Watch: Shrewsbury Flower Show 'bouncing back' with more exhibitors as event gets underway

Florists and traders have been putting the finishing touches to their display ahead of the town's biggest annual event getting underway today.

The show had been hit with difficulties in recent years including a bomb hoax last year, criticism over the fireworks being cancelled in 2022 due to the extreme heat and the Covid pandemic causing it to be suspended in 2020 and 2021.

The build up this year has been slightly marred by concerns over protests possibly taking place in the town centre amid national anarchy and chaos involving riots and looting.

However, exhibitors are upbeat about this year's event, believing it could be the biggest in recent years.

Mike King, of Shropshire Sarracenias, said: "There's twice as many, if not three times as many exhibitors in this marquee as there was last two years, so it's bouncing back.

"I believe there's 192 traders outside as well in the horticulture show.

"But inside, you know, this is like the old days. We have 40 exhibitors in here compared to 11 or 13 as it was.

"It's a big difference, you know, and it's worthwhile to see."

Mr King, who has been coming to the show for 22 years, is an expert in carnivorous plants and told how it all began for him.

"Basically it started as a 14-year-old lad being fascinated by plants for eating animals for food," he said.

"All of them (his plants) have got these adapted leaves to trap and catch and eat insects.

"But obviously moving on from that as you get older, the schoolboy's fascination of things being killed goes into things of beauty, and some of these plants here are actually my own creations."

Paul Dibley, of Dibley's Houseplants, said: "I think the first time we came as a nursery was back in 1976 or so. I used to come as a toddler, and toddle around on my own while my parents were setting up the stands.

"We are a house plant nursery. We specialise in unusual and rare house plants.

"This is the first time we've come back since before Covid. We're really be pleased to be back here."

To see what's on at this year's flower show and buy tickets visit shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk