Our Plant Fairs

All of our fairs are held at beautiful and prestigious gardens across the country, with a wide range of styles. For example, we have fairs at ancient and venerable locations such as the Bishop’s Palace, Wells,  where there is evidence of a garden before building of the Palace started in around 1206, or the fabulous gardens at Llanover House, near Abergavenny, the earliest parts of which date back over 200 years. Then there are more recent gardens such as the fabulous Arts and Crafts gardens at High Glanau Manor, Monmouthshire and at Winterbourne House, in Birmingham. Gardens in more unusual settings include the unique woodland gardens at Evenley Wood, near Brackley. All of these beautiful gardens provide a wonderful setting for the fairs. 

In 2023 we are delighted to add two new venues to our programme. The first is at Admington Hall, near Shipston-on-Stour. This is a 5-acre garden of rooms surrounding a part Jacobean, part Georgian country house in the Warwickshire countryside, set within 10 acres of parkland and grounds. The gardens were featured in both Gardens Illustrated and Country Life in 2022. Our second new venue is at Salthrop House, near Swindon. This is the private home and garden of renowned designer Sophie Conran and is a 200 year old manor house garden set on the edge of the Marlborough Downs. The house and gardens make the most of the breathtaking views and contain a fabulous variety of perennials, shrubs, roses herbaceous borders and beautifully planted pots.

Now, more than ever, we understand the value of our gardens in helping us to remain healthy, both physically and mentally, and we very much appreciate the owners of our wonderful host gardens making their gardens available for us to enjoy, both for our Fairs and at other times of the year. Your attendance at the Fairs helps to support the upkeep of the gardens (some of which are also charitable trusts) so that we are all able to continue to enjoy them, and in some cases also benefits important local charities. 

Click on any one of the fairs in the list at the side of the page (bottom of the page on tablets and smart phones) to find full details of the event and a list of the nurseries and exhibitors attending. 

Many of our exhibitors now have contactless card facilities, However, card machines can be at the mercy of temperamental mobile phone signals in rural locations, and also not all stallholders have them, so please bring plenty of cash with you as well to each event (and even a good, old-fashioned cheque book, if you have one!) And please try to reduce plastic waste by bringing reusable bags, boxes, trolleys etc. for your purchases.

Please also read down the page for important information about admission. parking, accessibility and the arrangements for the admittance of dogs.

Article

Tempted by Rare Plant Fairs, by Mandy Bradshaw, from The Chatty Gardener blog

Visiting our Fairs

Admission

The admission fee for each of our fairs is a combined package and includes access to the fair and gardens. In some cases, for practical reasons, the fair itself may be sited just outside the entrance to the gardens. Please note that where this is the case we do not offer a separate admission fee for the fair only or garden only. 

Card payments are accepted at all venues; however, card machines can be at the mercy of temperamental mobile phone signals in rural locations, so please bring plenty of cash with you, just in case!

Please be aware that there can be a queue for entry at the gate, especially at the beginning of a Fair. We will endeavour to get you into the Fair as quickly as possible, but please be patient whilst we do so.

Parking

With the exception of The Bishops' Palace in Wells, there is free parking on site at each of our events. Parking for The Bishops' Palace is at the public car parks in the City Centre.  In some cases there may be a walk between the parking and the garden/fair - where this is significant we try to organise pick up points to which you can drive and collect your purchases at the end of your visit. More details on event parking may be found on the Fair's own page.

Accessibility

Our fairs are held in a range of gardens, many of which are of an historic nature or which are private gardens not normally open to the public. There may be steps or uneven surfaces that make some areas of the gardens more difficult to access for disabled visitors. Each of our Fair pages includes full details regarding accessibility, but if you have specific questions please contact us.

Dogs

Dogs are permitted at some, but not all, of our fairs and gardens. Please check the page for the individual fair for the arrangements at that event. Where dogs are admitted, they must be well-behaved and kept on a short lead at all times.