In pictures: Cardiff Spring Flower Show

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) event aims to attract 20,000 people.

Organisers hope the flower festival in Bute Park, behind Cardiff Castle, will become an annual showcase of talent in Wales.

The last time the Royal Horticultural Society held a flower show in Cardiff was in 1920.

The RHS has around 5,500 members in Wales and picked Cardiff as the 2005 destination of touring events programme to chime in with the city's own celebrations.

A number of Wales-based firms and organisations which normally exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show have stands, along with a range of Welsh food and craft producers.

The Princess Royal enjoyed fine weather for the opening ceremony, before touring the flower show to talk to exhibitors outside and in the floral marquees.

The first person she spoke to was Nigel Leaworthy, Operations Director for the Landscape Unit at Monmouthshire County Council.

Organises hope the RHS's Welsh show can be an annual event

He said: "She was very interested in our programme of introducing old-style planting into parks.

He said the project also aimed to cut vandalism in parks by using some of the culprits, youngsters who have been caught vandalising, to help out with the work.

The princess also stopped at the stand by mature students on Pencoed College's garden design course.

The slate and stone design in the shape of the sun also included a washing line of glass clothes - and a baby - by the Llantrisant-based artist Eugene Novakowski.

Lollipop ladies

Student Andrea Guthrie said: "I think she liked it. She was intrigued by the fact that we are all mature students, that we've had a life doing other things and now we're doing this."

Show visitors can expect a series of impromptu interactive performances over the weekend by the Bath-based Natural Theatre company.

On Friday, one team of four was dressed at school lollipop ladies to 'direct' traffic along the pathways, another was dressed as bearded, pipe-smoking 'head gardeners'.

Haf Morgan, originally from Creosyceiliog, said: "I do it just to make people laugh, really. It's good fun."

Around 100 firms, clubs and societies are exhibiting in the show.

The RHS Spring Flower Show Cardiff is open from 1000 BST - 1730BST Friday & Saturday and 1000 BST - 1630 BST on Sunday