For those of you who like to add a green-fingered touch to their UK tours, last week’s Britain Insider column focused on some of the spectacular and inspirational Flower Shows that are organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.  They stage eight of them throughout the gardening year and this article concentrated on the four in April and May.  I added some tour suggestions to show how they can become the star attraction in a tour that’s packed with visits to privately owned castles and stately homes, cathedrals, tea rooms and ancient pubs!

If time is against you today, check out the short summaries I’ve put together on each one in this week’s edition and I’ve also added a link to a Cotswolds-based itinerary that can be customised to go with the flower shows in Cardiff and Chelsea. Keep an eye open next week for coverage of four more during June, July and September.

To show that we also deliver some very good tours, check out the testimonial at the end of this week’s edition.

RHS Spring Launch and Orchid Show, 7-9 April

Based in the historic RHS Horticultural Halls in the heart of London, growers from across the country exhibit their finest plants with an impressive variety from airplants and agapanthus, to orchids and bonsai trees. Get hands-on with an array of talks, workshops and demos and enjoy inspiring floristry and design displays, with plenty of inspiration for brightening up your home. Read More

RHS Flower Show Cardiff: 17-19 April

Celebrating its 15^th year in 2020 and brimming with the colours and scents of spring, it’s the perfect place to kick-start the gardening season.  Located in the heart of the Welsh capital, against the backdrop of Cardiff Castle, the show gardens and stunning floral displays celebrate a love of the outdoors, creativity and the wonders of spring with plenty of seasonal ideas. Read More

RHS Malvern Spring Festival: 7-10 May

Set against the magnificent Malvern Hills and on the western edge of the Cotswolds, this spring festival is packed with regional food, flowers and crafts alongside a line-up of expert speakers. Creativity runs wild here as skilful designers of over 70 hand-picked nurseries in the Floral Marquee are given free rein to choose their garden’s theme, providing you with plenty of take-home inspiration.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show: 19-23 May

World-renowned, glamorous and quintessentially British, this is the RHS’s most prestigious show and an established part of the social season. It brings together the best garden designers and plants people from across the world to create truly innovative gardens and floral displays.  Showcasing an amazing array of flora through cutting-edge garden design and floral artistry, it is must-see show for gardening enthusiasts. Read More

Great Gardens of the Cotswolds

With four winners of the prestigious Historic Houses/Christies Garden of the Year, numerous privately-owned gardens, some 16^th century pubs, a side trip to Bath or Stratford, the Cotswolds makes a good central location for a day at the RHS Malvern Flower Show.  It’s also perfect as a park your jet lag in the countryside tour before (or after) the Chelsea Flower Show.

How Did We Do?

Our afternoon tea group has recently returned from their London and the Cotswolds trip. They visited palaces, gardens, charming villages, and naturally had afternoon tea in several wonderful places. Everyone particularly enjoyed the knowledgeable guide as well as having time for shopping in the villages we visited. London perfectly capped off the week and everyone wants to return sometime soon! Rachel Shoemaker, Louisa White Travel, LLC – an Independent Affiliate of Gifted Travel Network, a Virtuoso Member.