Making the most of the show
There’s so much to see and do at the 22nd Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, with inspiring garden designs and the very best that gardening can offer at this quintessentially British show. Here's our pick of the show highlights and 'must-see' features to help you plan your visit.
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show catalogue contains a useful colour-coded map, illustrating the areas mentioned below.
This centrepiece is the largest in the show at 1,850 sq metres in size (19,913 sq ft). It showcases the very best in Grow Your Own, with every element of the feature having an end use, mainly edible.
Crops include those traditionally grown in this country, some recent introductions and some that are not currently commonly grown but that may be grown here in the future. There is also a ‘food for free’ area, with plants that can be foraged from the wild.
The focus is on artisan, rather than commercial, production and demonstrations. Features include: Hops and barley for beer making, a live willow arch, fruit and nut orchard with live bees, a cider orchard, an ornamental edible garden, a lavender field with olive trees and a tropical zone.
Adjoining the RHS Edible Garden is RHS Grow Your Own (Park Area): a marquee of herbs, fruit trees, fruit and vegetable plants and seeds. Vital for those with a passion for growing your own fruit and vegetables.
Next door is the interactive RHS Experience (Park Area). Find out the story of the society, and get advice on RHS membership. Treat yourself at the RHS shop to the huge range of books, gardening items and gifts.
A short walk away is the Swinging Sixties Floristry and Fashion Show (Park Area) with this iconic era represented through fabulous floristry displays and music. There is a programme of floristry demonstrations alongside fashion shows presented by Catwalk in Bloom.
Nearby, Totally Plants (Park Area/ Thames Area) creates a lively shopping experience with plants from major growers and nurseries.
Thames Entrance
Entering the show from the Thames Entrance (rail and ferry link) you will encounter the following highlights:
Journey through Wonderland as we celebrate Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in the fabulous Festival of Roses (Thames Area)
Abutting the Festival of Roses is the Plant Heritage Marquee (Thames Area) - ‘the living library of garden plants’, collected from all over the world. Come and see what Plant Heritage does to help conserve them for future generations through the National Collection Scheme.
See the neighbouring, interactive show feature Thailand: Experience the Elements (Thames Area) with its Far Eastern take on wind, air, earth and fire.
Along the edge of the Thames Area are this year's Show Gardens (Garden Walk). Follow the Show Gardens to the Conceptual Gardens, situated opposite the Allium Restaurant and Bistro.
For a well-deserved break enjoy fine dining in the Allium Restaurant/ Bistro & Food Court with lovely views of the Show and Conceptual Gardens from the first floor. There's also a large food court on the ground floor, or grab a bite at one of the many Food Courts across the showground – not forgetting the tearooms, delis and other restaurants. And when in need of refreshment, don’t forget a glass of champagne or a cool glass of Pimm’s!
Long Water Gate Entrance
Entering the show from the Long Water Gate Entrance (from Stud Gate car park) you will come across the following highlights.
Children’s Zone: At the weekend, this area has performers and hosts a range of interactive and fun activities for children of all ages. Schools from all over the South East of England have taken part in the Scarecrow Competition (Palace Area) celebrating characters from Lewis Carroll's famous books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. See this year's entrants and winners.
Continuing the literary theme, the English Poets’ Gardens (Palace Area) next door are based on poems written by: Keats, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, Kipling and Lewis Carroll. The nearby Small Gardens (Palace Area) feature amazing, inspirational designs.
The Long Water Area
On the 'Palace Area' side of the Long Water is the RHS Floral Marquee with its wonderful plant displays and new, exciting cultivars.
Cross Pontoon 4 to the other side of the Long Water to get a chance to shop at the Country Living Magazine Pavilion; the very best shopping opportunities, with everything that you could want for your garden and more, as well as lifestyle products and craft stands.
Walking in the direction of the palace, you encounter Inspiring Spaces: displays themed on ‘The Five Senses’ and crammed with ideas on how to brighten up a small space.
The show also offers live music entertainment from two bandstands and relaxation by the Long Water while enjoying the quintessentially British atmosphere.