Mum and son team scoops top awards at flower show

Sue Smith celebrates winning a challenge cup and gold award for her Brighter Blooms' container grown edibles and salad leaves display at Harrogate spring flower show 2016

Matthew Smith’s display at the Harrogate Flower Show certainly lived up to his nursery’s name, Brighter Blooms.

It wowed judges who awarded his tulip-filled stand a premier award.

Matthew, who trained at Myerscough College, near Preston said: “We got a Premier Gold – the best you can get here.”

Matthew Smith of Brighter Blooms celebrates winning a Premier Gold award at Harrogate Spring Flower Show 2016

His stand featured some 2,000 bulbs and the recognition is especially sweet as tulips are only part of Matthew’s success story.

His business at Walton Flats Nursery, Walton-le-Dale, is renowned for its Canna lilies (zantedeschia), but it was too early in the year to show them, so he turned to another of the nursery’s specialisms – tulips.

He added: “We started growing the tulips in November and they’ve acclimatised outside. It’s great to get gold, it’s a bit of recognition for all the effort we put in.”

There was delight too for his mother Sue who won a gold award and a challenge cup for a grow your own display featuring pots of salad leaves and other greens. Sue grew the plants to show just just how easy it is to grow your own and said: “We sell salad and vegetable seeds. The challenge cup makes you enthusiastic to carry on ”

Other Lancashire nurseries gaining recognition at Harrogate were Summerdale Garden Nursery of Lupton, Carnforth (Premier Gold), Eversley Nursery of Hesketh Bank (Gold), Graeme and Pauline Iddon Hardy Cottage Garden Plantsof Hesketh Bank,(Silver Gilt), Laneside Hardy Orchid Nursery of Garstang (Silver) and Robert Iddon Hardy Plants of Hesketh Bank (Silver).