GREEN-FINGERED Warrington youngsters have been helping to set up one of the biggest events on the north west social calendar.
They were among 18 schools in the area who have been hard at work at Tatton Park working on their wildlife themed show garden designs ahead of the RHS Flower Show.
Warrington Guardian photographer Dave Gillespie captured these images when he was invited to the 28 acre National Trust site a week before the show opened to the public.
Glazebury CE Primary School children with their Pied Piper garden
This year around 80,000 visitors will be taking inspiration from 22 show gardens and more than 100 plant displays.
Organisers say it takes 12 months to plan the show followed by three weeks to build it all on site.
For the first time at the Tatton RHS Show Park, a 283sq m butterfly dome will be transported up from RHS Hampton Court Palace to its new home in Cheshire.
Visitors will be able to enter a world of tropical butterflies, where they can get up close with the winged creatures.
Among the themes for 2017 are ‘urban gardening’ and ‘future spaces’.
Urban gardening is about looking at ways to ‘green up’ grey spaces to help create happier, healthier and more sustainable cities.
As part of this theme planted-up bus stops designed by LGBT communities, art heritage and food waste projects will make up a 25m streetscape, complete with double decker bus bar and conductor.
Future spaces explores ways that gardens can help combat climate change, make the most of limited living spaces and ease the suffering of people with illness.
Expect everything from Warnes-Mcgarr’s garden of the future, which is designed to cope with growing air temperatures typical of Mexican and South American landscapes, to Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity’s Remember Me garden which hopes to evoke childhood memories for people with dementia.
Nick Mattingley, director of RHS Shows, said: “As the need for green spaces in urban areas increases, it is more important than ever to inspire people, communities and businesses to plant up, upcycle and do what they can to get greening.
“The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park is full of horticultural ideas and inspiration.”
- The RHS Flower Show runs until Sunday. Tickets are available here
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