Hampton Court Palace Flower Show - The RHS Years - 1993 To Present

1993 To Present

The first RHS Hampton Court Show took place in 1993, with additional sponsorship from the Daily Mail. The Show was a considerable success, and the following year was declared to be the best outdoor public event of 1994. With a 25 acre (10 hectare) show ground, there was room for considerable expansion before the infrastructure would be severely tested, and over the next few years a Heritage Marquee was set up for the NCCPG and its national collections – initially a rather quiet area, but increasing steadily in public interest; crafts pavilions, which under Adrian Boyd were the first sight to greet the visitor, were gradually moved to a less prominent position; there was room for a couple of dozen display gardens, plus a separate section, on the other side of the Long Water from the major part of the exhibition, for ten water gardens. In 1998 a Hampton Court garden was rebuilt at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. While Chelsea remained the most prestigious of the Society’s shows, Hampton Court was the largest, and readily marketed as such. Within a couple of years the investment in Hampton Court had been more than recouped.

Highlights for the 2011 Show included 'The World Vision' garden by FlemonsWarLandDesign which focused on children's vision in poorer countries. Conceptual garden 'Land Obscured' by Dan Lobb invited visitors to the underground garden to view it through a periscope to see it from a new perspective.

This year at Hampton a selection of gardens based on poems by well-known English poets was also introduced along side a stunning Rose marquee inspired by Alice in Wonderland.