IT wasn't only the crowds that had to wrap up on the opening day of Malvern Spring Gardening show at the Three Counties Showground.

The unseasonably chilly weather lead several exhibitors to protect their displays with special horticultural fleece.

The duvet style material was wrapped around several of the more delicate class in the Malvern Floral Marquee, where 100 of the Royal Horticultural Society's top nurseries were exhibiting. "There were frosts on both Thursday and Friday mornings, " said Bob Sweet, head of shows development, "and some growers got very nervous. In fact it has been a rather cold start to the season all together and this has caused several problems for nurseries that specialise in delicate plant types."

So instead of Panama hats and parasols, it was padded jackets and plenty of sweaters for the crowds of visitors who came from all over the country for what is now regarded as the first major national event of the season.