Video: Shrewsbury Flower Show is all set to bloom

Organisers of the two-day event, one of the biggest flower shows in the country, say all their preparations are on track for the show, which will be held on August 14 and 15.

Tens of thousands of blooms will be on show along with a full programme of talks and demonstrations on horticulture and also food.

In the food hall celebrity chef Tom Kerridge will be dishing up his home cooking, pub grub style food.

The two days will be packed with arena entertainment, from showjumping to stunt riding and sheepdogs, male voice choirs to massed bands with fireworks on both nights.

There will also be musical concerts each evening. The classical crossover vocal harmony group Ancora will appear in the arena on Friday evening to deliver a programme ranging from opera to pop and everything in between.

Then on Saturday the arena will be taken over by the Scottish duo The Proclaimers. Nigel Pearson, marketing chairman for the Shropshire Horticultural Society, said: "The weather has been kind to us and about 60-70 per cent of the marquees are now up.

"Thanks to the bit of rain we have had the Quarry is looking wonderfully green and the Dingle is beautiful as it always is."

He said an army of workers would be on the ground over the coming days putting the finishing touches to the pre-show preparations.

Pre-show tickets are selling well although Mr Pearson said that there were so many outlets for the tickets that it was difficult to put a figure on sales. Space for trade stands is now sold out.

Marketing co-ordinator Helen Griffiths, said: "As both national and local floral entries and displays go from strength to strength we are delighted to secure this support from traders wishing to take up space to exhibit on the showground."

The first trade stand to sign up this year was local company Sportscarhire, of Battlefield, Shrewsbury, which specialises in hiring out a wide range of self-drive exotic cars.