This year our RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden is inspired by the rugged but beautiful Yorkshire landscape that inspired the famous Brontë family to produce renowned literary works such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

Here’s a diary of how the build is going from our garden designer Tracy Foster down in Chelsea.

DAY FOUR

We have had a cracking day in spite of the rain. The stream and bridge are finished, and look really convincing and now there are only minor adjustments for the hard landscaping teams to make before they go home.

Thank you so much to Aire Valley Landscaping and to Richard and LLewyn Clegg – you have created something beautiful.

Everyone who walks past is telling us how fantastic the garden looks, and there aren’t even any plants in there yet.

I never did get a chance to look around at all the other show gardens and when the plants arrive tomorrow I don’t think I will have a minute to spare until all the planting is finished towards the end of the week.

Day four of the build

DAY THREE

What a strange world, where the sense of time passing is distorted – I feel as though I have been here for weeks rather than just three days.

On the Welcome to Yorkshire garden, we have had another good day and we now have a stream bed and the beginnings of a clapper bridge. Tomorrow we will be filling the stream and switching on the pump to bring our garden to life.

I have been quietly attaching moss to the walls and working out where the plants will go whilst the landscape team got on with the bridge and stream. I will be getting a few climbing plants in place tomorrow and having a good look around the show ground to see how everyone else is getting along.

Day three of the build

DAY TWO

The stone wall grew steadily today to the sound of wallers Richard and Llewyn chipping away, and our stone mullioned window went in to transform the feel of the place.

It reminds me of the window in ‘Wuthering Heights’ where Cathy’s ghost knocks to be let in… Again we have been blessed with warm, sunny weather and that has really helped. I have been chasing the sunshine with our two little Honeysuckle plants to try to get the flower buds to grow.

In the late afternoon we managed to get our large rock in place, thanks to some ingenious work by Chris, Andy and Johnny who manoeuvred it into position using metal pipes as rollers. Brilliant!

When we left at the end of the day, the tree was in its final position and our first load of topsoil had arrived and as the photo shows, things are beginning to take shape.

Day two of the build

DAY ONE

What a magical place the Chelsea showground is! This morning little white marks on the grass denoted the area for each of the artisan gardens, and by the end of the day each had already developed its own character.

We have enjoyed a warm, dry, sunny day – just the sort of day that plants love, so I hope that the weather was the same in Leeds where our plants are so that they get the little push that they need to get them growing and flowering in time.

Here on site, the good weather got us off to a great start and our lovely moorland stone arrived in the morning looking just as beautiful as the day we collected it, with lichens and mosses still clinging on. The back wall of the garden has to be built first and will be supported with block work for extra strength, with dry stone walling being done in front of the blocks.

In the afternoon the tree arrived and was carefully lowered onto the plot, where even with some of its branches tied it looks perfect.

At the end of the day we have made real progress with the wall and have our stone gate post in place already. I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Day one of the build

Then there are the endless activities, places and experiences in every corner of the country or even the world to choose from and on a million different budgets- I think you get the picture…

So with all that in mind there was only one place which has it all…. YORKSHIRE of course!

After an amazing weekend I thought it was only fair to my fellow hens in the same situation as me to share my experiences.

After scouring Yorkshire.com for inspiration the weekend started with a “young sister friendly” hen party where on the Thursday night we enjoyed a “girls night in” at Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa with popcorn, DVDs, ice cream, use of the spa facilities and a tapas style meal in our room as well as a girly goodie bag to take home- a perfect retreat and start to the busy weekend ahead.

We were up early the next morning for our date with these adorable creatures….

Jacqui from Beacon Alpacas let us feed these fascinating animals before we headed out into the Yorkshire Dales for a Trek with Alonzo, Lloyd and Aarem.

This is well worth the trip for the noise they make alone which is the most endearing thing I’ve ever heard (mmmmmmm)- you’ll have to witness this for yourself as I clearly do not do it justice!

After a lovely morning of trekking we picked up our dog from home and headed for some lunch The Chequers Inn where we enjoyed a hot sandwich and some delicious herb coated fries (aka herbie fries).

The tame part of the hen party came to an end and I set off to my abode for the next 2 nights atRoomzzz Aparthotel (a hotel suite with a kitchen) in Leeds and we were all very impressed with the standard with our Apple Mac in the rooms, de-misting mirror in the bathroom (I’m easily pleased!), spacious living area, big comfy beds and of course my hens had filled it with embarrassing pictures of me at a young age and lots of balloons & banners! We also received a 10% discount for being a member of their Royalty Club- bargain!

