If you’re in need of a nature-filled pick-me-up, this list of the UK’s best flower shows is just the ticket. There are few things more joyful in life than a garden in full bloom. And whether you’re a green-fingered goddess or simply someone who derives pleasure from innovative garden design, these shows are guaranteed to stir a keen appreciation for nature’s bounty. Let the breath-taking beauty of the UK’s best flower shows spark your imagination and soothe your soul.
The UK’s Best Flower Shows
Chelsea Flower Show
21 – 25 May
When it comes to the finest flower shows, the grand dame of them all is Chelsea. A must in the social calendar, this year’s show promises to be the most sustainable yet, with garden builds and relocations focused on green goals. Elsewhere, the Sanctuary and Feature Gardens will explore themes through horticulture, while the All About Plants area in the Floral Marquee will focus on planting. But the undisputed highlight is the Show Gardens – keep an eye out for the Muscular Dystrophy UK Forest Bathing Garden, which is inspired by the ancient Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku.
Blenheim Palace Flower Show
21 – 23 June
There are few settings in the UK that are more spectacular than Blenheim Palace, and that’s doubly true when the historic Oxfordshire venue happens to be hosting its annual flower show. Peruse the Grand Floral Pavilion, where you’ll find beautiful displays from nurseries up and down the country, and take a stroll down Floral Street to admire the incredible array of blooms for sale. While you’re there, take a stroll around the Formal Gardens to learn about their history through the ages, and see if you can find your way out of the Walled Gardens’ beautiful Marlborough Maze, which is made up of two miles of yew trees inspired by the history of the Palace.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
2 – 7 July
While the Chelsea Flower Show may be the most famous of them all, the Hampton Court Garden Festival is actually the world’s largest flower show, set against the backdrop of one of London’s most spectacular royal palaces. In the Floral Marquee you’ll find plants and flowers grown by over 90 nurseries, as well as the Potting Bench, where you can watch demos from top growers. Meanwhile, the Festival of Roses celebrates this beautiful bloom in all its varieties and forms, while the RHS Allotment is the place to go to learn all about growing your own.
Borde Hill Garden Festival
22 and 23 June
New for 2024, the Borde Hill Garden Festival is one of the most exciting additions to the horticultural scene. Located in the Grade II-listed garden, set within 383 acres of heritage parkland in West Sussex, this bucolic wonderland offers the perfect day out for families, friends and garden enthusiasts alike. Come to browse over 40 beautifully curated independent stalls selling planters, garden furniture and artisan accessories, alongside rare and unusual plants from national specialist nurseries. Guests will also be able to enjoy eclectic live music on the South Lawn, explore curated talks from leading garden designers and discover some of Sussex’s finest foodie pop-ups.
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
17 – 21 July
With 50 acres of glorious parkland and landscaped gardens galore (from a walled kitchen plot to a 100-year-old Japanese garden), Tatton Park is the perfect backdrop for a floral showcase. A stroll through Tatton Gardens is a visual feast for the senses, showcasing the best of horticulture and garden design. In the Plant Village and Floral Marquee, meanwhile, you can pick up top tips from the park’s expert growers and sign up for the immersive Flower School, where you’ll learn how to create your own fantastical displays.
Southport Flower Show
15 – 18 August
As one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved flower shows, Southport is a hot ticket this year – especially because it’ll be celebrating its 100th anniversary. Over the years, Southport Flower Show has played host to everyone from Monty Don to Ainsley Harriott, and this year is set to be bigger and better than ever. As well as experts sharing gardening tips and top chefs cooking up a storm in the Cookery Theatre, there are beautiful show gardens to explore and plenty of entertainment to be had in the Arena, where you can expect big name acts putting on thrilling performances. For something more relaxed, head to the Piazza Stage, where you’ll find easy listening music playing all weekend.
Shrewsbury Flower Show
9 and 10 August
As one of the country’s premier flower shows, Shrewsbury is known for attracting top exhibitors from all over the country. There’s plenty to keep you occupied over the weekend here, from talks by the likes of David Domoney and Clodagh McKenna in the Flower Show Theatre to show jumping competitions and floral art marquees. There are also local live bands performing throughout the day and British acts rounding off each evening – last year, that included Liberty X and Go West. Each night is finished off with a grand fireworks finale, a suitably impressive way to close the popular show.
Chorley Flower Show
26 – 28 July
The award-wining Chorley Flower Show quickly made a name for itself when it set up home at Astley Hall in 2015. The Lancashire event is a great day out for all the family, with a dedicated children’s Design a Garden competition that kids will love. Visitors can enjoy talks and demos from a plethora of top gardeners at their Gardening Theatre, and there’ll be plenty of live entertainment over the weekend, with a range of live music and walkabout acts keeping spirits high throughout the park.
RHS Wisley Flower Show
3 – 8 September
If dahlias are the thing that make your heart sing, the Flower Show at RHS Wisley is for you. Home to an annual spectacle hosted on behalf of the National Dahlia Society – which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year – blooms cultivated by exhibitors vie for attention against the bombs of colour homegrown by visitors. Elsewhere, expect to find top-quality plants from big-name nurseries and experts ready to dish out top tips via an array of demos and talks. And, of course, there’s Wisley itself. Alongside the impressive rock garden and cathedral-like glasshouse, the RHS Hilltop, a centre dedicated to horticultural excellence, is sure to delight.
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show
13 – 15 September
Relocated to the stunning environs of Newby Hall & Gardens a few years ago, this showcase of autumnal blooms is right at home among the estate’s herbaceous borders (which are some of the longest in Europe). Aside from providing the perfect opportunity to pick out a perennial or two for your garden, one of the quirkier features of this show is the array of gargantuan vegetables vying for the top spot in the North of England Horticultural Society’s hotly contested competition. But with indoor floral displays inspired by the interiors of the Hall to admire, there is much to satisfy the eye.
