The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Flower Show Cardiff will celebrate its 15th anniversary from 17-19 April 2020. Buzzing with a host of gardens, floral displays and interactive activities, the show will shine a spotlight on Visit Wales’ ‘Year of the Outdoors’ theme for 2020.
New for this year, The Great Outdoors area will be central to the show, designed in response to a growing public interest in reconnecting with nature. Championing the links between horticulture and wellbeing, the area will feature displays, workshops and advice to highlight how visitors can make the most of the great outdoors, from foraging and craft workshops, to mindfulness.
This year’s garden line-up includes, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, who will walk visitors through what makes a garden wildlife-friendly with Step into a Wilder Future as they build on their successful Wilder Future campaign.
The Giving Nature a Home Partnership (RSPB; Cardiff County Council; Buglife) have teamed up with the Cardiff Rivers Group to create the Taff Bank Garden. By recreating a section of one of Cardiff’s major rivers the garden will serve as an interactive, educational resource linking to activities at the show aimed at helping people to understand how our actions influence the world around us.
For the first time at the show, instead of two Floral Marquees, over 40 of the UK’s finest nurseries will come together under one large structure. Among the newcomers will be Glendon Hall Nursery with a display of Epimediums and other spring shade plants, and family-run Todd’s Botanics. 2020 will also see Bridgend-based Pheasant Acre Plants chosen as Master Grower, who will bring together a dazzling display of spring bulb plants including tulips, peonies, daffodils and erythroniums.
Following its success last year, the Floristry Tent will return, bigger and better than before. A packed line-up of live demonstrations will accompany displays from local florists and flower arrangers, many inspired by The Great Outdoors.
The popular Wheelbarrow Competition will help mark the show’s 15th anniversary, challenging local schools to create designs with a ‘Celebration’ theme. Other highlights include the Talks Theatre featuring talks and discussions from experts such as Matt Biggs, The Skinny Jean Gardener and Radio 2 gardening Guru Terry Walton. Plus, visitors will find an array of interactive and educational exhibits in the Discovery Marquee from exhibitors including National Museum Wales, Welsh Water, Neath College, National Vegetable Society, and the Japanese Garden Society.
Show Manager Rebecca Welti says: “It’s set to be a fantastic year for RHS Cardiff! The show has grown so much from the pop-up that we introduced in 2005 and 2020 is lining up to be the best yet! There is so much to see with plenty of hands-on activities and workshops for the whole family to get involved in. We are so proud to be part of the Welsh community and are hugely grateful for all the support we receive from businesses and organisations who help make this show so special.”
