Sunny skies greeted visitors at the start of the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show at Newby Hall today.

The three-day show is one of the highlights of the gardening calendar. Organised by the North of England Horticultural Society, it attracts up to 30,000 people to the stately home, which is located between Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Visitors can admire beautiful floral displays, see giant vegetables and find inspiration for their gardens as well as attend live talks and demonstrations on four stages.

The £28 ticket price also includes entry to the gardens and children’s adventure playground at Newby Hall.

This year’s event, which runs until Sunday, includes the Grow! Stage, which hosts demonstrations from celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley. 

Horticultural experts will share their passion for gardens, nature and wellbeing on the human gardener stage and the pick and preserve stage will give ideas on how to transform the season’s bounty into produce and how to successfully dry flowers.

Garden shopping, crafts, gifts and food and drink are also available.

The grand floral pavilion includes over 5,000 blooms arranged by specialist plant nurseries and societies prepared for judging. 

The National Onion Championship, which saw a new world record for the largest onion last year, returns.