Spring has arrived

Happy St George's Day to you all. I know spring has arrived because I spent a really pleasant day at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show yesterday. Crowds flocked to the annual Spring event. Not only did we have lovely spring sunshine but also the treat of a dazzling display of spring flowers and plants which really warmed up the heart and at last unlocked the shackles of a very, very long and cold winter. My picture shows a beautiful Primula vulgaris AGM from Slack Top Alpine Nursery. Just sublime!

Don't miss our report on the show which should go live on our website - www.recklessgardener.com - in the next few days.

If you are in the Kendal area of Cumbria on Sunday then go along to the National Trust's Sizergh Castle for their honey and bee event. It opens at 11am each day and runs to 4pm. Get a tast of honey, learn about honey bees and enjoy some lovely surroundings at the same time.

I hear on the grapevine that at the Asparagus Festival in the Vale of Evesham, which happens to start on St George's Day, a campaign is going to be launched for asparagus to become the official symbol of St George's Day. Interesting!

The Leeds Garden at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show promises much and I am really looking forward to it.

Visitors to the Civic Hall in Leeds are in for a treat as well because as part of the Chelsea Show promotion the City have put on an eye-cathing blaze of colour - filling the flower beds around the landmark building with striking Polyanthus Crescendo flowers and signs to help promote The HESCO Garden 2010.

We are nearing Compost Awareness Week, which runs from the 2nd to 8th May so check out our website for some really useful hints on composting. Don't forget you can also follow us on Twitter - just go onto www.recklessgardener.com and take a look at our interactive section.