Members of Shropshire Horticultural Society, which organises the famous Shrewsbury Flower Show, enjoyed a VIP tour of one of the county’s leading plant businesses on Thursday night.

Around 50 guests, including celebrity gardener Camilla Bassett-Smith, attended the special event organised at Love Plants, a specialist plant centre which is part of Salop Leisure’s Emstrey headquarters in Shrewsbury.

Love Plants general manager Tom Pountney spoke to the guests about the major makeover of the plant centre since he took on the role at the end of last year. 

He also set up a small display and answered questions about his winning show garden, created for Salop Leisure and Love Plants at last year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show, which attracted a lot of interest.

Salop Leisure managing director Mark Bebb welcomed society members including chair Leanne Garvey, Margaret Thrower and Tony Bywater, who is also Salop Leisure’s chairman. 

Camilla, a television horticulturist who presents alongside Alan Titchmarsh on ITV’s Love Your Weekend 2020, will be attending this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show on August 9 and 10. 

Mrs Garvey thanked Love Plants and Salop Leisure, both long-standing supporters of the flower show as sponsors, traders and exhibitors, for their hospitality. 

“It was an amazing event which we opened up to our flower show stewards to thank them for all their hard work as volunteers” she said. “It was lovely to see so many people who enjoyed looking around the beautiful garden centre which was full of colour and had been laid out so well.

“We enjoyed hearing how Tom had put together his winning show garden last year and I am so excited that Love Plants has agreed to have a big trade stand and bring a variety of plants to this year’s flower show.

“We already have a good number of exhibitors in our main marquees and a lot of new trade stands, including quite a few nurseries who are returning to the show.”

Mr Pountney said: “It was a fantastic event and we had some very positive feedback about Love Plant from the guests who enjoyed getting together in a place where they were surrounded by quality plants.

“We have spent the last six months reorganising the plant centre and have gone for a more open plan look with a completely different layout for a better flow.”

Renowned as one of the UK’s premier horticultural events, Shrewsbury Flower Show attracts thousands of visitors to The Quarry every year, as well as exhibitors from across the country.

To find out more about this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show visit www.shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk .