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National Gardening Week 2025 – RHS Events
28 April: An Introduction to Garden Plants
RHS Wisley, Surrey
Want to know more about your garden plants? This RHS Garden Wisley course introduces you to the range of plants growing in a typical garden, from naming and classifying, to year-round maintenance and tips for getting the best from your garden plants.
More info: An Introduction to Garden Plants | RHS
29 April: Winning Against Weeds
RHS Wisley, Surrey
Weeding is a year-round activity, but steps taken in spring and early summer can save you a lot of work later. This course offers you top tips to effectively and efficiently keep your garden weeds in check, including identification and practical demonstrations of effective weeding practices.
More info: Winning Against Weeds | RHS
2 to 5 May: Craft and Design Show
RHS Hyde Hall, Essex
Come along to RHS Garden Hyde Hall for the fabulous Spring Craft and Design Show and experience the garden in full bloom. The show's a fabulous opportunity to discover, buy or commission unique handcrafted pieces direct from some of the UK’s most talented craftspeople and designer-makers.
More info: Craft and Design Show | RHS
3 to 4 May: Spring Tulip, Daffodil and Rhododendron Competition
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
Prepare to be captivated by the vibrant hues and natural beauty of spring at our eagerly anticipated RHS Tulip, Daffodil and Rhododendron Competition. We invite you to immerse yourself in the world of flower growing and showing, and learn from the experts whose plants are scrutinised by a panel of esteemed RHS judges.
More info: Spring Tulip, Daffodil and Rhododendron Competition | RHS
3 to 4 May: Bonsai South West Show
RHS Rosemoor
Explore displays of some of the highest quality bonsai trees in The Garden Room at RHS Garden Rosemoor. Some of the best professional bonsai nursery people and traders will be on hand – two of whom are RHS Gold medal-winners. They have vast amounts of knowledge to help novices and there will also be trees, accessories and tools to buy if you want bonsai to be your new hobby.
More info: Bonsai South West Show | RHS
And for those wanting to prolong their beginner’s journey into May…
6 May: What Now: May and June
RHS Wisley, Surrey
Let the RHS experts at RHS Garden Wisley help you through the gardening year with techniques, tips, tricks and advice on seasonal tasks so you know what you could do and when. May and June will include weed control, feeding, watering, taking cuttings, planting up pots and containers, common garden problems, potting on and deadheading.
More info: What Now: May and June | RHS
7 May: Introduction to Propagation
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
The first of the propagation workshops is the perfect beginner’s workshop for those embarking on seed sowing for the first time. This one-day course will cover basic seed sowing into pots and trays and you will have an opportunity to sow outside into seed beds. Basic cutting techniques will be demonstrated that will be suitable to cover a wide range of plants lots of opportunities for questions.
More info: Introduction to Propagation | RHS
9 May: What Now? May/June
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
In preparation for summer, the What Now? May/June workshop gives gardening advice for the next stage of the season. Let Olive inspire you to produce a healthy and vibrant garden. May and June’s tasks will include the use of colour for different effects, feeding, spring shrub and herbaceous pruning, deadheading, weed, plant health care, planting out half-hardy annuals and vegetables and lawn care.
More info: What Now? May / June | RHS
10 May: An Introduction to Garden Bees
RHS Wisley, Surrey
If you want to learn more about the wild bees in your garden, then this short course is just for you. We'll introduce you to some of the charming bumblebees and fascinating solitary bees that bring our gardens alive and pollinate our plants. Learn about their nesting needs and the power plants that make a difference. With a little understanding of the needs of your garden bees you can make powerful plant and gardening choices to transform your plot into a true bee-friendly, pollinator paradise.
More info: An Introduction to Garden Bees | RHS
10 May: Gardens for Life
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
A talk by Guy Petheram a Garden Design lecturer and previous project manager for the BBC series Garden Rescue. This talk will touch on how to create a nature friendly garden that is also modern and stylish, how to choose and use materials and plants to create habitat and boost biodiversity, how we can shift our perception about what gardens should do and what they should look like, and how maintenance of such gardens need not necessarily be more burdensome than more conventional gardens.
More info: Gardens for Life | RHS
10 May: Absolute Beginners - Gardening in a Tiny Space
RHS Rosemoor, Devon
It can be hard to imagine how a tiny yard or balcony could be classed as a real garden, but this workshop will inspire you and give you some skills and techniques to transform even with the tiniest of spaces into a haven for plants, both ornamental and edible. During the workshops, you will learn creative ways to garden in a small space, how to plant up difficult areas and how you can grow healthy plants in containers. These workshops will be taught by Ian Smith, RHS Garden Advisor, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to
ensure that you leave the session feeling more confident at gardening and with skills that you can go home and put into practice straight away.
