Cornwall Garden Society’s Spring Flower Show to reveal the restorative power of nature with four distinctive Show Gardens

The Exhibition Halls at The Royal Cornwall Showground near Wadebridge are about to be transformed into the annual festival of springtime that is the Cornwall Garden Society’s 2025 Spring Flower Show, which promises to inspire thousands of showgoers with the vibrant colour, gardening inspiration and growers’ know-how for which this iconic occasion in the horticultural calendar is renowned.

Sponsored by Cornish Lithium, St Austell Brewery and St Eval, and supported by the Cornwall Community Foundation, this popular two-day event will take place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April.

The focal point of Exhibition Hall 1 will be four Show Gardens with the theme of A Place to Heal.

“For hundreds of years, humans have cultivated plants for their medicinal purposes. From the Romans and the Greeks to ancient Arabic civilisations, physicians have collected plants for their healing qualities, to promote wellbeing and to save lives,” explains Show Director, Mark Holman.

“Since then, people have gardened: grown vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees and shrubs to make themselves feel better.

“In the modern world, we recognise the restorative power of plants and that immersing ourselves within nature nurtures our sense of wellbeing and can accelerate rehabilitation.

“With the theme of A Place to Heal, we have invited four design collectives to share their stories about how a place can heal us.

“What’s more, our four Show Gardens – The Barefoot Garden, The Apothecary Garden, Get Into Bed With Nature and Echoes of Tranquillity – are designed to provoke thought, stimulate conversation and challenge accepted wisdom about what a garden needs to be.”

The Barefoot Garden, created by Alford and Sowter Landscapes, is designed to encourage people to slow down, connect with nature and experience the grounding sensation of walking barefoot. It is an immersive space that encourages a deep sense of presence, where the simple act of feeling the earth beneath your feet becomes the first step towards relaxation and restoration.

The Apothecary Garden, designed by Horticultural Apprentices from The Eden Project, recreates a Victorian apothecary to educate visitors about the therapeutic properties of plants, from exotic to everyday species, bridging ancient folkloric traditions and modern scientific advancements, biodiversity and sustainability, and nature’s power to heal.

Get Into Bed With Nature, created by The Treefern Collective with The Lost Gardens of Heligan, invites us to awaken our senses gently; to take a moment to pause, reflect and breathe, to lie down and revitalise, and become part of the biodiversity of the garden.

Echoes of Tranquillity, designed by Cornwall College Students, is inspired by the philosophies of Japanese gardens and practices like Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing), and emphasises the art of noticing, reflecting and the continuous journey of life; promotes mindfulness and the importance of making connections with nature.

“These gardens are all so different, yet connected by a powerful idea and we can’t wait for our showgoers to experience the ingenuity of our designers and immerse themselves in these special spaces,” comments Mark Holman. “We would not only like to thank our four design collectives for rising to the challenge of delivering our brief so creatively, but also The Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan for sharing their resources and expertise; Bodmin, Burncoose and Trevena Cross Nurseries who have generously donated perfect plants; Callycombe Aggregates for providing landscaping materials, Jeremy Hastings for supplying exquisite water features and The Green Waste Company for donating Cornish Gold compost for our Show Gardens.

“On Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April, we will be welcoming exhibitors to display their beautiful blooms and gorgeous greenery in the Competitive Classes, which are at the heart of the Show, as well as the arrival of more than 130 growers, garden traders, charities and artisans to the Plant Pavilion and Horticultural Heaven to provide a wonderful weekend for families and friends from across Cornwall and beyond the Tamar,” Mark adds.

Sir Tim Smit KBE, who restored The Lost Gardens of Heligan and co-founded The Eden Project, will officially open the Show at 10am on Saturday 5th April, following an exclusive event for invited guests to celebrate 30 years of The Great Gardens of Cornwall, the publication of a new edition of The Great Gardens of Cornwall book by bestselling garden writer, Tim Hubbard, and the preview of a film to mark the occasion.

“From Show Gardens to Tipi Talks, from growing your own to gardening sustainably; from plants galore to artisan crafts, and family fun in our Roots & Shoots area for young people, there really is

something for everyone to enjoy at this year’s Spring Flower Show,” concludes Spring Flower Show Chairman and Chairman of the Cornwall Garden Society, Martin Petherick. “All proceeds support the Cornwall Garden Society’s charitable aims of sharing horticultural knowledge and preserving Cornwall’s rich garden heritage, which everyone who joins us will experience in abundance, as well as a very warm welcome, whatever the weather.”