THIS year's Southport Flower Show, was held over 18 August
to 21 August 2016. The event started in sun and ended in sun, but sadly it was
not all good weather, as high winds, rain and cloud took hold for most of the
event. Despite the poor weather, this was one of the best shows they have had,
and that was mostly echoed by those attending. Since the show started back in
1924, the event has become the largest independent flower show in the UK,
covering Victoria Park with a wide variety of activities and sites for all the
family. This year’s show marked a new chapter, with them introducing virtual
gardens. No need to water the flowers or be worried about the weather with the
Interactive Zone! This new interactive computer experience, using Minecraft,
pulled in young and old alike. It was so popular, Minecrafters Wizard Keen,
MiniMuka and Tomahawk, did not get a chance to do the video interview we had
planned.
It was not just the Minecraft display that pulled in the
audience, but also one of the large outdoor gardens even held a pool party! Yes,
Muddy Boot's went swim at the Flower Show...! Who would have thought that you
would read that? In fact you can see the video footage we took at the event, of
the swim, later in this report!
Other fantastic gardens included the very interesting Dyslexia
Innovators garden, the stunning Bella Vista Garden and the Riviera Environmental
Management's 'A Cool Courtyard', all worth noting.
Then you also had amazing back stories to both the Quarry Garden,
that was hand crafted by L+T Stone and Landscape Supplies Ltd, whose sculptures
were crafted by a chap who has beaten the odds by carving the display, after his
hand had been severed then reattached!. How many spotted the aircraft that was
hand crafted from solid stone, or other similar items dotted around the garden?
There was also the very inspiring Blue Light Walk's, '999
Strength of Mind Garden', which was manned by emergency service staff
and volunteers? Behind this display is a remarkable man who is tackling the 'Blue Light Walk', a 6 day walk from
Scarborough to Blackpool. He is an Ambulance worker who developed post traumatic
stress disorder following a harrowing experience during the course of his
duties. He has very bravely used his experience to try to highlight such mental
health issues and to tackle some of the misconceptions and stigma that still
attach to the subject even today. He hopes to encourage others faced with such
problems to seek the help they need. The walk finishes on 1 October 2016 and the
team are asking for locals to go and support them, especially for the
'Last Leg' of the walk, that takes place from Broughton Ambulance HQ to
Blackpool RNLI, a total of 19.1 miles. If you want to help them on the
'Last Leg' please visit:-
BlueLightWalk.com.
The last 1 to be mentioned in this edition is the Lovania
Nurseries' 'Outdoor Inspiration' design. This would be a Hobbit’s
Beach House on a desert island. All the gardens outside this year were full of
imagination, and most were extremely practical. Just in case you did not know,
despite it being the Olympics, the theme was in fact 'Mediterranean...'
Hence no green swimming pools! Anyway, moving on...
The display in the Armature and Societies Marquee was also a fantastic site.
Despite this year being an extremely challenging year for gardeners, they still
managed to put on a fine show. From floral displays to vegetable displays, they
gave the professional exhibitors in the Grand Floral Marquee. If the flowers and
vegetables did not get you interested, then the displays in the Arena or the
music at the Band Stand might have got your attention. Or you might have spotted
the buzz about the show, with the Bee and Honey exhibits. That’s not forgetting
to comment about the Southport Lifeboat Rest Tent, where you could get a
fantastic cup of tea and shelter from the rain... For the peckish, the Food
Quarter and the many other food areas offered many culinary delights,
including:- specialist foods and demos!
Then you also had the celebrity guests that included the David
Bellamy OBE, who came with his wife and is still a huge supporter and a show
patron. The event this year had many new products on offer as well, from
SolarGrow hydroponic systems, to under water solar pool lights, aglow with
electric push bikes...
We can reveal that next year’s show will be held over Thursday,
17 August 2017 to Sunday, 20 August 2017, and if the 2016 show got all the
botanists and gardeners talking, then the 2017 show is not to be dismissed from
your diary. Book your tickets now on
SouthportFlowerShow.Co.UK.
We have so many photos that we will run even more in next week’s
edition as well. But if you have not already see Part 1, please click on
here, or continue and enjoy the photos in this
edition! We would also love to hear your views about the event. Please email
your thoughts to our newsroom, via:-
News24@SouthportReporter.com.
Click on
here now to see more photographs
taken at this event.
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