More info: Absolute Beginners - Gardening in a Tiny Space | RHS
10 May: Climbers - Which One Where?
RHS Rosemoor, Devon
Climbers are such an important part of any garden planting – softening structures (or hiding ugly structures), creating height, adding colour. They give you a whole new plane to fill with plants! In this workshop, Viv will be looking at clematis, roses, wisteria, jasmine and some of the more unusual perennial and annual choices to add to your garden. There will be tips on how to combine them, how to support them and techniques for pruning and training.
More info: Climbers - Which One Where? | RHS
11 May: Plant Heritage Spring Fair
RHS Rosemoor, Devon
Discover a wide variety of rare and unusual trees, shrubs and perennials from local nurseries at RHS Garden Rosemoor's Plant Heritage Spring Fair, many of which are not generally open to the public (all for sale under the Plant Heritage banner). This popular Plant Heritage Spring Fair has grown in size and interest since it was first held at Rosemoor more than two decades ago and is a must for all keen gardeners.
More info: Plant Heritage Spring Fair | RHS
16 May: Beginners Guide to Gardening
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
If you are a beginner with a garden or allotment but not sure how to look after it, this is the course for you! Find out how to plant and look after the flowers, shrubs and trees in your garden throughout the year. Olive will demystify plant and soil types, pruning, explain the basics of lawn care, weed control, feeding and growing successfully in containers.
More info: Beginners Guide to Gardening | RHS
17 May: Composting Course
RHS Bridgewater, Manchester
Unlock the power of composting. Make a positive impact on the environment and turn your kitchen waste into nutrient-rich nourishment for your plants. Join Anne Gunning at RHS Garden Bridgewater to learn the fundamentals of home composting, including getting the balance of materials right, methods of composting that will work for you, and issues that you may encounter as you compost. By using compost created correctly at home you will save money, reduce waste, and boost the health of your soil.
More info: Composting Course | RHS
23 May: Climate Resilient Gardening
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
We are starting to feel the effects of climate change in our gardens, from prolonged periods of drought or rainfall to unseasonal weather patterns and more extreme weather events. As gardeners, we need to adapt our growing habits to cope with these changes, and we can also reduce our own carbon impact in the garden by reducing areas of greatest emissions. Join one of our Horticultural Advisors Esther for this informative and enlightening workshop.
More info: Climate Resilient Gardening | RHS
24 May: Design your own planting plan
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
If you want to re design your garden without the major landscape changes, then this workshop is for you. This workshop will be a hands-on exploration of all things planting plans. Any bed or border of your own garden could be suitable - just have several photographs of it and some rough dimensions and we can get planning a new planting for you! All you need is a willingness to explore the potential of a new planting.
More info: Design your Own Planting Plan | RHS
29 May: Your Garden in Summer – Seasonal What Now?
RHS Rosemoor, Devon
This session is aimed at new gardeners. You will go on a seasonal whistle-stop tour of techniques, tips, tricks and advice about what tasks to do in summer and be shown a number of practical demonstrations during this guided garden walk. Summer topics include plants for summer display, staking herbaceous perennials, extending the flowering season, summer containers, plus other topics of seasonal interest.
More info: Your Garden in Summer - Seasonal What Now? | RHS
About the RHS:
Since our formation in 1804, the RHS has grown into the UK’s leading gardening charity, touching the lives of millions of people. Perhaps the secret to our longevity is that we’ve never stood still. In the last decade alone we’ve taken on the largest hands-on project the RHS has ever tackled by opening the new RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, Greater Manchester, and invested in the science that underpins all our work by building RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science.
We have committed to being net positive for nature and people by 2030. We are also committed to being truly inclusive and to reflect all the communities of the UK. Across our five RHS gardens, we welcome millions of visitors each year who enjoy over 34,000 different cultivated plants. Events such as the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, other national shows, our schools and community work, and partnerships such as Britain in Bloom, all spread the shared joy of gardening to wide-reaching audiences. Throughout it all we’ve held true to our charitable core – to encourage and improve the science, art, and practice of horticulture – to share the love of gardening and the positive benefits it brings.
For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk
RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262
