IT'S approaching the season when we start to spend more time in the great outdoors.

Gardens are already beginning to show signs of spring, and with summer on its way, the earthy Autumnal shades should soon transform into a riot of colour.

Of course you don't have to be a green-fingered gardener to appreciate beautiful blooms and there is always plenty of inspiration...

Organised by the North of England Horticultural Society, a leading gardening charity set up more than 105 years ago to promote horticulture across the North, the Harrogate Spring Flower Show is already underway and promises to be a popular destination this weekend.

Running until tomorrow (Sunday April 24), the event is held within the Great Yorkshire Showground, and features an extensive range of plant displays, show gardens as well as live entertainment and the opportunity to shop.

New for 2016 is Botanica: Plants & People exploring the age-old relationship between people and nature, including an exhibition celebrating the life of legendary landscape architect Capability Brown.

Also making its debut at this year's show is a series of How2 demonstrations on garden upcycling, transforming unwanted and discarded materials such as old bricks, pallets and tyres to create a kitchen potager.

Other attractions include the colourfully stunning carnival tribute to the forthcoming Rio games which is believed to be the first ever carnival costume made from fresh flowers and foliage.

The costume has been created by Hughbon Condor, an internationally-respected carnival costume designer from Leeds, and award-winning florist Helen James, based in Harrogate and a silver medalist at the Chelsea Flower Show - with the support of funding from Arts Council England.

Containing more than 30 metres of aluminium tubing and fibreglass rods, 16m2 of foam and over 1,400 fresh flowers and pieces of plant material, the Carnival of Flowers costume will take a staggering 155 hours to complete.

Also featured in the show are large scale exhibits from floristry colleges across the region who will be celebrating the forthcoming games in Brazil with the theme Carnival Rio Style.

Harrogate Flower Show Director Nick Smith commented: “We are famous for hosting a stunning display of floral art in what has become the biggest exhibition of its kind in Britain. The Carnival of Flowers project has presented the opportunity to bring a completely new and very topical concept to the show. It is truly spectacular and we hope our visitors enjoy admiring the tremendous talent and hard work of our artists.”

Another focal point of the show are rarely seen original design tracings by the founder of the 103 year old company, William Moorcroft, one of Britain's most influential potters, along with watercolours by his son Walter. These will form part of a design exhibition in a glasshouse built specially for the Botanica: Plants & People showcase.

Also featured in the show is the legendary landscape architect, Lancelot 'Capability Brown' who transformed vast tranches of the English countryside in the 18th century.

The theme for this year’s Innovative Display Competition celebrates the life of The Bard, with plant nursery exhibits marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.

'A Special Place' combines and showcases the talents of flower clubs while green-fingered fashionistas can marvel at Horticulture On Trend (HOT) offering ideas on the very latest in plants, colour schemes and garden features.

Even the young can get involved through the show's fun-loving friend, Pod, who is inviting budding gardeners to become plant hunters. As well as learning more about how plants get their botanical names, young ones can also create a special spring bloom to take home.

There will be lively gardening chats in the Dig It theatre, growing advice with Kitchen Garden Live and seasonal dishes served by talented chefs in the Plot to Pot cookery theatre.

FACTFILE

The Harrogate Spring Flower Show takes place on the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

For more information visit flowershow.org.uk or call (01423) 546158.