The RHS - Hints, Tips & Virtual Flower Shows

Expert gardening insights and virtual RHS Flower Shows

Our friends at The RHS have been working hard gathering hints, tips and tricks for how you can make the best of your own space at home, during the lockdown.

Here they share some of their expert's insights with Great Little Breaks to help you become a little more, or even a little bit, green fingered whilst staying safe at home; whether you only have a windowsill, a pocket patch or are lucky enough to have a bigger garden.

Tending to your house plants

Looking after your houseplants is one of the best ways to keep your mind stimulated and engaged with nature. They improve our air quality and they can reduce your stress and anxiety. If you've got any plants that have outgrown their pots or are growing offsets, you can start by re-potting to give them more room to grow .

Explore RHS's short guide on how to deal with houseplants here .

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Grow Your Own Herbs

What herbs can be sown at the moment and if we cant get seeds, what can people grow from what they already have at home?

You can be self-sufficient in many herbs from just a few pots or a large trough conveniently placed in a sunny spot near your kitchen door. As well as providing sprigs for the kitchen, they produce a profusion of small flowers which bees and butterflies love.

You may still have seeds in your cupboard, and if not, then many nurseries are still selling online. If you can't get hold of them, seeds can also be found in the kitchen cupboard; coriander, cumin, dill, dried chillies, fennel, fenugreek, mustard, star anise and so on. Pot grown supermarket herbs can be grown on, but are surprisingly temperamental, no doubt having been forced with generous heat, water and fertiliser during cultivation.

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Here are some tips for three of the most popular herbs Coriander, Basil and Parsley.

Coriander can be sown in late spring directly into the garden. As soon as the seeds have germinated, sow more to keep supplies constant. Sometimes coriander self sows and will appear the following year.

Basil should be sown indoors on a sunny window sill or in a propagator in a greenhouse. After May you can sow directly in to garden soil. As soon as seeds have germinated, sow more to keep supplies constant.

Parsley can be sown in early spring with a bottom heat of 18C (64F) or in late spring 0.5cm (in) deep in rich soil. Use fresh seed. Germination is slow. A second and third sowing in late spring and late summer ensure supplies for summer and autumn.

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If you’re looking for some more herb-growing inspiration perhaps take some time to listen to the RHS's latest podcast on lockdown gardening tips:


Learn more at the most famous (virtual) Flower Show

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the world’s most famous Flower Show and a highlight of the gardening calendar. Although this year’s Show has sadly had to be cancelled, the RHS has announced it will create an online Virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show, to celebrate the great horticultural industry and joys of gardening during what should have been ‘show week’ (19-23 May 2020).

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Whilst the RHS cannot create the actual show at The Royal Hospital Chelsea, designers, growers, exhibitors and others from across the horticultural industry will come together online to share the joy of gardening. You can visit The RHS website or follow them on social media @The_RHS for updates.

In the meantime, take a moment to yourself and enjoy highlights from last year’s wonderful Show on the RHS’s YouTube Channel here .

Images from the 2019 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

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News about RHS Malvern Spring Festival

As some of you may know, Great Little Breaks are headline sponsors of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival. As with RHS Chelsea, the show has been cancelled for this year (sad face)!

However, we are delighted to let you know that a virtual version of the show will be launched on the RHS Malvern website on what would have been the opening day of the festival - Thursday 7th May.

Set against the magnificent Malvern Hills, the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is usually packed with flowers, food, crafts and family fun, but this year it’s going to be different.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival

Virtual show gardens are being created using immersive 3D renders and beautiful 3D animations.

Show garden designer Villaggio Verde has taken this one step further with Taverna Cove by teaming up with Concepts Conveyed to literally build a virtual garden from scratch.

Virtual visitors to RHS Malvern will also be able to hear from some of the show garden designers themselves about the inspirations, creativity and planting plans.

A selection of top UK specialist growers who would normally exhibit at RHS Malvern will be also showing visitors the huge variety plants, shrubs and trees available from nurseries.

If you have a Facebook account you can follow progress on the Malvern Shows Facebook page here or check for updates on their website rhsmalvern.co.uk

Don't forget to 'visit' on Thursday 7th May 2020.

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Image credits: RHS Neil Hepworth, RHS Tim Sandall, RHS Jason Ingram

RHS Malvern - The Leaf Creative Garden, Wanderlust of Plants, by Peter Dowle / Day 7 Taverna Cove Virtual Build by Villaggio Verde

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