Two for the road: the hit willow, of which more than 1500 were sold. Picture: CHRIS JAMES

THE undoubted star of the National Gardening Show in Strathclyde Country Park was the Salix Fuiji-Koriangi, a Japanese willow tree which was selling at a record rate of three per minute yesterday, writes Ann Donald.

David Knuckey, of Burncoose Nurseries in Cornwall, sold over 1500 of the pink and white leaved trees at #15 each.

Mr Dougal Philip, chairman of the Scottish Show Committee, analysing the surprise hit, said: ''It's like the man who sells iced Guinness on the beach. Once one person sees it, everybody wants one.'' He added that despite the big sales, the fragile willow could only survive in a protected west coast environment.

Mr Philip was optimistic about future shows: ''We will carry on getting bigger and better in order to match the numbers of visitors.''

In contrast to last year's rush-hour traffic chaos, a police spokeswoman reported no problems this year.

The other stand which enjoyed unprecedented sales was ''the green wellies company''. Manager Peter Fitzgerald from Willowdale Products in Buckinghamshire said: ''This is our first time exhibiting in Scotland and we'll definitely be back. Our lightweight ankle boots have been a great hit with the ladies.''

In keeping with the 30% increase in exhibitors and the Herald-sponsored show's estimated #6m contribution to the Scottish economy, tourism bosses were also hailing the horticultural world.

Tourism officer Fiona Sinclair, from Inveraray in Argyll, said: ''This event is turning into a major showcase for tourism in Scotland. Visitors are coming from across the UK and they want to know about all our attractions, not just Scotland's glorious gardens.''

Organisers called the event ''a major success'' despite a rain-blighted weekend.

The three-day horticultural exhibition was estimated to have attracted over 50,000 visitors by the time it closed yesterday, with the 350 exhibitors reporting record sales.

Mr Philip was obviously impressed by the visitors' hardy natures.

He said: ''If this had been a cricket match, rain would have stopped play. However, the serious Scottish gardeners wrapped up in waterproofs, brought their brollies, and walked off with what looked like a garden tucked under each arm.''

Mr Philip conceded that visitor numbers may have been adversely affected by the weather. He said: ''Last year we had blue skies and sunshine which obviously attracted people off the street. But with the thousands of serious gardeners coming from all over Britain, I suspect the numbers will be comparable to last year's 50,000 visitors.''