RHS Badminton volunteering

Volunteering at RHS Badminton – A Week Among Britain's Finest Plants

As the owner of Solent Stems Florist and Solent Stem & Soil Gardener, I was honoured to spend time volunteering with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at this year's RHS Floral Marquee during the Badminton Estate.

For someone who has spent their career immersed in plants and flowers, it was a fantastic opportunity to combine my passion for horticulture with meeting thousands of fellow gardening enthusiasts from across the country.

Preparing for the Week

Our volunteering began on the Tuesday with a briefing and collecting our RHS uniforms and a pre-show walk around the site and Floral Marquee during the final build day.

It was fascinating to see exhibitors putting the finishing touches to their incredible displays before the public arrived. The amount of work, dedication and expertise that goes into creating these stunning stands is truly inspiring.

My Role as a Plant Finder

Throughout the show, I worked as a Plant Finder within the RHS Floral Marquee.

Our role was simple in principle but incredibly rewarding. We manned the Plant Finder desk and also walked around the marquee, helping visitors locate specific plants and directing them to the specialist growers who stocked them.

Whether someone was searching for an unusual perennial, a particular shrub or simply needed advice on where to start, we were there to help.

As a former garden centre manager, with professional qualifications in both horticulture and floristry, I was delighted to be trusted with this role. Being able to share knowledge and help visitors discover new plants is one of the most enjoyable parts of gardening.

A Very Warm Week!

The weather certainly played its part!

We were treated to glorious sunshine throughout the week, although at times it became almost too warm—even inside the Floral Marquee. Plenty of water, comfortable shoes and regular breaks became essential, but the atmosphere more than made up for the heat.

Seeing visitors enjoying the displays and speaking to passionate growers made every shift worthwhile.

A Lovely Place to Stay

Rather than commuting, I stayed locally in a lovely room behind the Randor Arms, making it easy to get to the show.

After long days on my feet helping visitors, it was the perfect place to relax before another day surrounded by beautiful plants.

Bringing Inspiration Back to Gosport

Events like RHS Badminton are incredibly inspiring. I always return home full of new planting ideas, colour combinations and fresh inspiration that I can share with my own customers.

Whether I'm creating bespoke floral arrangements through Solent Stems Florist or transforming gardens through Solent Stem & Soil Gardener, attending RHS events helps me keep up to date with current planting trends, new plant varieties and innovative gardening ideas.

Looking for a Gardener or Florist in Gosport?

If you're searching for an experienced Gosport gardener or Gosport florist, I bring years of professional knowledge to every project.

As a former garden centre manager, professionally qualified in horticulture and floristry, I offer practical gardening services alongside beautiful seasonal floristry, helping customers throughout Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent, Stubbington, Fareham and the surrounding areas.

Whether you need regular garden maintenance, planting advice, seasonal tidy-ups or bespoke floral arrangements for gifts and special occasions, I'd love to help.

Following another memorable week volunteering with the RHS, I'm returning home even more inspired to create beautiful gardens and floral displays for my customers here along the Solent.

Thank you to the RHS, my fellow volunteers and everyone who stopped to chat during the week. It was a privilege to be part of such a fantastic event, and I hope to be back again in the future.