There are hundreds of different Flower Shows to visit all around the country every year in the UK, put on by several different charities and sponsors, and all of which look absolutely spectacular.
Some of the shows have been in existence for over 100 years whilst others are much newer but all of which attract thousands of visitors every year in an attempt to win people over in the upkeep and development of these gardens as well as helping people understand how to improve their own gardens at home.
We have put together a list of the top 5 flower shows in the UK. Tickets are available for each show by following the links. Alternatively, you can enter our competition to win 3 pairs of tickets to one of these shows by signing up to our GM8 Group newsletter by 31st March 2019. And not only will you have a chance to win but you will also receive industry news, garden insights and seasonal tips from us in our weekly newsletter.
Source: www.prabhuventures.co.uk
The Chelsea Flower Show
The Chelsea Flower Show is the most well-known flower show in the UK and arguably across the world too. It is held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in South West London and has been long established dating back to 1912. The show attracts over 150,000 visitors somewhere between mid to late May every year and the British Royal Family can always be seen there along with several A-list celebrities.
The show is also put on by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK’s leading gardening charity. The RHS encourages people to attend all its flower shows throughout the year in a bid to convey the benefits of gardening to people across the world whilst trying to source funding to help grow and develop new art and science centres and the practice of gardening itself.
New plants are often revealed in a number of beautifully crafted show gardens and many new trends take effect thereafter, creating huge PR in the process. Despite the show being one of the most famous, it can sometimes be tricky to walk around at your own leisure due to the enormous footfall it receives, which makes the show a bit touristy and less about the content of the show.
Non-members can attend the show from the third day with all-day tickets starting from £67. Tickets can be bought here.
Show Dates: Tuesday 21st – Saturday 25th May 2019
Harrogate Flower Show
Source: https://www.flowershow.org.uk
The Harrogate Spring Flower Show is an event located at the Great Yorkshire Showground in the beautiful town of Harrogate, about 15 miles north of Leeds in Northern England. Like Chelsea, it is sponsored by another gardening charity, that of the North of England Horticultural Society (NEHS) and is run twice a year; once in late April and again in mid-September.
The show itself welcomes some of the UK’s up-and-coming garden designers and landscapers, featuring some of their work whilst also putting on a range of exciting shows is hugely appreciated by all its visitors. Some of the other things to look out for are the Floral Pavillion, the Plant Nursery Pavillion and the Grow! Garden Theatre which features expert talks and advice from some of the garden industries leader contributors.
Show Dates: Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th April 2019
Blenheim Flower Show
The Blenheim Flower Show is a day event held in the stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock in Oxfordshire somewhere between the middle to the end of June. The show is a celebration of lifestyle and exploring the great outdoors and despite the fact it is only in its 7th year which when compared to the Chelsea Flower Show and Harrogate Flower Show that have existed for over 100 years is nothing at all, it is still widely regarded as one of the shows not to be missed.
The show features some of the UK’s finest nurseries and plantsman competing to win various awards whilst the Grand Floral Pavillion is the focal point for attendees to the show. There is a shopping village which has an array of market stalls selling various beautiful gardening sundries including gazebos, greenhouses and various luxury goods too.
Adult tickets to the Flower Show cost £15 in advance or £17 on the day whilst tickets to Blenheim Palace as well cost an additional £10. Tickets can be bought here.
Show Dates: Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd June 2019
Tatton Flower Show
The Tatton Flower Show is another RHS funded event usually available in mid-July and is situated in Knutsford, 20 minutes south west of Manchester Airport.
The show is another fabulous celebration of gardening at its best with flower displays and garden attractions that keep people queueing through the door throughout the day. There is constant advice by industry experts who can offer advice from growing vegetables at home to using your garden ingredients to cook some tasty meals whilst there are a number of boutiques surrounded by live music and entertainment. The show is a fantastic all-round day of fun and teaches those started out in gardening to the others who have been enjoying gardening for decades.
Tickets are available to non-members from the second day at £34 on the day or £28 if bought in advance here.
Show Dates: Wednesday 17th – Sunday 21st July 2019
RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
Chatsworth House is located in the Derbyshire Dales, east of the Peak District and south of Sheffield. Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, or more commonly known as the Cavendish family since 1549. The Chatsworth garden attract over 300,000 visitors each year in its magnificent setting and the Flower Show is usually run over the first of second weekend of June.
The Chatsworth grounds are approximately 21 hectares (which are equivalent to 26 football pitches) and therefore you can only start to imagine the scale at which the flower show is accessible. For example, the raised beds in the Great Conservatory feature more than 6,000 plants and 30 hefty trees – which when you compare them to Original Organics’ raised beds at 1.5metres long they are simply in a different world. The show also features more inspirational and thought-provoking Show Gardens, brimming full of innovative ideas and which have been put together in a matter of days.
Tickets for the show can be purchased here for £34 in advance.
Show Dates: Wednesday 5th – Saturday 9th June 2019
Source: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chatsworth-flower-show/news/2018/show-highlights
Conclusion
To say which Flower Show is best is very subjective as everyone has their own opinion on what makes it ‘the best’. The Chelsea Flower Show is certainly the most frequented and has the highest worldwide recognition, so it has a case there. However, our favourite is the Harrogate Flower Show as the whole show experience was magnificent.
Whichever show is your favourite, you can purchase the tickets to each show using the links above – with prices ranging from £15 up to £67 depending on the show you are interested in.
Alternatively, you can enter our competition to win 3 pairs of tickets to one of these shows by signing up to our GM8 Group newsletter by 31st March 2019. And not only will you have a chance to win but you will also receive industry news, garden insights and seasonal tips from us in our weekly newsletter.
So what are you waiting for, sign up and win today.
What is the best UK Flower Show?
- 1 Mar 2019
