Additional show highlights this year included:
RHS Hub
The RHS Hub, based in the Inspire zone, will focus on
bringing families and communities together, featuring
a Village Green, complete with bandstand, food stalls
and an Alice in Wonderland-themed activity area
full of seed sowing and cutting activities. It will also
include the RHS Community Street feature, which aims
to demonstrate the importance of urban regeneration,
as a real-life RHS Britain in Bloom community space is
selected and redesigned to show how derelict areas
can be transformed through the use of plants. For
younger visitors, the popular Scarecrow Competition
will return with pupils from infant and primary
schools across the South East each adding their own
imaginative twists to traditional scarecrow designs.
This year the theme is history, in keeping with the
show’s anniversary. A scarecrow trail will lead the
visitor from place to place over the showground,
culminating at the Scarecrow Competition with a
giant scarecrow as the centrepiece.
Floral Marquee
The Floral Marquee hosts 90 award-winning nurseries
from around the UK, including new exhibitors and
native specialists, all selling the best-quality plants
around. Four nurseries will focus on new, innovative
ways of displaying everyone’s favourite plants. This
year the Floral Marquee will also feature six brand
new 3 x 3m Flower Boxes at its entrance to welcome
visitors.
Plant Heritage Marquee
The Plant Heritage Marquee will house eight National
Plant Collection holders, offering specialist advice and
plants for sale.
Festival of Roses and Floral Design Studio
Carrying on the history theme, the Festival of Roses
will showcase a wide range of beautiful, colourful and
scented roses within a historic walled garden setting.
A programme of talks and events will complement
the beautiful visual displays, and the prestigious Rose
of the Year 2016 will also be announced. Next door,
the Floral Design Studio will display professional
florists’ creations alongside the up-and-coming talent
emerging from the UK’s top floristry colleges.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
Preview Evening
Once again, the Preview Evening will start the show,
taking place on Monday 2 9 June from 5 to 10:30pm.
Visitors can spend time listening to live music with
friends and family while viewing the beautiful gardens
and floral displays, before tucking into a picnic or a
meal in one of the restaurants. The perfect finish to
the evening is a magnificent fireworks display with the
stunning backdrop of Hampton Court Palace. Come
and celebrate the 25th anniversary in style.
Further information please visit the RHS website at
www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt
58 Landscape & Urban Design Issue 14