The RHS Chelsea Flower Show – the world's most famous Flower Show - runs from 24-28 May 2016. With cutting edge design, wonderful Show Gardens, Artisan Gardens, Fresh Gardens and Great Pavilion, it sets the trends for the year to come.

RHS Garden Holidays (rhsgardenholidays.com, 0203 735 1855), the dedicated travel division of the Royal Horticultural Society, features a range of horticultural holidays around the world, including visits to other great Flower Shows from France to South Africa:

A Flower Show with a Francophile edge: Gardens of the Loire including the Chaumont Garden Festival

 Renowned for its innovative designs and inspiring gardens, the Chaumont Garden Festival in France is featured within the Gardens of the Loire itinerary. Each garden is designed by young, up and coming designers and the show as a whole gives great insight into contemporary design in France. Both the June and October departures feature RHS Hosts for an added level of expertise – June will be hosted by Marcus Radscheit, Garden Manager at RHS Wisley, whilst October will be hosted by Raymond Evison OBE, VMH winner of an incredible 27 Chelsea gold medals. Other highlights of the trip include the Château de Villandry, Plessis Sasnières, Château d'Amboise and Château du Clos Lucé.

RHS Garden Holidays (rhsgardenholidays.com, 0203 735 1855) offers six nights from £1295pp, including transport on Eurostar and TGV, b&b accommodation, garden entry, coach transfers whilst in France and special tours of the gardens.  Departures Jun 14, Oct 4 – 2016

Gardens and Wildflowers of South Africa's Western Cape – including Clanwilliam or Darling Flower Shows.

The RHS is featuring two holidays to the Western Cape in 2016, at a time when the wildflowers should be putting on a dazzling display.   As well as seeing the fabulous spring flowers in their natural habitat, the trips are timed to coincide with either The Clanwilliam or Darling Flower Shows.  The Clanwilliam Show showcases the beautiful flora exclusive to the Clanwilliam District and Ramskop Nature Reserve, whilst the Darling Flower Show – now in its 99th year – celebrates the natural beauty of this region – known as the Flower of the West Coast, with its incredible abundance of flora and natural flowers.  

Both holidays feature RHS Hosts who are passionate about the flora and fauna of South Africa.  Other highlights include exclusive guided tours of Kirstenbosch gardens and the wildflower lands of Cedarberg, Niewoudtville and the Biedouw Valley and some wonderful gardens around Stellenbosch.

RHS Garden Holidays (rhsgardenholidays.com, 0203 735 1855) offers 15 nights from £4295pp, departing August 25th and September 11th 2016, including international flights from London Heathrow, all accommodation on a b&b basis, some dinners, all transport in South Africa, garden entries and a whale watching trip.  

Gardens of Cheshire and RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

This three night holiday combines the spectacular RHS Tatton Park Flower Show – with its lively atmosphere and exciting garden displays and activities – with four of Cheshire's most notable gardens. These include Arley Hall, one of the great garden sights in England; Bluebell Cottage Gardens with their wonderful planting; Ness Botanic Gardens with their beautiful herbaceous borders and lush water gardens and Stoneyford Cottage, an informal natural garden and specialist plant nursery.

RHS Garden Holidays (rhsgardenholidays.com, 020 3735 1855, offers a three night holiday from £455 per person departing on July 20 2016, including garden entry with a specialist tour manager, three nights half board accommodation and a visit to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

To book or for further information, please visit www.rhsgardenholidays.com or call 0203 735 1855

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For further media information, please contact: Sarah Bolam - sarahbolam2@rhs.org.uk or 07714 337756 

Notes to Editors:

About RHS Garden Holidays

RHS Garden Holidays offer a range of garden-themed escorted holidays and partner cruises around the world that combine the gardening-related passion and knowledge of the RHS with the experience of leading tour operators.  Partners for escorted tours are Brightwater Holidays in the UK and Ireland, Europe and Worldwide and a range of cruises in partnership with Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic.   All holidays are escorted by an experienced tour manager and include international flights, transport accommodation and some meals, and some departures also feature an RHS host for an added level of horticultural expertise. A contribution from every booking goes towards the charitable works of the RHS.  On all bookings, there is a promotion to purchase 12 months RHS membership for the price of nine.

About the RHS

The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood for the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture. We held our first flower shows in 1820, were granted a Royal Charter in 1861 and acquired RHS Garden Wisley in 1903. From our first meetings in a small room off London's Piccadilly, we have grown to become the world's largest gardening charity.

Today the RHS is committed to providing a voice for all gardeners. We are driven by a simple love of plants and a belief that gardeners make the world a better place. 200 years on we continue to safeguard and advance the science, art and practice of horticulture, creating displays that inspire people to garden. In all aspects of our work we help gardeners develop by sharing our knowledge of plants, gardens and the environment.