From the glamour and excitement of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to the laid-back charm of the Great Comp Summer Show, our round up of this year’s best flower shows, festivals and events.
We'll be updating this article through the year so be sure to check back for what's new. Bookmark it for quick and easy re-finding!
So let's make some plans and make the most of what's going on. Here's what you've got to look forward to for 2024:
Gardens Illustrated events and show guide 2024
APRIL
18 April: The Generous Gardener Lecture Day
Join Polly Nicholson for a lecture on growing tulips more sustainably followed by one from Jamie Butterworth on growing plants and designing gardens for RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Lunch and refreshments are included.
Open 10.30am-4pm
Tickets £135
Location Arts and Crafts Manor House, Rodmarton Manor, Rodmarton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6PF
Web thegenerousgardener.co.uk
18 - 21 April: RHS Urban Show
RHS Urban Show, set in the heart of Manchester, celebrates your own oasis. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of this new immersive gardening experience.
Open Thursday to Saturday 10am-2.30pm and 2.30pm-7pm, Sunday 10am-5.30pm
Tickets From £14.85
Location Depot Mayfield, Manchester
Web rhs.org.uk
21 April: Plant Fairs Roadshow at Arundel
Expert nurseries will be displaying their plants in the grounds of Arundel Castle as part of the Plant Fairs Roadshow.
Open 10am-5pm
Tickets £5
Location Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9AB
Web plantfairsroadshow.co.uk
MAY
2 May: The Generous Gardener Lecture Day
Join Kate Stuart-Smith of Serge Hill Garden followed by Arthur Parkinson for a day of talks.
Open 10.30am-4pm
Tickets £135
Location Arts and Crafts Manor House, Rodmarton Manor, Rodmarton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6PF
Web thegenerousgardener.co.uk
3 May: Garden and Plant Photography Masterclass
Award-winning photographer, Jason Ingram will lead this practical workshop on how to improve your garden and plant photography skills.
Open 10am
Tickets £250
Location Caisson House, Coombe Hay, Bath
Web caissongardens.com
3-4 May: Toby's Garden Festival
Toby's Garden Festival returns this spring featuring nurseries from around the west country , arts, crafts and street food.
Open TBC
Tickets From £13.50
Location Powderham Castle, Powderham Estate, Exeter EX6 8JQ
Web tobygardenfest.co.uk
3 - 5 May: Gardeners' World Spring Fair
Join Rachel de Thame, Francis Tophill, Adam Frost and a whole host of other speakers at the Gardeners' World Spring Fair. Shop from expert nurseries and see showcase gardens and demonstrations.
Open 9.30am-5pm
Tickets £25
Location Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire, United Kingdom,SO42 7ZN
Web bbcgardenersworllive.com
3 May - 2 June: Surrey Sculpture Society at Ramster Garden
Around 100 sculptures created by professional and emerging sculptors will be exhibited and available for purchase. The pieces range from modern abstract to classical styles created from various materials, including ceramics, metal, glass, stone, wood, and bronze.
Open 10am-5pm
Tickets £9
Location Ramster Hall, Petworth Road, Chiddingfold, Surrey GU8 4SN
Web ramsterevents.com
4 May: The Best of British Flowers Masterclass
Under the direction of Therese Johansson, our Head of Floristry, you will learn how to create a Petersham Nurseries’ style vase arrangement, celebrating the best of British flowers and colour that the season has to offer. As part of this masterclass, you will be introduced to how to condition garden flowers and branches for optimum vase life.
Open 9-11am
Tickets £150
Location The Petersham (Covent Garden), 2 Floral Court, London
Web petershamcoventgarden.com
5 May: Woottens of Wenhaston Plant & Garden Fair
Visit Woottens of Wenhaston nursery for a spring plant and garden fair, with plant specialists, garden arts and crafts, antiques and local food.
Open 10am-3pm
Tickets £2
Location Woottens of Wenhaston, The Iris Field, Hall Road, Wenhaston, Suffolk, IP19 9HF
Web woottensplants.com
9 May: The Generous Gardener Lecture Evening
Join Andy Sturgeon for an informative evening talk on making the modern garden.