With a slightly fuzzy head the next day we were up bright and early, grabbed some croissants, fruit and a coffee from the apartments reception and headed into Leeds for a spot of retail therapy- where my mum even managed to pick up her outfit for the big day! The Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Market & Harvey Nichols  then onto Birds Yard & Upstaged for some vintage shopping. A quick pitstop at  Pickles and Potter Deli in the Queens Arcade for  amazing sandwiches & cake before heading back to get ready for the big night ahead.

A few hours later, all refreshed and set in our 80s fancy dress we headed over to Tiger Tiger for a fun filled couple of hours of roller disco where the professional instructors were fab, catering for all abilities- showing some of us how to skate backwards right through to showing one of my friends how to move at all (Bambi on rollerskates on ice comes to mind) and the cocktails included in the package didn’t seem to hinder us too much!

We were then taken through to our own decorated VIP area where we continued to dance the night away flitting between the 80s, RnB and pop music rooms which was perfect as there was something for everyone! We were looked after from start to finish and enjoyed champagne, more cocktails and shots with some well-earned nibbles too after the roller disco work out!

A good 9 hours later we headed back to the apartments, kicked off our dancing shoes and tucked into a pizza bought from the reception and cooked in our apartments…

A perfect weekend for me and my hens and this didn’t even scratch the surface of Yorkshire and the amazing things to do and see!

What better way to announce the arrival of summer, Harewood House has devised Play! A Festival of Fun a two day event with all our favourite games and toys for children and adults. Big or small, indulge yourself in a magical world of all things ‘play’ and let reality wait until Tuesday!

The Saltaire Arts Trail is an annual visual arts festival offering an imaginative programme of high quality contemporary art and craft, with renowned favourites including the Open Houses and Makers Fair plus new exhibitions and some inspiring surprises. There’ll be over 120 of the finest makers and artists exhibiting and selling, free family activities, exhibitions and films throughout the bank holiday weekend.

And here’s what our twitter followers recommend:

@PhoenixCourt1 Come to Scarborough. Fresh sea air, lovely views, places to eat and shows on all weekend. My best pick #ELOexperience

@CattCaravans Come to The Great North Caravan and Motorhome Show at Catterick Caravans

@lilypickles1 Come along to #Holmfirth,#Markets all weekend, the friendliest of folk,great food and stunning scenery,a grand day out!

@1875Restaurant A great treat would be ‘Traditional Sunday Roast with hints of Indian Flavours’ for the bank holiday weekend…..

@GillPerkinsCopy Is it going to be wet? Then it’s the Thackray Medical Museum all the way!

@YEventsNetwork how about the scarecrow weekend in Slingsby, a quaint #yorkshire village. All for a good cause too. http://www.yorkshire.com/whats-on/Slingsby-School-Scarecrow-Weekend/1360854

@PeachesLotte I’d recommend bike riding on some country lanes and finding a real ales pub! What a lovely way to start a bank holiday!

@EYBuses Open Top buses on Scarborough seafront. What better way to see the beautiful Scarborough sea views?http://bit.ly/zA2siD

@pudseypickles #cleckheaton farmers market on sat@cr8ivecalverley thornhill arms sat both from 9am @leedsfarmersmarket kirkgate sunday

@BasilCat123 If I were in Yorkshire I would be going to Bolton Abbey

@JonnyRossMusic1 Coming to visit me and Tom Rennolds @ The Ilkley Carnival promoting The Best of Yorkshire Food Show

After what seems like endless days of dark grey skies pouring never ending rain onto the sodden gardens, it’s hard to believe that it’s May this week! By this time as a family we normally have enjoyed a picnic or two! I’m desperate to get out my picnic rug, cool bag rucksack and my list of picnic places that I’ve been thinking about all winter, itching to enjoy the better weather when it was supposed to arrive!

Sadly the weather has evaded us but I will start to share some of the best picnic ideas in anticipation that things have to get better (don’t they?).

Row, row, row your boat

Quintessentially English. A beautiful, sunny summer day spending time by a river. My picnic idea is to take your hampers onto a rowing boat. We did this last year in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire on the River Nidd. It turned out as one of the best picnics we’ve had.

My husband Josh is a very keen rower, proper rowing boats a la Steve Redgrave (he also wishes he could be the Steve Redgrave type of rower as well!) We set off expertly rowed by Josh and the girls and I were perfectly placed so the boat was well balanced. At a quiet spot we pulled over to the river bank whilst we ate our lunch.  My girls were so thrilled we were eating on the river! The people in other boats looked at our ‘floating picnic’ with longing eyes. Drifting a little as we ate we had a lovely lunch. It made us feel as if we were part of ‘Wind in the Willows’ and we wouldn’t have been surprised to see Mole or Ratty in a passing boat!

