RHS Flower Show Cardiff: The Year of the Legends 7 – 9 April 2017

The annually anticipated floral spectacular, RHS Flower Show Cardiff will return to the city this April, embracing Wales’ Year of Legends, 2017 with a host of themed gardens and features to spark the imagination.

The Flower Show – which is organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in partnership with Cardiff Council – will this year take place from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 April, and will once again fill the beautiful Bute Park with all things floral.

Encouraging visitors to embrace this year’s magical, mystical theme – and inspiring showgoers to experience the rich history of Welsh legends and their connection to the surrounding landscape – featured show gardens will include Bridgend College’s ‘Y Meudwyaeth’, inspired by the Blackfriars monastic site and heritage, as well as Chris Myers’ homage to Blodeuwedd, a mythical woman made from flowers who, legend has it, was turned into an owl as punishment for trying to murder her husband.

Macmillan Cancer Support will return to the show with a contemplative garden focusing on the theme of ‘legacy’, and gardener Daniel Bodin will create a modern garden with a historical twist to encapsulate Welsh heritage and traditions.

Two Cardiff-based charities – Grow Cardiff and The Dusty Shed – will work together on a display made completely by novice gardeners, containing delicious edibles which support and attract wildlife. Tying in with the myths and legends theme, the garden will feature a castle and peasant’s cottage made from upcycled pallets and rubbish.

Other features will include giant wicker bug sculptures, the ever-popular schools’ wheelbarrow competition, demonstrations and live workshops, bushcraft and live animals.

Continuing the ongoing success of the RHS Greening Grey Britain campaign, visitors will be encouraged to ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ – learning how to transform their grey areas into a green paradise for all sorts of insects and animals, and help halt the current decline of Britain’s wildlife. There will also be a whole host of wildlife-themed children’s activities including den building, tree climbing, a children’s trail, seedbomb making and bug-hotel workshops.

Nurseries from across the UK can be found in the Floral Marquees and Plant Village with displays bursting with fresh planting ides for the year ahead.

The Museum of Wales will also be at the show with a ‘Welsh Wood and Woodlands’ display, telling the story of the diversity of Welsh woodlands, both historically and today. The museum holds huge collections of plant fossils that are hundreds of millions years old, and will be giving visitors the opportunity to try their hand at fossil hunting.

Last year’s RHS Flower Show Cardiff was a record breaker with more than 26,000 visitors descending on Bute Park to see it transformed into a floral celebration of Roald Dahl during his centenary year.

Speaking about this year’s event, Show Manager Rose Gore-Browne said: “We’re really excited about this year’s show and are busy gearing up for another fantastic event for the city. Last year’s show – with its Dahl-inspired themes – proved such a hit, and we wanted to come back with something equally as impressive to wow showgoers. The Welsh Myths and Legends theme is certainly set to create some really imaginative show stoppers.

“There really will be something for everyone and, with even more exciting plans to be announced very soon, watch this space.”

For more information or to buy advance tickets for the RHS Flower Show Cardiff visit www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff.

RHS image credit