Open 6-815pm
Tickets £135
Location Arts and Crafts Manor House, Rodmarton Manor, Rodmarton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6PF
Web thegenerousgardener.co.uk
9 - 12 May: RHS Malvern Spring Festival
RHS Malvern Spring Festival returns with inspiring gardens, spectacular blooms and plenty of ideas to try at home
Open Thursday to Sunday 9am - 6pm
Tickets From £15.85
Location Malvern Show Ground
Web rhs.org.uk
Buy tickets for Malvern Spring Festival here.
15 May - 29 September: Gardening Bohemia - Bloomsbury Women Outdoors
Centring on Vita Sackville West, Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, and Lady Ottoline Morrell, this exhibition tells the story of the women of the Bloomsbury group and friends through their gardens.
Open 10am-5pm
Tickets TBC
Location The Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB
Web thegardenmuseum.org.uk
16 May - 13 October: Now you see us: Women artists in Britain 1520 - 1920
Coming up this spring is Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520 - 1920, an exhibition of professional women artists working through history. Told in the exhibition are the stories of botanical artists who (far from the 'lady amateurs' that women artists are often dismissed as) worked as leading professionals, making significant contributions to scientific study.
Open 10am-6pm
Tickets TBC
Location Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG
Web tate.org.uk
19 May; 3, 14, 21 June: Beekeeping
Discover all you need to know about safe and successful beekeeping on this hands-on, one day course at River Cottage.
Open 10am-5pm
Tickets £245
Location River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, EX13 8TB
Web rivercottage.net
21 - 25 May: RHS Chelsea Flower Show
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 promises amazing garden designs, gorgeous floral displays and exclusive shopping.
Open Tuesday to Wednesday RHS Members' Days 8am-8pm, Thursday - Friday 8am-8pm, Friday Chelsea Late 5.30-10pm, Saturday 8am-5.30pm.
Tickets From £37.85
Location Royal Hospital Chelsea
Web rhs.org.uk
Buy tickets for Chelsea Flower Show here.
25 - 26 May: Diverdeinverde
Visit Bologna, Italy and explore thirty private gardens opened to the public. Once again this year, visitors will be able to rediscover some public green spaces, such as the central Giardino del Guasto and the more peripheral Giardino Savioli, brought to life for the occasion by events curated by the relevant associations, and finally the Villa Spada Park, which has recently undergone extensive restoration work that also involved its iconic geometric Renaissance-style garden.
Open TBC
Tickets €12
Location Bologne
Web diverdeinverde.fondazionevillaghigi.it
31 May - 1 June: Scone Palace Garden Festival
Scone Palace Garden Fair will be the perfect day out for gardening enthusiasts and their families. In the Gardens at Scone Palace, come and experience a line-up of top nurseries selling quality plants, gardening workshops, competitions, and more, with our Head Gardener, Brian Cunningham.
Open 10am-5pm
Tickets £14.50
Location Scone Palace, Perth, PH2 6BD
Web scone-palace.co.uk
JUNE
4 June: A day at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Don’t miss your chance to learn from the gardening experts at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. You can enjoy a garden tour and seed-sowing experience hosted by the hotel’s gardening team. The gardens at this renowned hotel are the living magic of Le Manoir. There are 11 enchanting gardens and orchards to explore, from the tranquil Japanese tea garden to the unusual ‘Mushroom Valley’. Each has been inspired by Raymond’s travels, childhood, favourite books and the wonderful people he’s met.
You’ll also get to sample some of Le Manoir’s delicious cuisine, with morning tea, coffee and home-made biscuits, Champagne and canapés in the conservatory or private garden, followed by a three-course lunch with selected wines, tea, coffee and petits fours. This really is a unique opportunity to experience the best of what Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has to offer, and take home inspiration for your own outdoor space.
Open Starts at 10am
Tickets £260
Location Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford, OX44 7PD
Book To book email events.mqs@belmond.com or call 01844 277 200
8 - 9 June: London Open Gardens
London Open Gardens is an annual event where over 100 secret or usually closed gardens are open to the public. From gardens in the city's famous squares to community gardens, allotments and roof gardens, you'll find plenty to explore and inspire over one lovely summer weekend.
Open 9 am-6 pm
Tickets £22 for a weekend ticket. 10% for Gardens Illustrated members. GI Members log into the member portal to redeem your 10% ticket discount.
Location various locations across London
Web londonparksandgardens
10 - 14 June: Claire Austin's 'A Celebration of Flowers'
Claire Austin, is celebrating 25 years of her RHS award-winning nursery - Claire Austin Hardy Plants this year. ‘A Celebration of Flowers’ on 10th-14th June will be 5 days of inspiring talks, workshops and NGS open days on the nursery.
