Visit the World Horticultural Expo - open until 7 October

Perhaps your garden isn’t quite as pristine this year after all this rain. If you feel you’ve missed out on all things floral, there’s still time to visit The Netherlands’ showcase horticultural highlight Floriade. Held every ten years, this year in Venlo in the east of the Netherlands, this world expo takes horticulture as its theme and turns it into a living, breathing experience emphasising the role flowers, plants, trees, fruit and vegetables play in our everyday lives.

There are more than 100 show gardens, displays and pavilions to explore set over spacious 66-hectare site – there’s even a cable car to help you get around and offer a unique aerial view of the event.

With entertainment by day and night, Floriade offers a unique horticulturally themed outing for the whole family. It’s been open since the beginning of April, so the gardens will be nicely settled in by now and reaching their summer peak – and the show continues until 7 October. Miss it and you’ll have to wait another ten years!

The Floriade 2012 is open between 5 April and 7 October 2012 from 10 am till 7 pm (between 21 June and 2 September 2012 from 10 am till 8 pm). For full details on the event, ticket prices and details on how to get there go to www.floriade.com

You can also find out lots of useful information about Floriade and the Netherlands in general on Netherlands Board of Tourism website