Great Floral Extravaganzas in England’s Green and Pleasant Land

Paull Tickner

With the Chelsea Flower Show leading the way in May, it’s time to champion some of the other shows hosted annually by the Royal Horticultural Society. The Hampton Court Flower Show (held in early July) is the largest flower show in the world and it’s a must-go show for green-fingered clients who were busy with their own gardens and horticultural events in May and June.

The Chatsworth and Tatton Park Flower Show are both in the north west of England, and while it’s very easy to include them in a circular tour that starts and finishes in London, you can do your customers a big favour by booking them on to one of the growing number of non-stop flights into the northern gateway of Manchester where airside to kerbside in around 45 minutes gets their U.K. tour off to a much better start. Wisley, near the cathedral city of Guildford is the Royal Horticultural Society’s stunning flagship garden and their early September celebration is the perfect choice for clients who couldn’t get away at all in the spring or summer.

RHS Chatsworth Flower Show: Taking place between 11th-14th June and set in the magnificent ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped grounds of Chatsworth House, the RHS’ newest show combines tradition with exciting and innovative design, resulting in spectacular summer displays in an outstanding setting. RHS Chatsworth offers a delightful mix of gardening inspiration, spectacular summer colour, have-a-go workshops and unique shopping.

In addition to the flower show, you should also set aside a day to discover for yourself the great treasure house of Chatsworth. In addition, the display of roses at nearby medieval Haddon Hall must be seen to be believed and if you’re interested in herbs and or targeting a local herb society, an hour or two at Hardstoft Herb Garden also must be included. If you want to see herbs on a truly grand scale, you’ll love the floral borders and the scent of fresh herbs at Elizabethan Hardwick Hall. To add something really unusual to the trip, I can recommend Notty Hornblower’s incredible collection at the Hope House Costume Museum.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival: Scheduled for 7th-12th July, this dazzling celebration brings a colourful festival of summer and flowers to the grounds of the historic palace on the banks of the River Thames with a selection of thought-provoking gardens and an abundance of plants, culinary experiences and workshops. With three new garden categories for 2020, there will be ideas aplenty from a whole host of gardens full of inspirational ideas to revitalize green spaces. Look forward to a host of exciting talks and workshops plants people, celebrities and foodies along with a whole host of artisan shops and small businesses.

Given the time of year, you need to give careful thought to the gardens you include in a July departure. Many are very good throughout the spring and summer but others like Sissinghurst Castle, Mottisfont Abbey, Chartwell and Parham House are fragrantly spectacular at this time of the year. You can also build some very attractive itineraries with visits to rarely opened gardens taking part in the National Garden Scheme and piecing them all together is where my skills come in!

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park: Running between 22nd -26th July, this show champions youth in horticulture, as well as the new talent and design at the heart of RHS Tatton Park. It makes for a brilliant summer’s day out, with vibrant floral displays and the popular “Back to Back” gardens. It features have-a-go workshops and an impressive schedule of plant experts, foodies and gardeners giving talks. The extensive Floral Marquee and Plant Village are essential pit stops for any gardener. There are also stands where visitors can pick up anything from beautiful planters to a hand-crafted wind chime for the garden.

This show is best served by non-stop flights to the north west gateway of Manchester, where you can create a three-country tour of England, Wales and Ireland that includes a selection from Cheshire’s Gardens of Distinction, great gardens in North Wales like Bodnant and Powis Castle, a walking tour of Chester led by a Roman Centurion in full military armour, a ride on one of the Great Little Trains, the Italianate coastal village of Permeation, and the muscular castles at Caernarfon and Conwy.

RHS Wisley Garden Flower Show: Taking place between 8th-13th September and set in the historic home of the RHS, this six-day floral extravaganza features a variety of specialist nurseries and trade stands, with top quality plants and garden goodies. Visitors can get expert advice and buy from RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Place Garden Festival medal winners, enjoy wonderful floral displays at the show itself, and enjoy Wisley’s extensive rose garden, colourful Mixed Borders and Exotic Garden, a delight to behold in late summer. To further increase the appeal of this show, by a happy coincidence Leeds Castle and Salisbury Cathedral are both staging their own stunning floral events at the same time. Food for thought.

If you have garden loving clients cruising in or out of Southampton or Dover in the early part of September, they will thank you for including a day at this great RHS floral showpiece. You could impress them further by including visits to Claremont and Painshill, two of England’s most important 18th century landscapes, the lovely rose garden at Polesden Lacey, and the Gertrude Jekyll garden at Hatchlands where an audio tour brings to life keyboard instruments associated with famous composers like J.C. Bach, Chopin and Elgar.

Paull Tickner, owner of U.K-based Custom GB, is known for his expertise in creating and operating imaginative, value-added tours of Great Britain and Ireland. Visit his website at www.customgb.co.uk or email ptickner@customgb.co.uk.