About Us

Floral Fantasia is the name given to an acre of land just beyond the Global Vegetable Garden in the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Hyde Hall in Essex. 

It was originally the Vegetable Garden left vacant when the Global Vegetable and new Conservatory were opened several years ago.

The History of Floral Fantasia

Thompson and Morgan Summer Trials, called Floral Fantasia, were staged in this area through the summer of 2018 and when this company then withdrew the plot was left empty once again. June 2019 saw The Sun Gardening Column stage one of the largest floral displays ever at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, at the National Exhibition Centre, in Birmingham to celebrate the newspaper’s 50th Anniversary.

When this Show ended most of the pot grown flowering plants, which clad five Pyramid displays, including Begonias ‘Big’ (Benary) Gerbera ‘Sweet Series’ (Florist) Petchoa ‘Beautical’ (Sakata) and many more, were loaded on two large lorries, transported to Hyde Hall and used to furnish the then empty Floral Fantasia area. The original plan was for the summer only, but the many plant novelties proved very long flowering, the visitors loved the colour and fragrances so the gates remained open.

Winter flowering Primula ‘Everlast’ (Rudy Raes, Belgium), Pansy ‘Cool Wave’ (Pan American), Pansy ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Premier’ (Sakata), Pansy ‘Ruffles’ in five colours (Kerley) were brought in for more autumn to spring colour, followed by over a ton and half of spring flowering bulbs (‘Hayloft’, Coolings and de Jager).

Lockdown from mid-March denied visitors the chance to see the amazing show of spring flowers, but The Sun Chelsea Show Pyramid not able to be built at Chelsea was staged at Hyde Hall and all the flowers from this again were planted in the Floral Fantasia area. Coupled with the FleuroSelect Year of the Rudbeckia 2020 trial there was even more flower power through the summer and autumn months.

Meet the Team

Partners (Past & Present)