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 in the coming year...
Gardens Illustrated events and show guide 2026
On now
Until 31 January: Nelly Roberts, Orchid Painter, London
Nelly Roberts (1872–1959) was the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) first and longest-serving orchid artist, and this free exhibition of her work showcases the beauty, science and history of the extraordinary plant.
Timings 10am-5pm
Tickets Free
Location The Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
Web gardenmuseum.org.uk
Until 26 April: Mill exhibition: Peat Appreciation Society, West Yorkshire
Discover the importance and impact of peatland conservation with art inspired by West Yorkshire moors.
Timings 10am-3pm
Tickets Entry included with mill admission
Location Gibson Mill, Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 7AW
Web nationaltrust.org.uk
Coming up
February: Snowdrop-spotting events
Here is just a handful of the many snowdrop events running this month:
- The Garden House, Devon (all month)
- Asthall Manor, Oxfordshire (every Wednesday in February)
- Great Comp Garden’s Snowdrop and Plant Fair, Kent (15 February)
- Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire (Wednesday-Sunday from 11 February)
- Cambo Gardens’ Snowdrop Festival, Scotland (all month)
- Drumlanrig Castle’s snowdrop walks, Scotland (7-8 February)
- National Garden Scheme (NGS): 120 privately-owned and public snowdrop gardens opening across England, Wales and Northern Ireland this month
From 7 February: Kew’s 30th Orchid Festival, London
Marvel at China-inspired floral installations including dragons, koi carp and pandas.
Timings 10:15am-4pm
Tickets Included with entry to Kew Gardens
Location Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens, Richmond TW9 3AE
Web kew.org
From 11 February: Seeds of Exchange: Canton and London in the 1700s, London
Discover the early plant knowledge shared between China and Britain in this exhibition.
Timings 10am-5pm
Tickets £15
Location Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB
Web gardenmuseum.org.uk
14 February until December: The Wind in the Willows trails, UK
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
20-21 February: Shepton Snowdrop Festival, Somerset
If you're in Somerset, take some time out to go snowdrop-spotting on this ready-made tour of gardens, artisan markets, walks, talks and workshops across Shepton Mallet. Gardens include Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Dunster Castle and Snowdrop Valley.
Tickets Prices vary for each venue
Location Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Web sheptonsnowdrops.org.uk
21 February: Winter rose pruning workshop, Dorset
Gain rose-pruning confidence in this practical workshop led by horticultural expert John Cunningham, in the formal rose gardens of Sculpture by the Lakes.
Timings 10am-4pm
Tickets £65
Location Sculpture By The Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester DT2 8QU
Web sculpturebythelakes.co.uk
MARCH 2026
11 March and 4 June: Drawing flowers and plants at Chatsworth, Derbyshire
Learn botanical drawing techniques in this relaxed, beginner-friendly workshop at the iconic Chatsworth. Drawing from observation, you'll work in both colour, and black and white, with the option to explore everything from pencils, pens and watercolour crayons to brushes.
Timings 10am-4pm
Tickets £100
Location Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PP
Web chatsworth.org
12 March: Tom Stuart-Smith at Chatsworth, Derbyshire
This event is a chance to join celebrated garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith for a private tour, talk and lunch in the iconic Chatsworth gardens to hear about his much-admired work at Chatsworth and experience creating Horatio's Garden London & South East, which opened in 2020.
The event is in aid of the Horatio's Garden charity, which supports those affected by spinal injury.
Timings 11am-3pm
Tickets £130
Location Chatsworth House, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PJ
Web horatiosgarden.org.uk
14 March - 6 April: Sounds of Blossom, Kew, London
Admire Kew’s magnolia and cherry blossoms with a soundtrack from Royal College of Music students.
Timings 11am-6pm
Tickets Entry included with Kew admission
Location Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE
Web kew.org
16-22 March: Dazzling Daffodils at Hever Castle, Kent
Don't miss the daffodils at Hever Castle this spring; you'll see almost 120,000 daffodils and 250,000 trumpet blooms flowering across the grounds.
Timings 10:30am-4:30pm
Tickets Included with Hever Castle admission (from £18.05) / Free for members
Location Hever Castle, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG
Web hevercastle.co.uk
21 March: Willow weaving workshop, Great Comp Garden, Kent
Master a traditional craft with expert willow weaver Natalie McLay in Great Comp Garden's newly opened Garden Room. Throughout the day, you'll have the chance to create two structures from a selection, including a garden obelisk for supporting climbing plants, a decorative dragonfly, a bird and a practical willow feeder.
