Showing their Flower power

The contrast of such an industrial material being thrust through the heart of a beautiful water garden, is startling.

The brainchild of Nick and his Dalmeny-based team at Water Gems, the metal is the focal point of their "Reinforcing Nature" water garden, with the planting of wild flowers, ferns and beautiful grasses designed by Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens.

"It weighs four-and-a-half tonnes so when we brought it here it needed a police escort," says Nick. "We wove all the steel ourselves and it's taken us about five months to build. It arrived on site last week and we've built the rest of the garden around it."

This weekend is a gardener's dream, as Gardening Scotland returns to Ingliston. The three-day show is expected to attract around 35,000 people to see the show gardens, the stunning flowers in the floral hall as well as the Beechgrove Theatre where experts can answer any gardening query.

Show manager Jim Jermin says it's the show gardens which will be the main attraction. "People are increasingly interested in the show gardens," he says. "Most of the visitors on a Friday are here to buy plants, then over the weekend that changes to the more amateur gardeners.

"But then there's always something for everyone."

One of the college gardens will be that designed by Scottish Agricultural College student Amber Goudy, straight from her Silver Medal win at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show.

"That was thrilling, and I thought we'd all be exhausted as we're having to put the whole thing back together again in just four days, but the adrenalin is keeping the team going."

The 26-year-old adds: "The whole theme of the garden is a 21st century croft. So we have a building which is insulated with straw bales, solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine, but all the planting is Scottish."

Another more structural show garden is that of the Dry Stone Walling Association. This year, the charity is working with the Erskine Hospital. As a result the theme is the Regimental Walls of Scotland – five dry stone dykes using the natural stone from five areas which represent the battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

For last year's Best Show Garden winner, Dave MacIntyre of Var Scotica nursery in Perthshire, coming to Gardening Scotland means coming home. "I was born in Edinburgh so it's always great to come back," he says. "I always wanted to work outdoors, but I went to Heriot's where it wasn't encouraged, so I have had to plough my own furrow."

It's obviously been a successful path. He's a past Gold Medal winner and also won the Most Sustainable and Eco-friendly Garden award last year. This year, his Victorian Secret Garden is filled with delicate forget-me-nots.

"We had snow until April so I wasn't sure I would have any flowers – we focus on Scottish wild flowers. However, I was in Glasgow and saw all these forget-me-nots in one of the parks, and it turned out they were about to lift them all for the summer, so I was able to recycle them for my garden.

"I just hope people enjoy the garden, and perhaps I can get some work out of it too. But it's definitely worth being here."

No doubt the 35,000 expected this weekend will agree.

Gardening Scotland runs from Friday until Sunday. For details call 0131-333 0965 or visit www.gardeningscotland.com

THE TOP FIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Show Gardens If it's inspiration you're after then this is where you'll find it.

• The Dobbies Floral Hall Top nurseries and growers from across the UK fill the hall.

• The Earthy Green Garden For those who like to get their hands dirty.

• There's also a craft marquee and a food fayre celebrating the best Scotland has to offer in terms of artworks, clothes and food.

• Don't miss Sandy Taylor of Scottish Garden Railways and his scale-model locomotives which allow you to run your own track.