CityLife

Must see: RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park

A scene from a previous year at RHS Flower Show in Tatton Park

Tatton Park, Cheshire - from Wednesday to SUNDAY, July 24

Those of you currently strapping up your dancing shoes or buttoning up your lucky pulling shirt might think an event about flowers at a National Trust home is all a bit of a grown-up pursuit.

But before you turn up your nose and head to the bar, it’s worth considering that so popular is the annual Tatton Flower Show that it generally attracts enough visitors to stop traffic.

Why? Because not only is the event the biggest horticultural show in the region’s calendar but it’s also become the one to be seen at every summer – a place where the green-fingered rub shoulders with the Cheshire set.

As well as show gardens and flowerbed competitions – the latter arranged by 14 local authority and community groups – there are talks, children’s play areas, practical horticultural and nature workshops and even fine dining.

Debuting this year is also the exclusive Ladies’ Day (for those with a fascinator they’re keen to air, that happens on Thursday), which includes two special guest speakers: gardener and presenter Rachel de Thame and former milliner to the Royal family, Adrian Phillip Howard (better make that a really excellent fascinator then...).

With so many ladies around, the park is also laying on some special shopping experiences with garden goodies, plants and even fashion available to browse and buy.
And sure, if the weather stays nice that pint down the local is definitely going to taste good on the terrace.
 
But add in a pretty Tatton Park view and you’ve just about got the perfect weekend on your hands.

£19.50-£25.50 adv/£28 on the day (two under-16s are permitted entry free of charge per adult).