Let us know if you know of any great gardens to visit or any feedback on NGS gardens .

First Signs of Spring 2026

Celebrate the beauty of early spring at Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent as the grounds emerge back into life for First Signs of Spring, opening on Wednesday 11 February 2026.

Take a refreshing walk through Hever’s award-winning gardens and enjoy 160,000 snowdrops planted across the grounds, carpeting the historic estate. Delicate crocuses and other early-flowering plants will create a beautiful start to the season. Discover the blossoms of camellia, quince, hellebores and early daffodils such as ‘Early Sensation’.

Follow a self-guided spring trail through areas including the Outer Moat, Sunday Walk, and Church Gill, where you’ll spot the first blooms of the year. Don’t miss the newly redesigned Winter Garden, filled with vibrant dogwoods, scented daphnes, and speciality snowdrops in shades of white and green.

Join Hever Castle gardener Felix Green for a 15 minute Winter Garden Talk at 11:30 on 16 – 18, 23 – 25  February, and discover more about the 160,000 snowdrops planted across the grounds and how the team curates the garden’s seasonal displays.

Plant Fair 2026 22 March

Hever Castle welcomes back the Plant Fair Roadshow for its second year. This popular,  one-day event, brings together a collective of specialist and award-winning growers, offering a rare opportunity to discover unusual and hard-to-find plants in a beautiful historic setting.

Held within the Castle grounds, the Plant Fair Roadshow showcases a wide range of plants, bulbs and garden equipment, with expert growers on hand to offer practical advice on planting, care and cultivation. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, this spring plant fair is an inspiring day out for garden lovers.

Free admission applies to RHS members for this event. The Gardeners’ World 2-for-1 offer is also valid. 

 

RHS Orchid Show | 13 – 15 Mar

Visit the Hilltop Garden Room at RHS Wisley to explore spectacular orchid displays and meet expert growers. Pick up care tips and inspiration from talks and demos, browse quality plants and accessories, and top off your visit with a stroll through the beautiful Orchid House.  RHS Members go free.

Spring Plant Fair at Great Dixter

A small plant fair which has become a date-to-save for plantspeople from near and far.

April 11-12
11am-4pm

Nurseries attending include:
Bearded Gnome Nursery; Beth Chatto Gardens; Binny Plants; Bright Green Fox; Cally Gardens; Copton Ash; Edible Garden; English Sweet Peas; Flora Vera; Freckles and Flora; Hardys Cottage Plants; Hoyland’s; Jurassic; Kent Wildflower Seed; The Laurels Nursery; Longacre Plants; Lowwood Nursery; No Name Nursery; Pelham Plants; Phoenix Perennial Plants; Plantbase; Plantsman’s Preference; Potterton’s; Rapkyns; Roseland House; Rotherview; Swallowfields; Wildegoose Nursery; Zophian

Extract from an E mail we have received which may be of interest

 My name is Sue and I am a volunteer at Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden, a local cancer support charity.

On Friday 17th April between 1-5pm, we are delighted to be opening our garden at Maggie's at The Royal Marsden to visitors as part of the National Garden Scheme Open Gardens. The National Garden Scheme shares Maggie’s passionate belief that gardens and outdoor spaces play a vital role in improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.

I wondered if this would be of any interest to you or any of your members? We’d be delighted to have you here and we’d be grateful if you could spread the word with any other garden enthusiasts.

For more details about the event and to purchase your tickets: https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/37617/maggies

Thank you for your time! Any further questions, please contact my colleague Claudia at [email protected].