The Royal Horticultural Society has announced ‘Be Curious’ as the theme for National Gardening Week 2026, inviting people of all ages to ask questions, try something new and discover the many ways gardening can enrich their lives.

Running from 27th April – 3rd May, the RHS is encouraging people of all ages across the UK to take part in simple, curiosity led actions, from noticing what is already growing in their own gardens or local green space, to planting something new, taking part in a wildlife count or learning more about gardening through a course or workshop.

The theme is inspired by the RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, designed by horticulturist, author and TV presenter Frances Tophill to encourage the nation to discover the joy of getting curious about gardening and the vital contribution plants make to the health of people, places and the planet.

‘Be Curious’ also reflects the growing appetite for gardening knowledge and hands on nature experiences. Last year the RHS answered a record number of gardening enquiries through its RHS Gardening Advice service with 121,081 written, phone and in person enquires, while the Plants & Advice pages on the RHS website saw more than 66.1m pageviews (up 18.2% y-o-y). Gardeners sought expert advice in 2025 on everything from soil health and plant care to wildlife-friendly gardening. The data highlights an increasing interest in climate related gardening challenges, particularly drought related issues affecting a range of popular plant genera including Roses, Hydrangeas, Camellia and Clematis.

Visitor numbers to RHS Gardens last year surpassed three million for just the second time in the charity’s 222-year history with record breaking attendance at RHS Garden Bridgewater (Salford), RHS Garden Harlow Carr (North Yorkshire) and RHS Garden Hyde Hall (Essex).   This milestone demonstrates a growing desire to explore gardens and green spaces, be inspired and connect with nature. RHS Garden Wisley (Surrey) was also recently named the second most popular English attraction outside London by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

Tim Upson, RHS Director of Gardens and Horticulture said: “Gardening is all about curiosity, experimentation and asking questions. This year’s National Gardening Week is a celebration of the wonder that plants and gardens bring to our lives while encouraging people of all ages to learn about plants, connect with nature and discover the wellbeing and environmental benefits of gardening.   The record numbers of enquiries to our RHS Advisory Service, alongside the highest visitor numbers to our gardens in recent years demonstrates a growing thirst for gardening knowledge and time spent in nature.  We hope more people lean into their curiosity this National Gardening Week.”

To help inspire people to take part in this year’s National Gardening Week, the RHS has pulled together a series of curiosity led actions that anyone can try throughout the week:

• Day 1 – Enjoy: take a moment to enjoy what already loves growing in your garden, balcony, windowsill or local green space and enjoy being in nature
• Day 2 – Grow: Plant or sow something new!
• Day 3 – Observe: Look out for wildlife and record what you see, from beetles and butterflies.  You can submit your observations here: https://www.inaturalist.org/
• Day 4 – Experience: Touch, smell and taste plants, explore gardening through your senses or visit a new garden whether that be an RHS Garden, one of over 200 RHS Partner Gardens or a local green space
• Day 5 – Experiment: Try something different such as propagating a plant, developing your own compost, building a bug house or experimenting with new planting techniques – visit the RHS Website for inspiration and advice – rhs.org,uk
• Day 6 – Learn: Discover a new gardening tip, skill or fact – RHS Gardens are brimming with advice and a host of gardening workshops to help develop your curiosity further.
• Day 7 – Celebrate: Call yourself a gardener and reflect on what you’ve discovered – The RHS State of Gardening Report found that less a ¼ of adults in UK consider themselves gardeners, but gardening starts with curiosity and you don’t need to identify as a gardener to garden!

For more information and inspiraion visit www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/national-gardening-week