This year's Glasgow Show  will be an event to amaze and inspire
gardeners from all over Scotland, with breathtaking displays, stunning
floral displays and an array of crafts and activities to please everyone.

    The inaugural event last year was extremely successful, and the
organisers are this year hoping for an even bigger turn out.

    Held at the Victoria Park , Whiteinch, on 24th and 25th August, the
show is set to be an even bigger success, due to a guest appearance
from BBC TV's favourite gardening personality Charlie Dimmock on the Saturday.

    On Sunday Bill and Ben will be there to entertain the young and not so
young with their flowerpot antics.

    For the children there will also be a model boat regatta complete with
battleships, speedboats and tankers, mini fun fair, face-painting and go
karts.

    Over 400 passionate amateurs will be battling it out at Glasgow
Evergreen striving for a prestigious medal in what has become regarded
as the "Scottish Cup Final" of amateur gardening.

    If you have a gardening problem Carole Baxter and Lesley Watson and
their colleagues from BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Garden will be on hand
to offer solutions and wise advice in the ever-popular Beechgrove theatre.

    Glasgow-based Cosmos Garden Design is hoping to bring a touch of the
Mediterranean to the show with a stunning show garden called "Dining Al
Fresco".

    The garden will feature an irregular shaped town garden with patio area
and water feature.

    A table will be set with food for an alfresco lunch and planting will
include hyacinth, freesia, impatiens and irises.

    Two oval mirrors will be strategically positioned to give an overall
impression of space.

    Traditional cobbles and Caithness flagstones will form the base of the
garden. "Food eaten out doors also tastes better and this garden shows
how dining al fresco can be achieved with a little imagination," said
George Kerr, managing director of Cosmos. He added; "Even in a
small town garden measuring no more than 10m X 10m you can be
creative in choice of plants and types of design to enhance your outdoor
lifestyle."

    Established five years ago Cosmos won last year's Best Show Garden
award at The Glasgow Show and has won many prizes at RHS shows.

    The company specialises in bespoke garden design with much of its
clientele in the West end of Glasgow. "We like to come up with unusual
ideas incorporating art, sculpture and reclaimed materials into the overall
design. No matter where the garden is situated we can find a plant suited
to any conditions," said George.

    Cairnmore Nursery, based in Castle Douglas, will be displaying a new heuchera Amber Waves which makes its Scottish debut at the show. It is
a rather bizarre looking plant with amber foliage but being a hardy
perennial should have no trouble withstanding the Scottish climate!

    Floreat Plants is also showing many rare and unusual plants at this
year's show, including Cynara Cardunculus, an ornamental cardoon which
can spread to a 3ft clump and flowers at a height of 6-9ft and onopordum acanthium, the true gigantic Scottish Thistle.  
Both of these have grey thistle like leaves, and are very popular this year.
Sue Bell, owner of the nursery, commented "We will have plants for all
conditions, including a good range of plants for boggy situations. As the
Glasgow Show is late in the season, we will also be bringing a range of
plants for the late summer border including Crocosmias, Cimicifugas,
Tricyrtis and Galtonia viridiflora, a bulb producing a 3ft stem of greenish
white flowers, just like large snowdrops dangling up and down the stem
of the plant.  There are so many to choose from, you will just have to
come along to visit our stand!"

    Berrybank Nursery will be displaying a huge selection of seasonal
herbaceous plants, albinos and grasses and Woodthorpe Nursery will
be showing its fantastic display of conifers demonstrating the beauty,
shape, texture and vivid colours of this versatile plant.

    Centrepiece of Border Belles woodland display will be an 18th century
beehive. The octagonal shaped beehive is vary rare and there are only
six in the UK. Surrounding the hive will be various plants including
actaea, kirengeshona, lobelia tupa plus a number of Echinacea species
such as pallida and astilboides.

    The show will also feature a wide range of of gardening equipment,
tools and accessories for outdoor living such as garden furniture,
barbecues, decking and lighting.

    There is also a craft and food fair with over 60 exhibitors showing
the finest food and goods Scotland has to offer.

    Victoria Park is the perfect setting for Glasgow's gardening celebration.
The 50-acre park has beautifully planted beds, rolling lawns, a miniature
lake and even its own fossil grove which is a designated Site of Special
Scientific Interest

The Glasgow Show runs from-
Saturday August 24th until Sunday August 25th.
Opening times are: Saturday, 9.30 am to 6 pm;
                         and  Sunday, 10.00 am to 5 pm.
Tickets for the Glasgow Show are available online at www.glasgowshow.com
Ticket prices are Adults £7, Accompanied Children 5-15 £2;under 5 free;
Family ticket [2 adults and up to 3 children] £15.
Groups receive one free place for every 10 places booked [advance bookings only].
Offsite free car parking will be clearly signposted and a free park and ride
bus will take visitors to the show entrance.