The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced its plans to hold a new Urban Show in Central Manchester. From 18 – 21 April 2024, the RHS will transform Manchester’s historic former railway station, Depot Mayfield, into an urban grower’s paradise full of small space gardening inspiration to encourage and inspire city dwellers to grow plants for both their indoor and outside spaces.
The RHS Urban Show will be very different to the RHS’s current roster of Flower Shows, with an industrial, indoor, city centre location and immersive experience designed for those who live in cities with limited or no outdoor growing space.
Whilst urban growing will be at the heart of the show, the influence horticulture has on interior design, art, wellness and sustainability will also be explored. There will be innovative gardening features with design inspiration for small city spaces, such as vertical gardening and urban farming along with immersive plant installations, a host of talks, advice and practical workshops and a carefully curated selection of plant nurseries selling a huge variety of houseplants and small space friendly plants.
Helena Pettit, Director of Gardens & Shows said: “In recent years there’s been a real gardening boom and we believe more young people living in cities are now growing plants.
“So we are so excited to be bringing a new RHS Show dedicated to urban gardening to the centre of Manchester next year. The RHS Urban Show aims to bring gardening to a new audience and demonstrate that if you have plants you are a gardener.
“There is so much great work already happening across the city to make it greener and we are excited to help support this growing movement. We want to get even more people living in the UK’s second largest city inspired to grow plants and connect to the natural world.
“With over 80% of the UK population living in towns and cities, the new show will enable more urban dwellers to garden, especially where access to green spaces can be limited.”
As part of the RHS strategy to 2030* launched earlier this year, one priority is to open up gardening for anyone, anywhere and the new RHS Urban Show is one of the ways in which the RHS hopes to do this.
Further details about the show will be released as content is confirmed. For anyone interested in getting involved visit: www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/exhibit-at-a-show
Tickets for all 2024 RHS Shows go on sale to RHS Members on Monday 21 September and to the public on Monday 28 September. To book visit: www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events
