As a business, we will often attend many of the UK’s leading home and garden design shows. When we launched our early garden furniture collection back in 2007 we even spent a few summers exhibiting. They were a great way for a new company to reach our target audience, generate sales before our webshop was ranking in search engines, and raise awareness of the Lazy Susan brand name.
We tend to use them more now to do a little market research and see what our competitors are up to. They’re a great source of inspiration and an opportunity to network with our peers. However, we also just love our industry, we’re as much fans of interior and garden design, so, as much as it is work, it’s also a nice way to see what’s happening and see development in our sector.
The best shows in the UK be they garden or home-focused are always a great way to get some fresh ideas. They feature some stunning displays from landscapers, designers, and vendors, so it's a great way to spark our creativity and pick up ideas for new products, photography shoots or even just our own homes and gardens.
If you’re looking to re-design or freshen up your outside space, then there’s an abundance of expert advice on tap, with most of the shows on our list featuring a host of workshops and demonstrations by leading industry professionals. You can learn about the latest furniture trends, get DIY tips, or consult with landscapers and designers about what you’d like to do.
They’re a great day out and many shows have interactive exhibits, demonstrations, and even contests. It's a stimulating and educational experience for all ages. Even if you're not planning a major patio renovation anytime soon, home and garden shows are a fun way to learn, be inspired, and pick up some new flowers our accessories for your garden.
This is our rundown of our top 7 home and garden design shows in the UK that we'll be visiting and you might fancy checking out this summer:
1. RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
Of course, no list of garden shows would be complete without the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and they feature a few times here.
Held this year from the 2nd to the 7th of July at the historic Hampton Court Palace, this event showcases for us some of the most stunning show gardens and floral displays, and you'll always find a plethora of inspiration in terms of gardening design and horticulture.
If you’ve always wanted to go to the Chelsea Flower Show but struggled to get tickets, then Hampton Court is just as good, if not better in many ways, as it is not as hectic.
2. RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
Also organised by our friends at the RHS, the Tatton Park show in Cheshire also takes place in July from the 17th to the 21st.
Again, it features a wonderful mix of show gardens, floral displays, plant nurseries, and some wonderful talks by a host of leading gardening experts.
We don’t tend to do both Tatton and Hampton, it is usually one or the other, but both are fab. Hampton Court is a great day out, lovely to walk around and soak it all in, while at Tatton we’re always blown away by the young garden designers and the excellent plant shopping.
3. The Great Yorkshire Show
Also taking place in July from the 9th to the 12th in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this iconic four-day event is one of the biggest agricultural events in the country.
However, don’t let the agricultural bit put you off. That side is fantastic, but we love going to this show for the beautiful garden displays, floral competitions, and the wide mix of exhibitors showcasing home and garden products. You get everything from kitchens and garden furniture to gourmet marshmallows and craft gin.
4. BBC Gardeners' World Live
This event doesn’t seem to maybe get the garden design kudos of the RHS shows but we think it is worth a visit. Taking place this year from the 13th to 16th June at the NEC Birmingham, it is based on the popular BBC gardening show of which it shares its name.
In our opinion, it still offers some fab show gardens and plant displays, but where it sets itself apart is the level of expert advice available and the garden accessory and plant shopping opportunities.
If you do plan to attend, then our advice is to pre-book any tickets to the workshops and talks in advance. Appearances by leading experts like Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh often get fully booked well in advance of the show itself.
5. RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Although not technically a one for Summer 2024 as it takes place in Spring, the Chelsea Flower Show is the quintessential flower show and one that all garden lovers have to visit at least once.
Taking place from the 21st to the 25th of May this year, the show has a world-renowned pedigree that it more than lives up to.
Held in the grounds of the stunning Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, it showcases cutting-edge garden design and all the latest gardening trends, with a little sprinkle of celebrity thrown in for good measure.
The show gardens are always a joy to see and the video above from the RHS YouTube channel (featuring the BBC’s coverage), gives you a wonderful idea of what you’ll find at the show.
6. Ideal Home Show
If you want to see garden furniture at a home show (not as common as you’d think), then the Ideal Home Show is the one to visit. Again, not technically a summer event, this one is coming up in a few weeks, and it kicks off on the 22nd of March and runs until the 7th of April at the Olympia in London.
This large consumer event features various sections including our fave Ideal Gardens, which showcases some excellent garden design, landscaping ideas, and outdoor living products. There are lots of opportunities to see some of our favourite TV experts hosting live talks, and the demos on the Super Theatre, Eat & Drink and Spring Clean stages are always fantastic.
It’s a great show if you want a little advice and insight into home improvement, the latest interior design trends, landscaping inspiration, ideas for sustainable living, cooking techniques, and the latest furniture styles.
7. Grand Designs Live
Grand Designs Live is an annual event inspired by the popular TV series, and it offers the opportunity to explore the latest trends, products, and innovations in the home design, renovation, and construction sectors.
Like the TV show, which we love, it showcases a wide range of architectural styles, innovative building materials, sustainable design concepts, and cutting-edge technologies.
The event features exhibitors who specialise in areas such as interior design, home automation, renewable energy, eco-friendly building materials, kitchens, bathrooms, and, of course, our fave, outdoor living.
Industry experts and celebrity designers host some wonderful seminars, workshops, and demonstrations, and some of the ones we’ve attended in the past have covered everything from interior table styling to sustainable gardening practices.
This year the event takes place in London and Birmingham, from the 4th to 12th May at ExCel and 2nd to 6th October at the NEC.
If you have any photos of your Lazy Susan Garden Furniture, we’d love to see a few for our Do Some Good charity campaign. You can tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook or Upload Here.