centre of Wem. Incorporating sculptural elements, such as a natural stone rockery waterfall, solar-powered greenhouse, traditional and modern sculptures and a koi pond, this fascinating garden is sure to wow visitors on their first visit.
At Hodnet, the ever-popular garden at Marchamley House (3 July) will open its gates for visitors to admire its two acres with stunning views of the Shropshire countryside, complete with mixed, colourful borders, a vegetable garden and meadow walks amongst trees and ponds. In addition there will be an exhibition and sale of pictures by botanical artist, Mary Morton.
The Croft at Ash Magna, near Whitchurch, which opens every Tuesday in the month for NGS, is ideal for adults and children alike to enjoy the sheep, pigs and chickens, pond dipping and wildlife: a great place for kids to explore – there’s even a Green Man in the woods!
At Sambrook Manor, Sambrook, near Newport (17 July), sweeping lawns, well-stocked borders and specimen shrubs and trees await visitors with homemade teas in the pretty courtyard with its collection of acers; walks can be taken down to the river bank: a lovely afternoon out.

The magnificent double-herbaceous border at Goldstone Hall, Goldstone, near Market Drayton, is a wonderful sight in July (6,20, 27) with so much summer colour, shape and form, with the back-drop of this delightful hotel.
Another Shropshire jewel is the award-winning Windy Ridge at Little Wenlock, near Telford (17 July). The garden is designed around themes and spaces, and with over 1,000 plants, an inspirational place for plant-lovers.
There are other jewels of gardens to enjoy in the south of the county. The group of 15 village gardens in and around Stottesdon will open their gates over the weekend of 2-3 July: this eclectic mix of gardens shows how people interpret their green spaces differently.
Also open the same weekend is another community project which goes from strength to strength: Bowbrook Allotment Community to the south of Shrewsbury incorporates all the good elements of gardening organically and with wildlife in mind. The project proves that food can be produced in a sustainable, green way.
At the far end of the county, the new NGS garden at Guilden Down Cottage opened for the first time to great acclaim in May (3 July). This one acre organic garden has everything! Beautiful borders, productive vegetable and fruit garden, wildflower meadows and ponds, sheep and chickens: a delightful jewel to visit in the wonderful south Shropshire Hills.
Find out more at www.ngs.org.uk