Perfectly-formed: Louis Hawksby
with a selection of his bonsai trees at
Harrogate's Spring Flower Show.

WHY SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FOR EXPERT GROWER

THINK bonsai, think Japan – or not, according to Yorkshire expert Louis Hawksby, who says British growers can equal the best from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Brian Dooks

Mr Hawksby, whose North of England Bonsai exhibits have won the Best in Show award at Harrogate's Spring Flower Show for two out of the past three years, was speaking after completing his display for this year's event which starts today.
Twelve trees chosen from his nursery near York include a magnificent pine. Mr Hawksby said proudly: "Although it is a bonsai, it took three men to lift it on to the stand."
Mr Hawksby, who once won 14 Best in Show awards in one year, has been experimenting with miniature gardens since he was seven, encouraged by his mother Alice, whose interests included bonsai.
But a recent visit to the Kokafou Bonsai Show in Tokyo was his first visit to Japan, and he was disappointed. "I'm convinced our bonsai are as good if not better," he said.
"Bonsai is very popular out there, but it is very expensive indeed – unbelievably so. We went to a bonsai market outside the show and they were selling at £30,000 to £40,000 each
"We never saw a tree on the market under £250 and they were only six inches high. I am selling some trees for £5 and even decent-sized ones for £25. I know I am from Yorkshire but the Japanese prices were ridiculous."
Although they live only four miles away at Knaresborough, Barbara and Ivor Fox are exhibiting their miniature bulbs at the Spring Show for the first time – having just won four Firsts at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at Wisley.
Mr Fox, a semi-retired advisor to the Treasury, is exhibiting some bulbs so rare that only 100 of certain species are known to be in existence. "A lot are species that have not been collected recently from the wild because they are from Iraq and Iran originally."
Among his favourites are t.accummata, which he describes as "probably the most spectacular tulip". Mr Fox and his wife, who trade as Miniature Bulbs UK and grow 120 varieties, exhibit in spring and send out 30,000 bulbs to customers each September.
One of the best locations in the main flower hall under the central glazed area has benefited Bloms Bulbs, of Bedfordshire, whose tulips, including the deep red Darwin hybrid Come Back, were reaching up to yesterday's sun. The family business has previously claimed three Premier Awards at Harrogate.
The Spring Flower Show, organised by the North of England Horticultural Society at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, starts today and continues until Sunday. Gates open at 9.30am.