Day Passes and Information
Members
Entry to the gardens during The Great Garden Show is included in your membership. No pass or pre-booking is required to attend.
If you wish to book a day pass on behalf of a friend or family member, please follow the usual Guest Day Pass purchase process via the Newt app.
Some programmed workshops will have an additional cost associated with them and can be pre booked via the Newt app.
Non-members
Non members can purchase a day pass for The Great Garden Show for £25. Children up to age 16 go free. Pre-booking is strongly recommended.
Follow the booking link to purchase your pass and then download The Newt App to access it.
For 90 days following your visit, you can redeem the cost of this ticket when you sign up for membership.
Some programmed workshops will have an additional cost associated with them and can be pre booked via the Newt app.
A Nine Day Garden Celebration
Calling all plant growers, flower-friends, tree enthusiasts and horticultural hedonists of all ages to join us for our inaugural garden show!
Each day explores something different, so thumb through the programme to learn more. Most talks, activities and demos are free, however some more immersive workshops have a small cost and require pre-booking.
Pre-bookable activities
Thursday 14 May
6 – 7pm
The Fermenter's Garden Talk with Sandor Katz
Includes drink & nibbles
Friday 15 May
10am – 3pm
Fermentation Workshop & Lunch with Sandor Katz
Includes 3-course lunch in the Garden Café
Opening Weekend - 9 & 10 May
The show opens with a weekend packed full of revelry and fun for the whole family. Explore the gardens, enjoy live music, drop into a flower crown crafting session or join a blossom, cyder or tractor tour. Pop-up refreshments will keep you going all day, with the likes of BBQs, strawberries and cream and even Roman food at the Villa.
Floralia Festival at The Roman Villa - 9 & 10 May
A mini-festival within the show, Floralia brings the Roman Villa to life on opening weekend with military and gladiatorial reenactments, flower crown making and Roman Food available from the Thermopolium. As the week progresses, Villa Ventorum will also host garden tours, bowl turning, spinning and weaving demos, and have-a-go archery.
Conversations In The Garden
Voices from the world of gardening and beyond – including Alan Titchmarsh CBE, Sandor Katz, Robin Lane Fox, Charles Dowding, Tony Kirkham MBE, The Land Gardeners and many more, will be joining The Newt's stellar team sharing knowledge, insights and tips from all corners of the horticultural compass.
Great Garden Dining
Sustinance is key when exploring the garden and we have plenty of options to tempt you. Book a table at The Garden Cafe or Botanical Rooms restaurants, or for something more on the go, The Story of Gardening, Roman Villa and Cyder Bar all have great grab-and-go options available throughout the day.
We are also delighted to welcome back our pre-bookable Cyder Bar picnics available throughout the week. Expect fresh produce from Somerset, as well as delicacies from our Sister Estates, perfectly paired with a garden view.
Pre-order via the link (48 hours' notice required) and collect on the day - just add a blanket and a ice cold glass of Mourverdre Rose!
If you're visiting over the weekends (9 & 10 or 16 & 17 May) we'll also be firing up our BBQ's serving our classic estate fare cooked over coals.
Midweek Programme
Watch our tree surgeons in action in the woodlands or try your hand at botanical watercolours. Join a tour of the kitchen gardens, explore behind the scenes in the greenhouses and sign up for demonstrations on everything from composting to propagation. Here are a few highlights from the programme...
Symphony of Colour
In homage to the estate’s horticultural history – in particular the legacy of Nori and Sandra Pope – this spring the gardens feature a brand new planting scheme.
The ‘Symphony of Colour’, named after the Pope’s explanation of the colour harmonies in their planting, brings bold swathes of colour to the Victorian Beds, Scented Gardens and Colour Gardens. During the show things will be in full, spectacular bloom, but the display will continue to flourish all the way through to October.
No booking required. Pick up a guide from the Threshing Barn or view a copy below.
Finale Weekend - 16 May & 17 May
Saturday is all about celebration. Colour, craft and country traditions enliven the gardens with Maypole and Morris dancing, while our Plant Fair offers a chance to take home some beauties for your own garden. Follow the Spring Trail, join in with our 'Maggie on the Green' communal art project, take part on our 'Ready, Steady, Garden' competition, then watch the grand finale procession.
The Big Newt BioBlitz - Sunday 17
On the final day of the show we’ll be conducting an estate-wide Bio-Blitz. Focusing on the diversity of our flora and fauna, we’ll share ideas on creating eco-friendly gardens, show camera-trap screenings of wildlife spotted across the estate, and invite everyone to take part in wildlife counts, from butterfly spotting to insect ID-sweeps in the meadows.