THOUSANDS of visitors were flocking to the opening day of a premier garden festival in sun-drenched south Cumbria.

Holker Garden Festival is a three-day extravaganza running from today through to Sunday on the beautiful Holker Hall estate near Cark.

The 24th festival showcases the very best of gardening, countryside, food and crafts.

Visitors can marvel at magnificent show gardens, glorious horticulture, artisan produce and fine craftsmanship, combined with show-stopping entertainment.

Today the coveted Best in Show trophy was to be presented to the team behind the best show garden.

Also taking centre stage are the creative school show gardens.

Dane Ghyll Primary School, in Barrow and Sandside School, in Ulverston, are the finalists in the Gardening through the Generations competition.

The pupils were being presented with their prizes by Crooklands of Dalton in the Horticultural Marquee this morning. The contest was run by Holker with the North West Evening Mail, Crooklands of Dalton and The Builders Supply.

The Holker Garden Theatre plays host to guest speakers each hour.

Tomorrow the festival welcomes its celebrity guest Charlie Dimmock.

Charlie is filming a new series for BBC1 called Garden Rescue . She joins forces with Chelsea Gold Medal winners The Rich Brothers to transform gardens across the country.

The gardening star will be speaking in Holker Garden Theatre at 11.30am on Saturday and again at 2.30pm in the Ask the Experts session.

Old Hall Farm, of Bouth, has a display area in the centre of the showground demonstrating an impressive 1900s steam ploughing engine.

GSK of Ulverston is running the Sowing the Seed for Science children's activities in the Holker Tipi. The team is providing fun science experiments for children to try and encourage them to be the scientists of the future.

Today's bandstand entertainment was provided by Palladium Quartet and UVHS Swing Band.

Charlie Dimmock shares her excitement for upcoming South lakes trip