If you're a fan of traveling during the summer and love a dose of flower events and festivals, the RHS Hampton Court Place Garden Festival is one you must attend if you'll be in London during the first days of July. This year, anniversaries and international inspiration lead the garden lineup at the festival. These are all the details about the festival and why it's a great idea to pay a visit while you're in the city.
Hampton Court Palace Will Host Once Again One of the Biggest Flower Festivals
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024 celebrates anniversaries, international inspiration, and gardening for wildlife as the festival returns to the grounds of the historic Hampton Court Palace from 2-7 July 2024. Set against the backdrop of Hampton Court Palace in London, this annual event attracts horticulturists, garden enthusiasts, and visitors worldwide.
Highlights of some of the best moments at the RHS Garden Festival back in 2022. Video by RHS
You're about to know everything about one of the biggest flower events in the industry, including the festival's dates, location, featured showcases, and its significance as a premier event in the floral industry. Will you be attending this year?
Photo: @the_rhs
Dates and Location of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival typically takes place in early July, offering visitors a delightful summer experience. The festival spans several days, allowing ample time to explore the floral displays and participate in various activities. Set in the Court Palace, the festival combines regal splendor with the beauty of gardens, making it a very summer-worthy experience. Your favorite season combined with flowers? Nothing beats this combo.
Photo: @helenanderz
Photo: @flowersfromthefarm
The festival shows distinctive gardens, each carefully worked on and created by experts to inspire and stun visitors. From show gardens created by world-renowned designers to innovative conceptual displays, it offers a world of horticultural wonders. Attendees can explore themed gardens, contemporary designs, urban landscapes, and sustainable gardening solutions, providing a wealth of inspiration for their own outdoor spaces.
Photo: @quinquinquin
Anniversaries and International Inspiration Lead the Garden Lineup
In honor of RHS Britain in Bloom's 60th anniversary as the largest community gardening competition in the UK, Jon, and James Wheatley's Gardening for People and Planet honors Bloom's history as well as the advantages community gardening has for people's well-being and the environment.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King in the West End, Juliet Sargeant is drawing inspiration from the award-winning production’s bright colors and the African savannah for The Lion King Anniversary Garden with dusty red soil planted with swathes of resilient grasses and lively, drought tolerant flowers.
Also drawing inspiration from hotter climates, The Climate-Forward Garden by Melanie Hick in the popular Get Started Garden category looks to the Australian bush to reimagine a UK front garden into a stylish yet climate-conscious green space complete with typically Australian gum and crepe myrtle trees.
Looking to the Mediterranean, The Mediterraneo Garden designed by Katerina Kantalis draws on the gardening traditions of Greece with drought-tolerant plants in and amongst terracotta pots, whilst Nilufer Danis’ The Way of Saint James seeks to capture the mystical essence of Galicia’s forests as well as support biodiversity through creating habitat for insects and wildlife.
Oliver Bond takes inspiration from Closer to Home for Bond Landscape Design: Match Point, a garden featuring a tennis court and green, purple, and white planting with nectar-rich plants to support biodiversity. Tim Jennings and Giada Francois also promote biodiversity in their designs. Jennings’ A Four Season Sanctuary features a pond to demonstrate the value they provide to wildlife and Francois’ The Garden of Renewal is packed with naturalistic planting.
Natalie Gearing, manager of RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, said:
“There is such a variety of ideas at this year’s festival, from bringing gardening traditions of other countries to the classically British setting of Hampton Court Palace to celebrating anniversaries of beloved institutions through garden design. There will be inspiration to suit all styles, abilities, and garden size.”
Alongside the gardens, visitors to the festival can also browse and buy plants from expert growers in the Floral Marquee and Festival of Roses. Experts are on hand with advice at the How To and Get Growing Festival Stages and The RHS Allotment also returns with plots built by local community groups as well as the Pocket Planting category with a new theme of ‘resilient’.
One thing is for sure — everyone who steps on the RHS Hampton Court this year will be able to give way to their senses in profuse flowers and pleasant fragrances.
RHS Hampton Garden Festival - Soaked in Inspiration
Educational workshops and demonstrations form an integral part of the festival's program. Expert gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturalists share their knowledge, providing invaluable insights into various aspects of gardening and floral design. From hands-on workshops to insightful talks and demonstrations, everyone can enhance their gardening skills and gain inspiration for their projects.
The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival holds great significance within the floral industry. As one of the largest flower shows, it serves as a platform for both established and emerging talents to show their skills and creativity. The festival provides an opportunity for designers, landscapers, and horticulturalists to push boundaries, experiment with new ideas, and set trends in the industry.
Photo: @alistergthorpe
The event also plays a crucial role in promoting environmental conservation. The festival inspires visitors to adopt eco-friendly approaches in their own gardens. The integration of sustainable design elements and the highlighting of wildlife-friendly gardening techniques contribute to raising awareness and encouraging responsible practices within the floral industry and among visitors alike.
Interested in attending? Head to the RHS website to get your tickets on time and enjoy this once-in-a-year experience!
Photos by the RHS.
