Last updated at 16:42, Monday, 19 July 2010

LORD Cavendish has hailed this year’s Holker Garden Festival as the best ever.

Lord Cavendish

Organisers reported that around 23,000 people attended last weekend’s three-day event, which was sponsored by the North-West Evening Mail.

For the most part, the weather was glorious as visitors explored the marquees and watched attractions in the arena.

Lord and Lady Cavendish have been hosting the festival for 18 years.

Lord Cavendish said: “This is the best show yet, both in terms of weather, exhibitors and atmosphere. We are always striving to improve on the previous year so that we can ensure a high standard throughout the show. The festival was initially conceived as we wanted to do something for the local economy which, as with all rural economies, can be fragile.

“We believe the Holker Garden Festival is not only a flagship event for the estate but also the whole community.”

Festival manager Sarah Ross enjoyed her very first Holker festival.

She helped introduce a new ‘print at home’ ticket system which, she says, proved a success.

Ms Ross said: “The Holker Garden Festival is a tremendous annual event and not only offers a great day out for people of all ages, but also brings in valuable revenue to the local area as it attracts visitors from across the North West. Attendance was up and we are delighted with the overall numbers, which is in part due to the E-ticketing we have implemented this year through the Holker website, which has definitely helped to boost the turnout.

“We also had our celebrity gardening expert Carol Klein at the festival on Saturday who proved very popular and was a draw for many gardening enthusiasts who flocked to the Horticultural Marquee to ask her expert advice.”

In the Made in Cumbria Marquee, Ms Klein awarded first prize for Best Stand to Haverigg Prison Smokery. The runner-up prize went to Manocia Shatwell of Manocia Bags.

Both prizes were provided by English Lakes Hotels.

The seven show gardens were the centrepiece of this year’s festival, with Sharp Paving Ltd taking the award for Best in Show.

In the Horticultural Marquee, Dibley’s Nurseries won Large Gold and Best in Show with a display of streptocarpus, foliage begonias and other unusual houseplants.

First published at 10:34, Saturday, 12 June 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk