Gardens: Hampton Court Flower Show

If you are a Chelsea Flower Show fan, then the Hampton Court Flower Show, which opens to non RHS members on July 11th (and on the 9th for members)  is a date for your diary. We love going to Chelsea, but it’s a nightmare getting tickets and so most years we tend to stick to the smaller RHS shows which we love, and this one –  in fact the UK’s biggest gardening show. The setting is spectacular (if you haven’t visited Hampton Court recently, the flower show is a great excuse), and there is loads to see and do whatever your horticultural interests. There will be 34 gardens, ranging from the conceptual to the practical, and various marquees, where some of the UK’s best nurseries will be displaying their blooms. You can shop, eat, get advice, watch demos, and plunder every corner of the show for gardening ideas, as we do. We also go armed with questions, as the show is a great opportunity to speak to top growers directly. But the thing we are most looking forward to this year is the 1950′s inspired Rose and Floristry Festival. We’re somewhat obsessed with roses (as anyone who follows our instagram feed will know: see  @alittlebirdcom), so we can’t wait to explore the Rose Marquee, where there will be a Constance Spry exhibition, lots of floristry displays and demos, and talks by some of the UK’s top rose growers. It’s worth noting too, that if you are thinking of taking your kids, then do. There will be student-made scarecrows on display, and over the weekend (13th & 14th July) there will be a ‘sow and grow’ workshop, where kids can sow yarrow, decorate pots, make bumblebee hats, have their faces painted and watch balloon modelling.