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Is Chelsea the only major gardening event the RHS hold

01:00 Tue 19th Jun 2001 |

A.� By no means. Chelsea is held in May which, if you think about it, is very early for the majority of plants, both common and rare. Chelsea is as much about garden design and high society as it is about plants. For many gardening lovers the season proper only starts after Chelsea.

Q.�� What's the next big event

A.� Hampton Court. It runs from July 3-8th in the grounds of Henry XIII's famous palace. Although Chelsea gets the most attention, Hampton Court is actually bigger, the biggest gardening show of the year in fact. There are show gardens, specialist nurseries and a selection of national plant collections. One of the things that makes Hampton Court special is the 'village' dedicated to window boxes and hanging baskets designed by hundreds of local horticultural societies from the length and breadth of the country. The competition is fierce.

Q.� What comes after that

A.� After Hampton Court, Tatton Park is the next must do on the plantaholic's calendar. It runs from July 18-22 in this wonderful 50-acre Cheshire garden. A feature of Tatton Park this year is going to be the back-to-back gardens, a series of small plots designed to show the enthusiastic amateur what can be achieved in a limited space. There will also be an area dedicated to roses, which should be in their pomp at this time of year.

Q. And after that

A.� The finale of the show season is Malvern, held over two days, 29-30th September, at the Three Counties Showground in the Worcestershire town. Late summer favourites such as chrysanthemums and dahlias are much in evidence as are fruiting trees. One of the most popular aspects of Malvern are the RHS advice desks where gardeners can tap the knowledge of a panel of gardening experts. The show also features an apple and fungi identification service and rural crafts.

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By Tom Gard

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