Euroflora, Italys grandest and largest flower show, opens at the Fiera di Genova on 21 April, it is being held for the first time since 2001. This enormous exhibition will take up 13 hectares (more than 30 acres) of show space with 800 exhibitors, 750 competitions with 80 juries. There will be special exhibitions of roses, ancient trees, and decorative fruit trees. For the first time the Salone Nautico will also be used for the show, with plants being exhibited on boats.

The fashion in gardening has recently changed in Italy, with a fall of 18 per cent in the amount being spent on garden equipment and plants over the past 12 months. Low maintenance plants are the best sellers, cactus, long flowering plants such as hydrangeas, culinary herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary and basil and decorative and sweet smelling citrus fruit coming top of the list.

Euroflora will be open from Friday 21 April until and including 1 May.

Opening times and entrance fees Friday 21 April from 10.00 23.00 19 Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April 19, opening times from Saturday 22 April are from 07.00 23.00 everyday. From Monday 23 April to Friday 28 entrance from 07.00 18.00 15 and from 18.00 23.00 12. On Tuesday 25 and from Saturday 29 April - Monday 1 May from 7.00 18.00 17 and from 18.00- 23.00 14.

For full information about guided tours and special events see www.fiera.ge.it/euroflora2006