2008 Hampton Court Palace Flower ShowRHS Website

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Dates: Tuesday 8 – Sunday 13 July 2008

8 – 9 July: RHS members only

10 – 13 July: All are welcome, members and non-members

 

Times:

8 – 12 July: 10am – 7:30pm (Afternoon entry from 3pm)

13 July: 10am – 5:30pm (Afternoon entry from 2:30 pm)

(The sell off is on 13 July, starting at 4:30pm)

 

Venue:

Hampton Court Palace

East Molesey

Surrey

KT8 9AU

Ticket hotline: 0870 842 2234

 

RHS show information: 020 7649 1885

www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Awards

And the winners are...

 

The full list of all the winners are now available

Panels of selected RHS judges - all experts in their field - complete the judging of gardens, floral exhibits and other horticultural exhibits before the show opens to members on the Tuesday.
All exhibits are judged using standard criteria - they are not judged against each other. There is no limit to the number of medals the judges can award.
Four medal grades are available for award for horticultural exhibits at the Royal Horticultural Society's shows, and these are used by RHS Committees and judging panels who recommend awards for exhibits.

The awards are:
Gold
Silver-Gilt
Silver
Bronze

No awards are made to exhibits judged to be below Bronze standard.
These medals (with the exception of the Gold Medal which is not further qualified) are available in the following ranges according to the type of exhibit:

Show gardens, water gardens, small gardens, conceptual gardens, flowers and ornamental plants are awarded in the FLORA medal range.
Exhibits of fruit are awarded in the HOGG medal range.
Exhibits of vegetables are awarded in the KNIGHTIAN medal range.
Exhibits of special scientific or educational Interest are awarded in the LINDLEY medal range.

Exhibits of pictures, photographs, floral arrangement, floristry and Inspiring Spaces are awarded in the GRENFELL medal range.
Special awards at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
Tudor Rose awards will be given to the best Gold Medal exhibits in each of the following three categories:
Show Gardens
Water Gardens
Floral Marquees

There are also awards for the Best Small Garden, Best Conceptual Garden, Best Plant Plot, Best Inspiring Space, Best Exhibit in the Festival of Roses, Best Exhibit in the Plant Heritage Marquee and the Best Scarecrow.

Certificates of commendation are given to gardening sundries exhibitors whose stands reach a high standard of presentation. These certificates are awarded for excellence of presentation and are not an RHS endorsement of the products or services on display.

The Show

• The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Flower show has been held at the Hampton Court Palace since 1989. The 2008 show will be the 19th to be held on the site.

• The cycle of planning for the show lasts 11 months.

• Last year visitor numbers were in excess of 160,000.

• Visitors say the floral marquees and the gardens were their favourite features at the show.

• Most visitors spend about 5 hours at the show.

• During show week, visitors consume 31,000 rounds of sandwiches, 41,000 glasses of Pimms, 20,000 glasses of champagne and nearly 80,000 cups of tea and coffee. The Allium Restaurant (formerly Roux Restaurant) will cater for around 5,000 lunches and afternoon teas. A number of catering outlets will be serving a variety of refreshments including champagne and seafood, fish and chips and tapas.

 

The Showground

• The showground covers 33 acres.

• It takes up to 3 weeks to build a show garden, and 2 weeks to build a small garden.

 

About the RHS

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. Its charitable work includes undertaking scientific research into issues affecting gardeners, holding plant trials and educational events and activities.

RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 0845 130 4646, or visit www.rhs.org.uk

Reg charity no. 222879/SC038262

Guide to the sell-off

The sell-off starts at 4.30pm on the final day (Sunday 13 July) and lasts until 5.30pm when the show closes and all visitors must leave the showground. During this time most of the exhibitors sell off many display plants and products.

The sell-off period is usually very busy, so arrive early to avoid disappointment. Make notes of any plants you want to buy and remember the relevant stand numbers - and a quick route to them. Some exhibitors will reserve plants for you and it is always worth asking. Then remember to be at those stands before the sell-off starts.

Please remember that you may need some means to transport your purchases off the showground, especially if they are large or awkward to carry (wheelbarrows are readily available for purchase at the show!) Our Plant Porters are available to help transport large items to your car, subject to availability. Also remember that some of the plants may need protection for the journey home.

RHS members can be re-admitted to the show for the sell-off on production of an RHS membership card, receipt or ticket stub. Non-members will need to present a receipt or proof of purchase for items to collect.

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