The Chelsea Flower Show may be the most famous in the world, but is it providing visitors with the best experience? Alan Titchmarsh highlights some other shows where you might have even more fun.
Another opening, another flower show. There seem to be too many flower shows these days, but that's really something to celebrate, not fret over. The king of them all is Chelsea, but its overcrowding has been driving many visitors away recently. Reducing the number of visitors per day (or increasing timed tickets) would be good for us all (RHS, if you're listening). That way, the crowds around the show gardens would dwindle to 10 people by 11am, as my friend counted this year. She eventually gave up and concentrated on the Great Pavilion. Ironically, there are fewer exhibitors than in the past, so there's plenty of space to stand and take a look.
Steps need to be taken to encourage more nurseries and growers to come to SW3 from further afield in the British Isles, let alone across the world. Would financial incentives help? My 2015 Chelsea catalogue lists 103 exhibitors within its canvas; this year there were only 67. Whatever the reason (economic, climatic), this is a situation that needs to be addressed. Either that, or the size of the pavilions needs to be scaled down so they don't look so sparsely populated.
Other flower shows that feature regularly on the show calendar are Hampton Court in West London (which will take place every two years in this luxurious venue) and Tatton Park in Cheshire (also every three years). The reasons for these decisions are obviously financial, but these are giants of the show world and I have a personal affection for the smaller flower shows which allow me to get closer to the gardeners who visit as a result.
Malvern in Worcestershire is not only popular for its stunning location beneath the daisy chain of the Malvern Hills, but also for being a place full of heart and soul. It may not be considered an essential social spot, but that's because it's a place for people who want to grow plants, not just people who are drinking champagne. The atmosphere of the Flower Show is as much determined by its clientele as it is by its location. Malvern is also a great place to buy plants; there are streets with little enclosed terraces on either side, many of which have little gardens and display plants which can be bought at the back of the stalls. It's hard to imagine any gardening enthusiast not coming home with a bagful of treasures to spend the next few days tucking into flowerbeds and borders.
The Duchess of Edinburgh (right) and RWRHS Honorary Chairman Alan Titchmarsh sit in a carriage to attend the Royal Windsor Flower Show at the York Club, Windsor Great Park, Saturday, June 8, 2024.
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Along with Malvern, the RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show in North Yorkshire was also a particular favourite for the same reasons. A show which, sadly, is no longer running but which now holds a special place in my heart – and not just because I am its honorary chairman – is the show held in Berkshire in mid-June by the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society.
This is a show that radiates goodwill and horticultural excellence. It takes place in part of Windsor Great Park, around the York Club cricket pitch, in a rustic setting reminiscent of the flower shows of the early 20th century. There are tents filled with roses and floral arrangements, sherry trifles, Victoria sponge cakes, vegetables and fruit, as well as more than 1,000 creations, including miniature gardens made by children, animals made from aubergine and potato, and giant butterflies made from brightly coloured scraps of paper.
Farm equipment laden with flowers competes; gardens from Sandringham in Norfolk and Saville Garden in Windsor pit their skills against one another; a tiny show garden measuring just 6ft by 12ft challenges young designers to create a landscape that reflects the natural “harmony” so dear to the king; local primary schools compete to grow the most productive potatoes in a pot or create gardens in wheelbarrows; lush lawns are dotted with nurseries selling everything from herbs and perennials to copper collars to keep slugs at bay and well-crafted gardening tools; refreshments, delivered from nearby Coworth Park, are like a picnic in style; as the saying goes, “there's no place not to like.”
The Royal Windsor Flower Show may only take place for one day in June, but the 5,000 people who attend can take a breather in a truly Arcadian setting. It's no wonder the Duchess of Edinburgh is so passionate about the show that she spreads smiles every year. Other flower shows could learn a lot from this small, beautifully crafted treasure.
Alan Titchmarsh's “Chatsworth: The Gardens and the People Who Made Them” is out now (Ebury)