Timings 10am-5pm
Tickets £85
Location Great Comp Garden, Comp Lane, Platt, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 8QS
Web greatcompgarden.co.uk
28-29 March: Cornwall Garden Society Spring Flower Show, Cornwall
Enjoy floral displays, rare plants and inspiring show gardens, as well as expert talks and hands-on workshops.
Timings 10am-5pm (Sat) -4pm (Sun)
Tickets £8
Location Royal Cornwall Showground, Whitecross, Wadebridge PL27 7JE
Web cornwallgardensociety.org.uk
28 March - 12 September: Great Comp Garden tours, Kent
Tours of Great Comp Garden in Kent have previously been reserved for coach trips, but from March they'll be available to individual visitors. One Saturday per month, visitors will get the chance to join senior gardener Krystina Kay-Clough in the garden for behind-the-scenes stories, planting tips and a showcase of the rare and unusual plants at Great Comp.
Timings 2pm
Tickets £17 for non-members (free for members)
Location Great Comp Garden, Comp Lane, Platt, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 8QS
Web greatcompgarden.co.uk
31 March: Drought-resistant planting, Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex
Join head gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg at Beth Chatto Plants and Gardens to deepen your knowledge of climate-friendly planting. During the day, you'll learn how to create and care for a beautiful, eco-friendly Beth Chatto-style border with resilient plants for dry soil. Plus, enjoy a tour of the famous gravel garden and Chattowood (a nearby housing development).
Timings 10:30am-3:30pm
Tickets £85
Location Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens, Clacton Rd, Elmstead Market, Elmstead, Colchester CO7 7DB
Web bcet.bethchatto.co.uk
APRIL 2026
1 April: The View From The Hospital: How Can Plants And Gardens Transform Healthcare? with Rachel De Thame, Dr Sue Stuart-Smith, Jinny Blom and Chris Young, Hertfordshire
Join this one-off event and help fund the redevelopment of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre's hospital garden in Hertfordshire - spearheaded by author and BBC Gardeners' Question Time panellist Matthew Biggs. The evening kicks off with the chance to explore Tom Stuart-Smith’s Plant Library at Serge Hill, and a pop-up plant sale, followed by drinks at 5:30pm before the talk begins at 6pm.
Topics covered will include why hospitals are green deserts, why healthcare ignores the beneficial role of plants and gardens, and what we can do to make hospitals a greener, more beautiful place.
Timings 5–7:30pm
Tickets From £20
Location The Apple House, Sergehill Lane, Bedmond, Hertfordshire WD5 0RZ
Web sergehillproject.co.uk
MAY 2026
9 May - 27 September: Henry Moore’s art at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
Kew and Wakehurst will host the largest ever showcase of art from the internationally recognised 20th century artist Henry Moore. The exhibition will feature 30 artworks across Kew's landscape and inside the Temperate House - the world's biggest Victorian glasshouse - as well as 90 works in Kew's Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, which will encompass bronzes, stone and wood carvings, prints and drawings, exploring Moore’s unique process of ‘thinking through nature’.
From 5 June, Wakehurst (Kew's wild botanic garden in Sussex) will open a parallel exhibition of four additional Moore sculptures, alongside new commissioned pieces from contemporary artists.
Dates 9 May-27 Sep 2026 (Kew) / 5 June-27 Sep (Wakehurst)
Tickets Included in ticket to Kew/Wakehurst / Universal Credit £1 / 16–29-year-olds £10
Location Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE / Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH17 6TN
Web kew.org / kew.org/wakehurst
SEPTEMBER 2026
17-19 September: Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival, Bristol
Following the success of Yeo Valley's first organic garden festival in 2025, it's back for September 2026. Expect gardening talks, panel discussions, workshops and plenty of shopping opportunities.
Timings 10am-5pm
Tickets Day tickets from £26.72 for adults / Combined tickets from £53.25
Location Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Holt Farm, Bath Road, Bristol BS40 7SQ
Web yvogardenfestival.co.uk
Dates and prices correct at time of publication. Please check details for each show prior to travelling.
