A year in bloom: Sussex gardens to host UK's premier plant roadshow in 2026

Many of the PFR nurseries hold RHS gold medals and this year, four return to the the world's most famous flower show - the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - including Sussex-based nurseries Miles Japanese Maples and Paul Seaborne's Pelham Plants.

But for Sussex gardeners and visitors who might not make it up to London for the bigger flower shows, the 2026 PFR schedule offers a unique "travelling masterclass" in Sussex, Kent and Surrey. Unlike standard garden centre visits, the PFR ensures that visitors buy direct from the experts -the very people who propagated the plants, with lots of the nurseries holding RHS Chelsea medals and plaudits.

The Sussex Circuit: A Seasonal Roadmap The Roadshow has curated its Sussex stops to coincide with the absolute peak of each venue’s seasonal beauty:

• Spring Spectaculars: The Sussex tour kicks off on 19 April at Arundel Castle, timed perfectly for the castle’s world-renowned Tulip Festival. Visitors can source early spring treasures while surrounded by tens of thousands of blooms. On 10 May, the fair moves to Borde Hill Garden near Haywards Heath, just as the rhododendrons and azaleas ignite the landscape with colour.
• High Summer: On 5 July, the roadshow arrives at Parham House in Pulborough. Known for its Elizabethan perfection and magnificent walled garden, Parham provides the ideal backdrop for sourcing summer perennials and architectural plants.
• The Autumn Finale: As the planting season begins in earnest, the collective returns to the county for a double-header. On 13 September, they visit the restored walled gardens of West Dean near Chichester, followed by a return to Borde Hill on 20 September to celebrate late-season structure and ornamental grasses.

Homegrown Talent: The Sussex Nurseries While the tour brings growers from across the South East, the 2026 season highlights a wealth of local talent. Sussex-based nurseries are at the heart of the collective, including:

• Pelham Plants (Laughton, Lewes): Run by PFR coordinator Paul Seaborne, this nursery sits in the Sussex Weald and specialises in hardy herbaceous perennials and grasses bred to thrive in local clay soils.
• Plantbase (Wadhurst): A favourite for those seeking the unusual, Plantbase offers "tough-as-boots" exotics and rare species, proving that tropical-style gardening can succeed in the Sussex climate.
• Zophian Plants (East Sussex): A rising star in the collective, run by Toby Shuall, who relocated his nursery from London to East Sussex to expand his range of drought-tolerant and resilient perennials.

A Personal Connection "2026 is shaping up to be our most ambitious season yet, and Sussex is central to that success," says Paul Seaborne, PFR Coordinator and owner of Laughton-based Pelham Plants.

"What visitors to our Sussex events really love is the personal connection. There is no substitute for chatting directly with the person who raised the plant from a seed or cutting. Whether you are looking for shade-lovers for a Wealden clay garden or drought-tolerant gems for the coast, our growers understand the local conditions because many of us garden here ourselves."

EXPANDED REACH While Sussex remains a core focus, the 2026 tour also sees the Roadshow expanding into London with prestige events at the Inner Temple Garden and Chiswick Flower Market, ensuring that the influence of these South East growers reaches an even wider audience.

Paul Seabourne adds: "2025 was a landmark year for us. We expanded our reach significantly, adding prestigious venues like Tom Stuart-Smith’s Serge Hill Project and Hever Castle to our calendar as well as Parham and West Dean in Sussex. It really felt like the year the 'specialist plant fair' cemented its place in the gardening calendar. We found that the public is increasingly hungry for expert knowledge -they don't just want a plant; they want to know who grew it and how to care for it. That connection between grower and gardener is what defined our success last year."

About the Plant Fairs Roadshow The Plant Fairs Roadshow is a collective of independent, often family-run nurseries. Its members include RHS Chelsea Gold Medallists and National Collection holders. The organisation facilitates events that allow the public to buy high-quality, UK-grown plants directly from the growers.

2026 SUSSEX EVENT DIARY

• Sun 19 Apr: Arundel Castle, West Sussex (Tulip Festival) : Spring bulbs, fragrant shrubs, succulents.
• Sun 10 May: Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath : Shade specialists, Acers, and early summer perennials.
• Sun 5 July: Parham House, Pulborough: Architectural perennials, exotics, and cottage garden classics.
• Sun 13 Sep: West Dean Gardens, Chichester: Late summer colour, grasses, and planting for the year ahead.
• Sun 20 Sep: Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath: Structural interest and autumn resilience.