Tatton Park Flower Show facts for kids
The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is a big garden show. It takes place at Tatton Park in Cheshire, near Knutsford. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) started this show in 1999.
At the show, you can see amazing gardens. There's a competition for the best flower beds. Young designers also get to show off their skills. You can explore many different types of gardens. These include large show gardens and smaller 'Back to Back' gardens. There are also 'visionary gardens' that show new ideas. Big tents, called marquees, display beautiful plants. Other parts of the show include a floral marquee, a plant plaza, and an arts area. There's also a special studio for floral design.
Contents
History of the RHS Flower Shows
The Royal Horticultural Society wanted to hold more shows. They looked for places outside of London. By 1996, they were talking with Tatton Park in Cheshire. They also talked with Strathclyde Council in Scotland.
Scotland's National Gardening Show
Scotland's National Gardening Show started in 1997. It was the biggest flower show in Scotland since 1988. Many people visited, and there were lots of exhibitors. Over 40% of the exhibitors were from Scotland. They showed gardens with different themes. For example, one garden featured plants from a famous explorer. Another showed a small wildlife garden.
In 1998, more exhibitors joined the show. But fewer people came because of bad weather. By 1999, the show needed 50,000 visitors to cover its costs. However, only 35,000 people attended. This was much less than the Tatton Park Show that same year. So, the RHS decided they could not afford to hold the show again. Local garden groups then worked together to create a new show.
New Ideas at Tatton Park
Over the years, the Tatton Park show became known for new talent. It showed off fresh ideas in garden design and art. In 2009, two new garden categories were added. These were the RHS Young Designer of the Year Award. The other was the Visionary Gardens category. This encouraged designers to try new and exciting things.
RHS Show Tatton Park's Success
The first Tatton Show was planned for 1998. But the RHS decided to focus on the Scotland show first. The Tatton Show finally opened in 1999. Max de Soissons was the manager for this show. He was very experienced in organizing events.
What You Could See at the First Show
The first Tatton Show in 1999 was a huge success. It had 12 large show gardens. There were also 16 'back-to-back' gardens. These were different from other small gardens at other RHS shows. The main tent had 77 plant nurseries. Ten rose growers were part of the Royal National Rose Show. There were also 200 stands selling garden supplies. About 20 plant societies had displays. A special tent showed 30 national plant collections. There was also a crafts area and a furniture area.
The organizers expected 70,000 visitors. But an amazing 102,000 people came! Everyone agreed that Tatton had the friendliest atmosphere of all the RHS shows.
The National Flower Bed Competition
A special competition was started at Tatton. It was for parks departments from different towns. They competed to create the best flower bed design. Each bed was the same size. This made the competition fair for everyone. In the first year, six towns competed. By 2003, there were 24 competitors. This competition became very popular.
Getting to the Show
Because so many people visit the show, there are often traffic changes. Some roads near Tatton Park become one-way. This helps manage the large number of cars.
Gallery
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England's North West a Healthy Future Garden, 2006
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The Cater Allen Private Bank Garden, 2007
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The East Meets West Garden, 2008
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The Into the Light Garden, 2007
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The Brewin Dolphin Garden, 2007
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The Out of Africa Garden, 2006
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The Four Elements Garden: A garden for the senses, 2006
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The Life and Soul Garden, 2007
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The Green Approach's Amen Corner Garden, 2007
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The Water Garden, 2007
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The Natural Distinction Garden, 2008
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Albert Dock Garden, top prize entry in 2010
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