Family fun at Tatton Park

There were a host of activities to get the gang together at the show in 2019

The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2019 was the perfect summer day out for the whole family.

We had a range of exciting show features and activities to enjoy – from woodland skills and planting herbs, to finding out more about the creepy crawlies that live in gardens. 

Hunt for bugs

New to the show in 2019 was the Bug Hub, a dome filled with a host of creepy crawlies waiting to be discovered.

Visitors stepped into the shoes of an entomologist (a scientist who studies bugs) and saw some creepy crawlies up close and personal with the help of our microscope station, or helped our scientists by taking part in our Slug Survey. 

Along with the Bug Hub, there was a whole mix of creepy crawlie inspired activities in the Green Fields area.

The team from Bugsnstuff offered a chance to meet some of nature’s biggest and most exotic critters, visitors made some clay bugs with the Secret Adventurers’ Club and kids had their favourite insect painted on their face with the team from Neon Tiger. 

Plus, Manchester Museum exhibited fascinating insects from its collection. There were new species to be discovered and visitors could put their skills to the test in an insect classification game.

Inspiration from the school gardens

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening returned to Tatton Park once again and saw schools from the North West of England design and build a garden.

More schools than ever joined us in 2019, with each entry basing their design on a 'Best of British Bug'. Find out which school won the competition.

Make a pond 

Visitors learned how to make a mini pond with the team from Cheshire Wildlife Trust. 

The team explained how to encourage wildlife into gardens by creating a mini pond, as part of the RHS and Wildlife Trust's Wild About Gardens campaign.

There was also the opportunity to study the critters found lurking in garden ponds, with newt experts on hand to reveal some of the secrets of our amphibious pond inhabitants. 

Learn a new skill

Guests could channel their inner Bear Grylls with some skills from the team at the Woodland Skills Centre.

There were workshops for adults and children running throughout the show that included making mini baskets, bird feeders, spatulas, dibbers and tent pegs. 

Plant a herb garden

The Herb Society were at the show and invited children to plant up a 3m x 3m herb garden, in the Dig In Area. 

It was a great opportunity for kids to get their hands dirty and learn all about the different edibles that they could grow at home. 

Around the show

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has creeped and crawled his way through the RHS Shows this year and made a final stop at Tatton Park.

Families followed his trail around the show, spotting the half-munched fruit he'd left behind, to be the first to spot the most mischievous caterpillar in town.