Rare Plant Fair 2026

For all gardeners who live in the Wells, Bath, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Monmouthshire, Birmingham area the Rare Plant Fair has released its programme for 2026.
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I'm looking forward for Kingston Bagpuize, right time to plant and has got many nurseries, more than in previous years I would say.

 

Kingston Bagpuize, what a splendid place name! I probably won't make it to any of them unless I find that I need to be in the area on one of the fair dates.

 

I'd love to go to something like that but it's too far from here

 

You'll have to excuse my shocking knowledge of Welsh geography @Michael Hewett , but there are 2 in Wales this year that might be of some use.

High Glanau Manor Lydart Monmouthshire on 31st May
Llanover House near Abergavenny 20th September

 

Thanks for posting this, not exactly on our doorstep but a couple of them could be doable as day trips.

 

I’m lucky because I could go to 5 of them. I prefer Quennington and Kingston Bagpuize.

 

Thanks for that @simone_in_wiltshire .

One my aunts used to live In Kingston Bagpuize when I was a small child, in a converted Nissan hut. Accommodation was in short supply after WW11 and there were several rows of them, probably on an old airfield.

 

OH just raised my knowledge about bagpuss and why the forum members are so amused about Kingston Bagpiuze.

 

I can go to the Birmingham one at Winterbourne House. It looks a lovely place. July 12th marked.

 

Just take photos of the rare plants they will be in all the GC in a couple of years time £5 for 5.

 

I very much doubt it, slow growing, difficult to propagate plants will always be expensive, even in Garden Centres.
A lot of unusual, rare plants don't appeal to the typical GC user, who wants something reliable and easy to grow.
Many of the things I grow are too spiney for most, or Google mentions it's poisonous to cats or dogs, or are not repeat flowering for 6 + months.

 

When I started gardening back in 1997, you could occasionally find an unusual plant at a GC. Not now though. The stock is identical wherever you go, even down to uniform labels.

 

This is the issue that Plant Heritage is trying to raise awareness about.


Full article:
Public urged to grow unusual plants to safeguard diversity of UK blooms

 

I couldn't afford to go to that many the budget would last for a couple.