The Plant Fairs Roadshow is made up of a collective of nurseries drawn from ten counties in England, such as Long Acre Plants from Somerset who specialise in shade-loving plants and Jacques Armand who will be bringing a selection of Arisaema for the woodland garden, hardy orchids, hedychinium and scadoxus. In March 2025, the Plant Fairs Roadshow will take place at the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle & Gardens.
Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants from Hampshire, established and run by Rob and Rosy Hardy, will also be attendance. Known for winning multiple RHS Chelsea gold medals, the Hardy’s will bring their wonderful plants to market including Ipheion uniflorum ‘Hardy’s Hybrid’, which they will showcase at Hever Castle alongside rare hellebores and shade-loving plants.
“It’s a dream come true to welcome the fantastic Plant Fairs Roadshow to Hever – I have been an admirer of their plant fairs, and also their RHS Chelsea Flower Show displays, over the last few years. Having this collected pedigree of nurseries onsite at Hever, all at once, will feel a little bit like a mini Chelsea to me,” said Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle & Gardens.
Paul Seaborne, coordinator of the Plant Fairs Roadshow, and owner of Pelham Plants in East Sussex said: “We quite literally go on the road for seven months of the year, showcasing our plants at wonderful venues and also the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. We are so pleased to get the chance to work with Neil and the team at Hever Castle & Gardens. We will have 17 nurseries (plus supporting garden ware specialists) in attendance and they can’t wait to display incredible plants next March during the Dazzling Daffodil event.”
Roadshow visitors will also be able to enjoy Hever Castle’s annual festival of narcissus ‘Dazzling Daffodils’ which flower across the Estate – once owned by William Waldorf Astor. Over 250,000 daffodils welcome visitors in Anne Boleyn’s orchard, the Edwardian pleasure gardens, home to an ornate Italian Garden, the woodland and alpine garden featuring rare narcissus, Lake Walk and the double moated castle – all surrounded by heritage and modern narcissus varieties.
“The special week of Dazzling Daffodils in March is a wonderful time to visit Hever Castle, it’s when we really start to see the fruits of our winter labours and when we can smell spring in the air! It will be a welcome sight to see the Plant Fairs Roadshow roll into the grounds on the last day of Dazzling Daffodils with their timely plants and we hope that visitors will be inspired by the PFR’s stands and take inspiration home to their own gardens,” adds Miller.
The collective of nurseries attending the Plant Fairs Roadshow at Hever Castle includes: Beechbridge Plants, Charleshurst Farm Nursery, Daisy Roots, Eleplants, Hedgehog Plants, H W Hyde & Sons, Madrona Nursery, Moore and Moore Plants, Pelham Plants, Phoenix Plants, Plantbase, Riverside Bulbs, Swallowfield Nursery, Branching Out, and The No Name Nursery. They will be supported with hardware and tools by Dan Cooper Gardens, Tom Critchley’s Garden Supports and the innovative products from The Wool Shed.
The Plant Fairs Roadshow at Hever Castle & Gardens will take place on Sunday the 23rd of March 2025.