Alternatively, head over to York this weekend and explore the fascinating exhibits at the Yorkshire Air Museum.  The Air Museum features the earliest of pioneers of flight right through to the modern day as well as everything in between.  Cast your eyes over Tornados, Messerschmit and the large uniform collection which includes examples of practically every RAF, WAAF and WRAF uniform item ever issued, together with medals, rank and trade badges as well as the highly prized aircrew brevets. There’s free parking too .

Finally, with the year of 2012 marking the Queen’s diamond jubilee, why not visit the “Royal Harewood” exhibition at Harewood House this weekend. Commemorating this special year, the exhibition lends a unique insight into to the life of HRH Princess Mary in Yorkshire, as well as showcasing some previously unseen items from her fan collection, many of which were received as gifts when Harewood was a Royal Household.

And here’s what our twitter followers recommend:

@BingleyChamber @Welcome2Yorks Visit #Bingley for Five Rise Locks and canal, lovely walks over ancient tracks like the packhorse bridge and Saturday market!

@samuelkirkby  visit @mediamuseum and spend time after in the city park relaxing with drink

@theloftfiley I did this walk in January – would recommendhttp://tinyurl.com/7pev9ek Robin Hoods Bay/Boggle Hole/Back on the old railway line

@vintagedarling5  take a visit to the historical @thepiecehall .. It’s a beautiful building with lots of fabulous shops. Well worth the visit

@rowntreesoc You could pick up or download the Rowntree Walk leaflet and discover the hidden parts of Rowntree York: http://t.co/F5wKv087

@MartynGould Joan Miro exhibition at YSP. Amazing!

@hawkmoortweets A walk through the Wolds around Thixendale, and back into York for a lovely afternoon tea at Bettys!! Best place in the world

@Cannoncontracts looking forward to cycling on my road bike hail or shine! In an around Huddersfield countryside #loveyorkshire

Hopefully this should leave you with enough to do this weekend, but for more events click for more info on What’s Happening in Yorkshire.

Here’s a selection of our favourites from this week…

Brilliant Yorkshire Board

The Shambles, York

Briggate, Leeds (1940′s)

The Cheese Grater, Sheffield

Yorkshire Dales Board

Druid’s Idol, Brimham Rocks

Yorkshire Coast Board

Whitby, North Yorkshire

Places to Stay in Yorkshire Board

Brompton Lakes, Richmond, North Yorkshire.

To see more of Yorkshire’s sublime scenery, follow our boards on Pinterest

Exquisite, based in Kirkstall, Leeds will be among 20 of the county’s food producers taking part in “Cornucopia”, at the Corn Exchange in Leeds on 6 April – “Good Food Friday!”

Shoppers can visit Exquisite’s stall to buy its entire range of exclusive Easter products which include traditional flavours and fresh new tastes to tempt all taste-buds.

Exclusive to Cornucopia is an Exquisite Easter gift package comprising a traditional miniature Simnel cake and a luxurious Chocolate Flake cake. Also on sale is a full range of other Easter goodies including:

• · Easter Cloud Cake – A moist light sponge filled with juicy raspberries and white chocolate, sandwiched with jam and finished with sweet creamy icing and festive eggs
• · Easter Chocolate Fudge Cake – A delicious and indulgent chocolate cake, topped with rich chocolate icing and festive chocolate eggs
• · Easter Chocolate Mini Loaf – A deliciously light chocolate sponge finished with a gooey chocolate icing and topped with a crumbly flaked chocolate piece.
• · Easter Lemon Mini Loaf – A moist and fruity lemon infused sponge with tangy lemon icing and topped with a festive chocolate egg.
• · Easter Lemon Traybake – A light lemon sponge filled with refreshing lemon fruit pieces and finished with a tangy lemon icing and chocolate eggs.
• · Easter Fudge Topped Brownie – Classic chewy chocolate brownie coated with indulgent chocolate fudge and finished with festive chocolate eggs.

Viv Parry, Managing Director at Exquisite Handmade Cakes said: “This is the first time our products will be sold directly to the public and what a great way to do it – surrounded by some of the finest Yorkshire produce in the middle of the Corn Exchange in Leeds.”

Since it was established in 2004, Exquisite Handmade Cakes has supplied via national network of distributors to a wide range of customers including contract caterers, sandwich shops, cafes, schools, hospitals and hotels.

Exquisite, which employs 30 staff, also supplies a delicious “food to go” range direct to a number of transport companies including Jet 2, Grand Central Railways and First Hull Trains.

This year, the company is looking to sell direct to consumers and will be taking part in a number of farmers’ markets, agricultural shows and other fine food events including The Great Yorkshire Show.

