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Garden events and festivals to go to this year: all the best tours, workshops, exhibitions and more for 2026

All the big names in one place. Here's our guide to the gardening calendar's biggest and best gardening events for the year ahead


From the glamour of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to the laid-back charm of local plant fairs, hands-on horticultural workshops and behind-the-scenes garden tours, this is our ultimate guide to the very best gardening events coming up.

We update this list regularly, so be sure to bookmark the page and check back through the year to discover all the upcoming shows, exhibitions, festivals and more. Here's what you've got to look forward to...

Gardens Illustrated events and show guide 2026

On now

Until 31 October: Nerine Exhibition, Hampshire

Nerines
© Cathy Baldock - © Cathy Baldock

See Exbury Gardens' beautiful collection of nerines – or jewel lilies – originally found on Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town in South Africa. There will also be nerines available to buy.

Timings 10am-5.30pm daily
Tickets Free with gardens admission (from £14.50)
Location ​Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway, Exbury, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 1AZ
Web exbury.co.uk/nerine-exhibition


8 October-20 December: Sabine Moritz: Lie Down in Green Pastures, London

Institute I, 1993, Sabine Moritz
Institute I, 1993, Sabine Moritz © Sabine Moritz. Courtesy the artist and Pilar Corrias, London

Visit contemporary German artist Sabine Moritz's first UK museum exhibition and discover her imagined memories and encounters with the natural world, often inspired by her childhood spent in the German Democratic Republic before departing to West Germany as a teenager. The exhibition includes landscapes, floral still lifes and a new large abstract work.

Timings 10am-5pm daily
Tickets £16
Location Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB
Web gardenmuseum.org.uk/sabine-moritz


Until 1 November: A Season of Flowers, South Yorkshire

A person adjusting a floral display on a table
© Dominic Lipinski/English Heritage

Admire floral displays and historic artefacts celebrating Brodsworth Hall’s 1930s owner Sylvia Grant-Dalton.

Timings 10am-5pm daily
Tickets From £13.10 / free for members
Location Brodsworth Hall, Doncaster DN5 7XJ
Web english-heritage.org.uk


Until 31 December: Moments of Light, Wiltshire

Moments of Light installation in Wiltshire
© 2026 Bruce Munro. Photography by Darren Harvey-Regan

Internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro has created a beautiful, immersive light installation bringing to life the grounds of Dorothy House hospice near Bath. Wander through the glowing gardens and connect with loved ones, or take some time to visit alone and take a moment to pause. Entry is free, and donations appreciated; all contributions go to the hospice itself.

Timings Various timings, book online
Tickets Free, donations welcome
Location Dorothy House, Winsley, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 2LE
Web dorothyhouse.org.uk/moments-of-light


Until December: The Wind in the Willows trails, UK

RHS Gardens Wind in the Willows trails
RHS Gardens Wind in the Willows trails © RHS

Marking the 50th anniversary of author E. H. Shepard’s death, the five RHS gardens are running a series of interactive trails celebrating the magic of The Wind in the Willows. Discover sensory boxes, play traditional garden games, enjoy photo opportunities and take part in plenty of outdoor fun - all designed to spark curiosity about wildlife, habitats and protecting the environment.

Tickets Included with entry to RHS gardens
Location RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon; Wisley, Surrey; Hyde Hall, Essex; Bridgewater, Greater Manchester; Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
Web rhs.org.uk


COMING UP

12 November 2026–11 April 2027: Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside Bloomsbury, London

Vanessa Bell Interior with the Artist’s Daughter c.1935-36.
Vanessa Bell Interior with the Artist’s Daughter c.1935-36. The Charleston Trust. © 2026 Estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved, DACS

Discover five decades of art by Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf and member of the famous Bloomsbury Group) and her husband Duncan Grant, who lived and gardened together at Charleston in East Sussex. This exhibition includes rarely-seen pieces revealing their unconventional relationship and fascinating artistic trajectory.

Timings 10am-6pm
Tickets £20 / free for members
Location Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Web tate.org.uk/vanessa-bell-and-duncan-grant


25 November: Rose Pruning Day with Troy Scott-Smith, Bath

Troy Scott Smith

Learn how to care for your roses from one of the best, at this special one-day workshop led by Sissinghurst Garden's Troy Scott-Smith. He will run through the different types of roses and their needs, and how to get the most from them, covering planting combinations, natural pest control methods and rose feeding programmes. Plus, there will be pruning demos in the garden.

Timings 10am-4pm
Tickets £185
Location Caisson House, Combe Hay, Bath BA2 7EF
Web caissongardens.com


Last updated 6th October 2026. Dates and prices correct at time of publication. Please check details for each event prior to travelling.

© Cathy Baldock