FOR more than a century it has been synonymous with metal manufacturing, but now Sheffield is softening its Steel City image as it strives to become a centre of gardening and landscape excellence.

The city is gearing up to host a new design-led two-day horticulture show, billed as its answer to the Chelsea Flower Show, at the Botanical Gardens on June 7 and 8.

The seeds for the Garden Up event have been sown by Richard Nicolle, a Sheffield-based horticultural expert and former TV producer with five years’ exhibition experience at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show.

Mr Nicolle, who has also worked on the Sheffield Winter Garden and Peace Gardens, said: “Garden Up is a truly cutting edge event that provides a platform for showcasing innovation and design and will offer the public wonderful new ideas and products.  The Garden Up show gardens will involve the work of some of the top horticulturists and designers from around the country including ones that have previously exhibited at Chelsea and Tatton Flower Shows.”

Sheffield Council has given its full backing to the event, which it believes can be a key stimulus for the city’s economy and help cement its status as Yorkshire’s greenest city.

James Bedingfield, senior investment director at sponsor Investec Wealth and Investment, said the event would bring the community together with experts in gardening, horticulture, design and technology.   "We are excited to be involved with the first Garden Up event here in Sheffield that looks set to be one of the major features in the gardening calendar in 2014,” he said.