The RHS has lots of different types of events, not just the world famous flower shows such as Chelsea and Hampton Court. 

For instance, there are courses and workshops.   There are all sorts of skills you can learn, not just gardening, but willow weaving, paper cuts, botanical painting, photography, floral arranging, Zarzo basketry, natural dyeing, rag rug making, needle felting, dry stone walling, creating stained glass flowers and calligraphy. Members can attend many of these (but not all) for free.

There are also a number of shows dedicated to a specific flower or plant, so here are some of them:

Alpine Garden Society Show

The Alpine Garden Society Show takes place on 29th June 2024 at RHS Wisley and this is a great opportunity to learn more about the varieties of alpines and get lots of advice from UK alpine plant growers!

RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 

The RHS has partnered with the Saatchi Gallery in London for the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show.which has some of the best botanical artwork and garden photography from global artists.  It's running from the 14th June to the 28th July 2024 - find out more here. 

RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 

This Festival runs from 2nd to 7th July 2024, and what a day out it is!  I still remember treating my parents to tickets to the show;  we had an amazing day out (with plenty of stops for refreshment along the way) and left inspired and full of determination to work on our own gardens when we got home!    There's the Festival of Roses, you can build your own terrarium to take home, the Threatened Plant of the Year competition, a Master Grower who is passionate about Passiflora and lots of shopping to do!  Find out more here.

National Sweet Pea Show

Head to RHS Bridgewater for this show on the 9th and 10th July 2024. There’s nothing like the scent and sight of gorgeous sweet pea blooms!    Dig up more information. 

Take a look at the various events taking place with the RHS during 2024 here.  There’s lots going on!

The RHS Flower Show  - Tatton Park  takes place from the 17th - 21st July 2024

It will be an amazing event, with lots to see and do and activities for all the family, from the younger members to older children and adults!

For instance, one of the feature gardens I'd love to see if I lived closer is the RHS Nocturnal Pollinator Experience and there's also the Empowerment Garden, a Terrace Garden, which has been co-designed by users of Petrus (people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness). 

Don't miss the Plant Village and Floral Marquee, where you can pick up lots of lovely top tips from expert growers.  There's the Flower School - find out how to create amazing displays - and the Summer Fruit and Veg Competition.  There's family fun and inspiring talks, too.  There's a list of exhibitors here

There's lots to see and do at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show!

There’s lots more information on the RHS website, as always. 

Why not give a gift membership or treat yourself to a membership of the RHS?  Apart from the benefits you will gain, it will help the RHS grow and nurture gardening for all ages.   Find out more about joining the RHS here

Do you remember those days when you went hunting for Easter eggs?  

Well, how about combining hunting for Easter eggs with a great day out?  

The RHS Gardens (Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in North Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire and Bridgewater in Salford) all have giant-sized egg hunts!

Harlow Carr's Easter Egg* hunts kicked off today, 23 March 2024 to 7th April, but the other RHS gardens start on 29th March 2024 and finish on the 14th April.  

After you've found all the eggs, you'll be rewarded with a free chocolatey treat from NOMO, and also you can get into the various activities such as storytelling, family friendly planting and arts and crafts workhops. 

The RHS says explorers of all ages can hunt the garden to find the eggs;  the artwork has been designed by local families and school children.

It's a great time of year to get outside and explore, with spring awakening and blossom coming out, so find out more from the RHS here.

*The RHS says that garden admission applies: free to RHS members and children under 5. Activities are included with garden admission (unless marked *).

English Heritage has announced that Walmer Castle opened the private Lord Warden’s apartment today.

The private apartment of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is opened to the public for the for the first time.   Queen Elizabath the Queen Mother was the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1978 to 2002. 

It was a favourite seaside retreat of the beloved Queen Mother, who loved her annual summer trips there.   Flowers from the beautiful gardens were there in a vase to welcome her. 

The furnishings are evocative of an age past, and visitors can tour a selection of rooms in the apartment such as the sitting room, the dining room and the master bedroom.  The rooms were used by The Queen Mother and others and up to now, they’ve been locked away behind a secret door.

Private items that haven’t been seen for decades are redisplayed, together with art work and  a selection of paintings from a collection belonging to Sir Robert Menzies. 

The castle was built on the orders of King Henry VIII to defend English shores 
Find out all about it here

The apartment was separated into a private space in the 1960s to enable the emain part of the castle to stay open to the public, whilst the Lord Warden was residing there. 

The previous Lord Wardens include some very influential people in English history such as William Pitt the Younger, the Duke of Wellington (who died at the castle in 1852) and Winston Churchill. You can see an original pair of Wellington boots!  

The Lord Warden’s Apartment will stay open throughout 2024, say English Heritage.

There's lots more to see at Walmer Castle, including the Broadwalk Garden with its replanted herbaceous borders , The Queen Mother's Garden, who was gifted with it on her 95th birthday,  the Kitchen Garden (be inspired to grow your own, if you don't already), a Natural Play Garden for children, the Wellington Room where Wellington passed away, a second hand book shop and - of course - a cafe so that you can rest and dwell on what you've seen whilst enjoying a cup of something. 

Join English Heritage today!