RHS Show Cardiff

This year’s annual Royal Horticultural Society Spring Show in Cardiff (8-10 April) is the best yet. I was there as it opened at 10am today and particularly enjoyed the first couple of hours in the two floral marquees and the show garden area before the crowds built up.

The food area - Café Quarter – has expanded this year. First Cafes cater in the covered marquee, from their mobile units: Fish and Chips, Posh Baguettes and Posh Roast Carvery (I had the pork with stuffing and apple sauce), and Posh Coffee. There was good live folk music from the bandstand to listen to from the outdoor tables. In the Farmers Market Area, there were cookery demonstrations from the True Taste of Wales van and nearly forty stalls, mainly representing small local businesses. Here you could buy, among other things, lamb and beef; smoked fish; a range of cheese; samosas and bhajees; jams and pickles; bread; pies; beers and cider; fudge and ice cream. Raspberry and rhubarb crumble ice creams seems to be popular (why?).

A new feature this year is the allotment section, where tips can be picked up from demonstrations. Always popular are the wheelbarrows decorated by schools in the Cardiff area (below). Visitors could vote for one of the 72 entries. I voted for Dinas Powys Infants.