RHS Show Cardiff is a Highlight of the First National Gardening Week
In the grey of January thoughts
turn to the colours of spring, and where better to find them than the RHS Show Cardiff
April 20-22. Tickets are now on sale (www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff) for this first Royal
Horticultural Society show of the season set in the splendid parklands of Cardiff
Castle at the heart of the Welsh capital, where last year record crowds turned out
to enjoy the best of the spring blooms and to seek inspiration for the gardening
season ahead.
This year’s event provides the finale to the first ever National Gardening Week,
the RHS bid to get the nation growing, and the show will be used to launch a new
Campaign for School Gardening initiative to get the kids out there with their forks.
The Cardiff show is already a big hit with youngsters through its Schools Wheelbarrow
Competition, which once again will showcase the imaginative planting and creative
horticultural talents of pupils from some 70 schools in South Wales.
Groundwork and the RHS have teamed up to shout about the enormous importance gardening
and green space have in reviving urban communities. Landscape designer and broadcaster,
Chris Beardshaw is creating show features, sponsored by M&S, at every show this
season, starting with Cardiff. Chris has been visiting community gardens in Merthyr
and Cardiff for inspiration and has met some of the people who volunteer their time
to create and maintain an ‘Urban Oasis’ for local people to enjoy.
There will also be show gardens from Wales’ leading designers, including two times
Best in Show winner Gaynor Witchard who embarked on a garden design career after
tasting success at the show.
This will be the eighth RHS show in Cardiff, delivered though a partnership between
Cardiff Council and the Royal Horticultural Society, and organisers are delighted
with its growing popularity. RHS Shows Director Stephen Bennett said: “We’ve had
glorious April sunshine for a couple of years and that has attracted bumper crowds
to this beautiful park for a show of the highest quality.”
The event features over 50 floral exhibitors from across the country, amongst them
Ron Scamp whose Quality Daffodils won the Best Floral Exhibitor for the sixth year
running at last year’s event. Ron said: “Last year was the best Cardiff show so
far. The ambience created that weekend was unsurpassed by any other show that we
do, everyone seemed to be having a great time, enjoying the excellent quality of
plants available.”
Highlights of the RHS Show Cardiff include:
- show gardens
- talks, demonstrations and expert advice from some well-known gardening names
- floral marquees & Plant Plaza
- Schools Wheelbarrow competition
- garden furniture and equipment
- Craft Village
- Cafe Quarter
- Food Hall
- nature trails
- Street entertainers
- Live music on the bandstand
Cardiff Council Executive Member for Sport Leisure and Culture, Councillor Nigel
Howells said: “The RHS Show has grown into one of our outstanding Cardiff events,
attracting gardening fans and casual visitors from far afield. It’s great that the
show is a feature of the first ever National Gardening Week.”