There will be talks in the gardens by Claire, Advolly Richmond, Joe Wainwright, Rachel Siegfried of Green & Gorgeous, Professor Chris Baines and Chris Beardshaw and the week will end with two days of the ever popular NGS open days.
Open varying times
Tickets from £65
Location Claire Austin Hardy Plants, White Hopton Farm, Wern Lane, Sarn, Newtown, SY16 4EN
Web claireaustin-hardplants.co.uk
13 - 16 June: BBC Gardeners' World Live
Gardening advice and inspiration live from the team behind Gardeners' World.
Open 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-5pm
Tickets from £28
Location NEC Birmingham, B40 1NT
Web bbcgardenersworldlive.com
22 - 23 June: Borde Hill Garden Festival
Discover over 40 beautifully curated independent stalls with planters, garden furniture, lifestyle trends and artisan accessories, alongside rare and unusual plants from national specialist nurseries. Enjoy eclectic live music, explore curated talks from leading garden designers and experts and discover irresistible flavours from Sussex’s best pop-ups.
Open 10am - 5pm
Tickets From £5
Location Borde Hill
Web https://bordehill.co.uk/events/borde-hill-garden-festival/
22 - 23 June: Garden Museum Literary Festival
Jinny Blom, Polly Nicholson and Rajat Jindal are among speakers at the Garden Museum's Literary Festival which will be hosted at Sezincote House.
Open 22-23 June
Tickets £240
Location Sezincote, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9AW
Web gardenmuseum.org.uk
27 June: Botanical Painting Workshop with Katie Lenegan
Guided by experienced artist Katie Lenegan, you will learn how to explore expressive drawing techniques and use line, tone and colour to create experimental paintings. Katie will encourage you to respond to flowers and other cuttings with charcoal, ink, pencil and watercolour. The day includes a delicious organic lunch in The Trough, our restaurant just steps away from the Market Garden.
Open 10am-4pm
Tickets £155
Location Daylesford Farm, Daylesford near Kingham, Cotswolds, GL56 0YG
Web daylesford.com
JULY
2 - 7 July: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is a bonanza of glorious gardens and fabulous flowers.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6.30pm, Sunday 10am to 5.30pm.
Tickets From £25.85
Location Hampton Court Palace Gardens, Richmond
Web rhs.org.uk
Buy tickets for Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival here.
13 July: Sweet Pea Botanical Art Workshop
Visit Caisson Gardens for an ‘art from the garden’ workshop, celebrating the sweet pea, led by professional gardener and artist Jacky Mills.
Open 10am-4pm
Tickets £120
Location Caisson House, Coombe Hay, Bath
Web caissongardens.com
17 - 21 July: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, is a day out for all the family, with unique gardens, talks and tips, children’s activities, floral installations, markets, stalls and lots of tasty food and drink to enjoy.
Open Wednesday (Member's Day) 10am-5pm, Thursday to Sunday 10am - 5pm.
Tickets From £27.85
Location Tatton Park
Web rhs.org.uk
Buy tickets for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park here.
20 - 21 July: Botanical Art Fair
Sussex Prairie Garden is hosting a new Botanical Art Fair, with Original Art, Prints, and 3D from the wealth of creative talent in Sussex, all with a great passion for botanicals. See their creative interpretations of the botanical and floral theme in painting, photography, textiles, glass, printing and more, complemented by the glorious riot of colour in the gardens, along with music and refreshments.
Open 11am- 5pm
Tickets £12
Location Sussex Prairie Garden, Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf ROad, Henfield BN5 9AT
Web sussexprairies.co.uk
SEPTEMBER
26 September: Botanical Painting Workshop with Katie Lenegan
Guided by experienced artist Katie Lenegan, you will learn how to explore expressive drawing techniques and use line, tone and colour to create experimental paintings. Katie will encourage you to respond to flowers and other cuttings with charcoal, ink, pencil and watercolour. The day includes a delicious organic lunch in The Trough, our restaurant just steps away from the Market Garden.
Open 10am-1pm
Tickets £95
Location Daylesford Farm, Daylesford near Kingham, Cotswolds, GL56 0YG
Web daylesford.com
Dates and prices correct at time of publication. Please check details for each show prior to travelling.
