BBC Gardeners' World Fair Spring at Beaulieu

About

Join us as BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair returns to the stunning grounds of Beaulieu from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th May 2025. What better way to inspire your gardening year ahead than by joining us for this much-loved show. Set in the beautiful grounds of Beaulieu, this Spring Fair includes Beautiful Borders and The Hillier Experience packed with planting ideas, and stunning floral displays from top nurseries.

Exciting NEW Highlights for 2025

• The biggest-ever Hillier Experience – a central woodland-themed feature garden that evokes a sense of serene calm. A colourful herbaceous display sets the scene, with stepping stones leading through soft pastel block planting and alpines to a sun-drenched gravel garden and gentle stream.

Moving into cool shade, the garden transitions into a woodland display with tall tree ferns and deep greenery, finishing with a backdrop of mature birches and cherries. With its blend of sunny and shady landscaping, the garden is sure to inspire. The Hillier Experience features plant information throughout, 1:1 advice pods, a large shop and new plant launches. Charles Carr, Hillier’s Head of Wholesale Nurseries, will be sharing expert plant advice at the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage and Club Lounge.

• ‘Make a Metre Matter’ is BBC Gardeners’ World’s campaign for 2025. Running across the TV  show, Magazine, events and digital platforms, the campaign encourages gardeners to transform a metre of their garden to support wildlife, biodiversity and edible plants. It’s all about making small  but meaningful changes for the good of the planet. The Magazine has a series of monthly features with creative ways to Make a Meter Matter, and gardeners are invited to share pictures of their marvellous metres with BBC Gardeners’ World. A selection will be featured on the special BBC GW Live programme on 13 June. All BBC GW events in 2025 will have Make a Meter Matter gardens, features and content, including Pip Probert’s ‘Make a Meter Matter’ collection. The award-winning designer’s Make a Metre Matter collection brings some of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine’s creative ideas to life, including a pollinator patch, a mini pond and a compost heap.

• The Spring Table - an eye-catching new space for seasonal food, drink and tablescaping inspiration, hosted by BBC food broadcaster, Chris Bavin. Luke Holder, chef director at the five-star Lime Wood Hotel shares delicious, no-cook dishes. Mixologists from The Pig prepare plant-based tipples at ‘make and taste’ cocktail masterclasses. Mushroom mavens, Lorraine and Jodie Caley from Caley Brothers, lift the lid on pickled mushrooms for a delicious addition to antipasti platters or charcuterie boards. Floral designer, Jordan Weston (The Bearded Botanist), transforms
alfresco dining with elegant Ikebana flower arranging. Pre-book an exclusive seat or drop in.

• Carol Klein - new to the Spring Fair, live at the BBC Gardeners’ World Stage on Saturday and Sunday, sharing seasonal gardening advice with the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine editors and signing copies of her latest book.

• The ‘In Conversation With’ Stage, sponsored by egg, Cracking Energy - hosted by Adam Kirtland (@viewfromthepottingbench), featuring a daily programme of relaxed chat with acclaimed horticulturalists and gardening personalities. Guests include August Bernstein (The Raymond
Blanc Gardening School), Jason Wlliams (Cloud Gardener UK) and Kelly-Jane Leach (@dirtygardenhoe), discussing life in and out of the garden.

This new stage is surrounded by the Spring Fair’s inspiring gardens, plants and specialist nurseries. 

• New Willow weaving workshops and Forging demonstrations with Dingle Forge.

• 2025 Arena highlights: the New Forest Tractor and Engine Club proudly displays a collection of vintage Land Rovers, tractors and mini steam engines. The Beaulieu-based Countryside Education Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary with coppicing workshops and some four-legged friends.

• Palace House floristry - daily tablescaping demonstrations

Much-loved favourite features

• BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage - the editors bring the magazine to life with spring gardening sessions, featuring Adam Frost (Fri), Arit Anderson (Sat), Carol Klein (Sat and Sun) and special guests. Topics include Make a Metre Matter and more. Plants of the World sessions by
stage sponsor, Regent Seven Sea Cruises.

• Showcase Gardens including The Lighthouse Community Garden designed by Matt Evans from The Garden Room Living & Landscape Design Studio in association with Elliots. This coastal garden represents Lighthouse Poole, a multi arts venue that nurtures the creative arts and culture. 
Featuring a symbolic lighthouse, an important pillar of the local community, acting as a guiding light through good times and bad. David Long’s design, From Darkness to Daylight, portrays a journey of imposter syndrome, from self-doubt to being ‘good enough’.

• Beautiful Borders – this year’s creative theme is Cultivating Connections, inspired by the power of garden spaces, no matter how small, to foster meaningful connections of all kinds. Entries include The Living Well Garden by Katy Pomeroy for the charity Diabetes UK, which explores how 
thoughtful design can cultivate health, balance, and vitality for managing diabetes. Flori’s Garden designed by Becky Hall from Bumble Bee Gardening as a place of calm and connection for threeyear-old Florence who lives with severe neurodevelopmental difficulties, and her family. The Time Together Garden by Dad, Jonny Coller and eight year old son, Inigo, from Floreat Garden Design, represents the unique ability of gardens to bring different generations of a family together and forge strong bonds across ages.

• An extended College Gardens competition with budget-friendly designs by students from Capel Manor, Kingston Maurward, Merrist Wood and Plumpton College. The creative theme is Nature’s Art within the Garden and the competition mentor is award-winning garden designer, Cherry
Carmen.

• 35 specialist plant nurseries and growers to browse and buy from, with 100+ high-quality retailers selling garden accessories, décor, tools, equipment and furniture.

• A packed daily programme of hands-on workshops, featuring Spring Bouquet floristry with award-winning flower farmer, Kim O’Brien (@garden.with.kim) and Mushroom Growing

Masterclasses with Caley Brothers (bookable). 
• Exclusive Subscriber Club Lounge for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Subscribers and Hillier  Gardening Club members, featuring daily talks by the Magazine’s editors with special guests, a Hillier 1:1 plant advice pod, refreshments and additional seating. Access is subject to capacity, 
with seating available on a first come first served basis. Additional VIP Lounge for VIP Extra ticket holders
• Daily book signings with Adam Frost, Carol Klein and Lucy Chamberlain.
• Plant Crèche and Wheelbarrow Porter Service hosted by volunteers from Maggie’s Cancer Care in Southampton. Donations welcome.
• Plant Expert Tours of Beaulieu’s Victorian Walled Kitchen Gardens and Ornamental Gardens with Lucy Chamberlain, Saul Walker, Bob Sweet and Beaulieu Head Gardener, Kelvin Yapp. Plus drop-in tours of the Abbey Cloisters Herb Garden with the Beaulieu garden team.
• Association of Professional Landscapers’ Landscaping and Design Drop-In Clinic offering garden design advice by industry experts.
• Packed with seasonal flavours, the Good Food Market features artisan food and drink producers with tempting treats to taste, buy and take home, street food vendors and live bandstand entertainment.
• Children’s activities: daily falconry displays by Beaulieu’s resident falconer on the Palace House lawn.
• Access all areas: Spring Fair tickets include entry to all of Beaulieu’s grounds, gardens and attractions, including Palace House and the National Motor Museum. Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome in the outdoor areas.