Viv Parry said; “Our ethos is simple. We hand make all of our products to the highest possible standard, with no exceptions. We believe that our products are top quality, totally delicious and above all, completely and utterly exquisite.”

All Exquisite’s products are suitable for vegetarians, apart from Rocky Road, and made without the use of hydrogenated fats and no genetically modified ingredients are used. They are also free from the “Southampton Six” colours which can have an adverse effect on children.

Cornucopia is a wonderful opportunity to sample and buy some of the finest food produce from the region in the beautiful surroundings of the Corn Exchange, situated in the heart of the city.

Other regional food producers at the event include Yorkshire Chorizo, Harrogate Preserves, Really Indian and Little York Pie Company.”

Cornucopia is open from 10am to 5pm on Friday 6 April. Entry is free and there is parking as well as transport links nearby.

For more info, see http://www.exquisitehandmadecakes.co.uk

Yorkshire Sculpture Park stages the first major UK survey of sculpture by Joan Miró (1893-1983) in collaboration with the artist’s foundations and family. With key works sited in the Yorkshire landscape, the exhibition will fulfil the artist’s belief that “sculpture must stand in the open air, in the middle of nature”, as well as providing a rare opportunity to experience the repertoire of this iconic Catalan artist, demonstrating his continued relevance to sculpture.

“When I’m living in the country, I never think about painting anymore. It’s sculpture that interests me.”

“May my sculptures be confused with elements of nature, tree, rocks, roots, mountains, plants, flowers.”
Joan Miró

While celebrated for his paintings, Miró strove to “destroy painting” through an art form that transcended the two-dimensional plane and was an early pioneer of construction; a radical approach to making that forever transformed the discipline of sculpture.

Miró produced around 400 sculptures and a similar number of ceramic works, the majority concentrated within the later part of his career. The artist viewed sculpture as equally important to his practice as painting although it was generally less known and critically examined. From his initial exploration of collage and assembled sculpture around 1930, sculpture became increasingly central, most notably from the 1960s to his death in 1983.

The Park’s purpose-built Underground Gallery will host Miró’s “phantasmagoric world of living monsters”, tracing the evolution of sculpture as an element of Miró’s practice from 1946 through to 1982. The works will relate to the sculptures for the open air shown in the gardens beyond the gallery’s impressive glass concourse.

The survey begins with small, smooth-finished bronze sculptures such as Oiseau Solaire (1946), through to the raw bronze constructions of found objects (including mannequins, dolls, rustic vessels, discarded cans) made consistently from the 1960s onwards and highly-coloured, painted bronzes of the 1960s and 70s. Miró’s anthropomorphic sculpture reveals his surrealist impulse, each work invested with character and pervaded by a palpable feeling of fecundity. By casting everyday objects in bronze the artist demonstrated his insistence that his work must engage with something real and recognisable – “free of tricks or grandiloquence, a direct art”.

Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, Miró’s work increased significantly in scale. Around this time he was completing major commissions, such as Lune, Soleil et une Etoile (Miss Chicago) 1981, located in the Brunswick Building Plaza in Chicago. The YSP exhibition provides the rare chance to experience a significant collection of Miró’s large-scale outdoor works, usually seen only at the artist’s foundation and estate in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.

The Project Space is devoted to the process of Miró’s work and through artefacts, drawings, models and photographs – many from the family’s private collection – a unique and fascinating insight evolves.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the perfect venue for this important and timely survey. It has a reputation for curating the most ambitious projects of many artist’s careers, including Andy Goldsworthy and Jaume Plensa, as well as highly significant historical exhibitions, such as Isamu Noguchi, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Chillida. The organisation’s commitment to enabling access to art of the highest international standard, integrated with an extensive public programme, reflects perfectly Miró’s own beliefs in the potential of art to inspire and engage.

“I feel attracted to an object by a magnetic force, without any premeditation whatsoever; then I feel attracted by another object which, when linked to the first, produces a poetic impact, first traversing this plastic, physical attraction, really making its poetry move you and without which it would not be effective.”
Joan Miró

The exhibition is the catalyst for an integrated cultural programme of academic research, performance, music, poetry and family activities to engage a diverse and extensive range of audiences and contribute ongoing critical research around this important artist.

Here’s a selection of our favourites from this week…

Brilliant Yorkshire Board

The Deep, Hull 

Traditional Yorkshire

The Hepworth, Wakefield

Yorkshire Dales Board

Yorkshire Dales in snow

Yorkshire Coast Board

Freddie Gilroy Sculpture, Scarborough

Places to Stay in Yorkshire Board

Biouvac Swinton

To see more of Yorkshire’s sublime scenery, follow our boards on Pinterest