After months of gloom a riot of colour promises to brighten up the next few days at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. MATT CLARK previews this year’s attractions.

ARCTIC weather may have caused Farndale’s famous daffodil display to bloom three weeks late but, at last, it seems spring has finally sprung.

Just in time for the 102nd Harrogate Spring Flower Show that begins today at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Organisers says the county’s landscape and landmarks are set to feature strongly among the record 17 gardens, including Flow by Askham Bryan College, which takes as its starting point the journey of the Ouse into the heart of York, with vertical accents to hint at the city walls and vibrant planting to symbolise the city’s rich diversity of life.

Displays also include 150 individual works of art, including The Yorkshire Flower Club’s 50th anniversary tribute to The Beatles’ first album, British islands, a great day out, top hats and the opera.

Sally Anne Foreman of Walkers Bulbs in Holbeach also promises a rare treat – the first-ever display of early daffodils. Ordinarily they would have finished by now, but Sally Anne says the cold weather means the flowers have only just come into bloom.

Harrogate Spring Flower Show was recently rated the best gardening event in the UK by readers of Which?

New for 2013 will be the opportunity for visitors to roll up their sleeves and have a go at building a greenhouse from recycled plastic drinks bottles or a traditional Yorkshire dry stone wall.

Children’s activities include hands-on fun in gardening with nature, willow weaving to create a dragon sculpture and a new primary school competition for growing and showing a tub of salad.

Director Martin Fish says the number of outdoor garden displays has doubled since they were launched to mark the show’s centenary in 2011.

Martin said: “This is in direct response to requests from our visitors, who told us they enjoy seeing the inspirational designs so much that they want to see more.

“We have a fantastic range of ideas for visitors to take home. The standard just keeps getting better.”

This was evident at yesterday’s preview where staff from 100 of the country’s leading plant nurseries were putting finishing touches to the UK’s largest display of flower arranging and floristry.

And after such a miserable winter, we all deserve a little bit of colour in our lives.

• The Harrogate Spring Flower Show runs until Sunday with tickets priced at £16.50 (£14.50 on Sunday). Under 16s go free when accompanied by an adult. flowershow.org.uk