THE biggest garden party in the north returns to Tatton Park in July.

RHS Flower Show comes to the 1,000 acre deer park from July 23 to 27.

It is returning to Cheshire for the 16th year with a carnival theme and is set to welcome around 80,000 visitors over four days.

Gardeners will be battling it out for awards for their green-fingered innovations while families enjoy food, shopping and crafts.

Some dramatic designs will be based on the four elements – earth, wind, fire and water – while others will reflect how we feel when nurturing plantlife with categories ‘grow’, ‘escape’, ‘inspire’ and ‘feast’.

The show is helping young talent to bloom by continuing its partnership with schools to create allotment gardens for display.

Budding gardeners will also be competing for the title of RHS Young Designer of the Year.

They will be mentored by RHS gold medal-winner Paul Hervey-Brookes and three finalists will be given £12,000 towards their own garden.

The Great Taste Food Market returns showcasing produce from the surrounding farms and the Grow Talks Theatre will be encouraging people to grow food from scratch.

Ladies' Day will be hosted on Friday, July 25, this year with talks from inspiring women in horticulture and a themed fashion show from Manchester School of Art.

Kris Hulewicz, show manager, said: “We are extremely excited about the 2014 show.

“As well as having our wonderful show gardens, flowerbeds, RHS Young Designer Competition, allotments and children’s gardens, we have introduced an overarching ‘carnival’ theme across the whole show which will add a real sense of fun, colour and celebration to an already fantastic show.”

- The RHS Flower Show comes to Tatton Park between July 23 to 27 July. Visit rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-show-tatton-park