Southport Flower Show paid partnership
Southport U3A will bring smiles to families’ faces at Southport Flower Show with their fun fairground-themed show garden.
‘Life Is A Merry-Go-Round’ features real carousel horses, a dodgem car, a flight cart, a pond with ‘hook-a-duck’ ducks, fairground characters. and more, along with a colourful array of plants and flowers.
One of the largest U3A groups in the country, led by garden designer Phil Allison, have been working hard to create their exciting and sustainable garden which is sure to delight visitors of all ages.
For over 100 years, the fun of the fair has brought delight to young and old alike.
The Southport U3A show garden captures the same spirit of joy for all generations.
Created with repurposed materials and enhanced with borrowed bursts with colour, it has been designed to catch the eye and spark a sense of nostalgia.
Like a merry-go-round, life is ever turning – filled with memories, laughter, and moments to cherish, reflecting the U3A’s mantra of Learn, Laugh, Live.
Their garden celebrates living life to the full.
It has been sponsored and supported by Adventure Coast Southport, Lady green Garden Centre, Warbreck Garden Centre, Firwood Timber, and the Third Age Trust.
Christine Howorth from Southport U3A said:
“This is a wholly recycled show garden! It hasn’t cost us a penny to create. Just lots of time from our volunteers.
“Plenty of hard work has gone into this garden. We’ve been watching some of the professional gardeners using machinery – we’ve just been using hand tools. It’s taken us a while, but we’ve had lots of help.
“We’re very grateful to Norman Wallis at Adventure Coast Southport for lending us items including carousel horses, a dodgem and a flight cart. We have repainted and repurposed them all ready for the show.
“We have created a pond with two pumps to move the water around; we’ll be adding some yellow ducks so it looks like a hook-a-duck attraction.
“We have a circus tent as a meet-and-greet area next to the garden.
“Our ‘Life Is A Merry-Go-Round’ theme is a nod to the fun that you have when you are young and going into fairgrounds, and then the good times that we all have in Southport U3A.
“It’s a brilliant group to be a part of. We have over 2,000 members, it’s one of the biggest in the UK – and definitely the most fun.
“When the Southport Flower Show opens, we’ll all be dressing up in fairground costumes from across the eras.
“Phil Allison, our garden designer, will be our ringmaster! We’ll also have a fortune teller, a bearded lady, and more characters.
“We’ve all really enjoyed creating this. There are some stunning show gardens nearby! The standard this year is really, really high. It’s going to be a brilliant flower show.
“There has been a great sense of camaraderie here between the gardeners and everyone else in the park, it’s been a pleasure being here.
“Southport hosted The 154th Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale earlier this year.
“Apart from The Open, Southport Flower Show is the biggest event in Southport.
“It’s really busy throughout all four days, and the Show brings so many visitors into Southport.
“I’ve been coming to the Southport Flower Show since I was little!
“We’re all so excited for it to open.”
Southport residents (PR8 and PR9) can save £12 on Southport Flower Show gate price tickets through buying at these local outlets (proof of address required, final day to buy is Wednesday 19th August 2026):
The Atkinson (Lord Street, Southport town centre)
Waterstones (Chapel Street, Southport town centre)
Busy Body’s (Birkdale Village) – cash only
Checkers (Churchtown Village) – cash only
Lions Charity Shop (Ainsdale Village)
Children under 16 go FREE with a paying adult.
Full details can be found at www.southportflowershow.co.uk
Merseyrail is offering £2 adult rail tickets and £1 kids rail tickets for travelling to and from Victoria Park on each day of Southport Flower Show.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown or email: [email protected]
