I went to the unique RHS Urban Show that's so cool famous rappers pop along to Depot Mayfield

Manchester’s Depot Mayfield has been transformed into a gardener’s paradise for the first ever RHS Urban Show – a celebration of houseplants and home gardens of all shapes and sizes. 

From 18-21 April, the 24-acre event space will host over 150 different exhibitors and traders, displaying some of the most exciting gardening products and innovations out there today. We were allowed into the show a couple of hours before it opened to the public for a sneak peak and some of the green creations on display. If you’re thinking of checking it out, here is what you can expect.

Seeing the cavernous, industrial spaces within Depot Mayfield brought to life with colourful flowers and blooming greenery is a far cry from the usual events held at the venue during Warehouse Project season. Nonetheless, the former parcel depot proved to be the ideal setting for the RHS’ first large-scale indoor show. Unlike the charity’s usual flower shows, held at historic locations such as Tatton Park and Hampton Court Palace, RHS Urban aims to encourage people to experience home gardening, even city-dwellers with limited or no outdoor space. 

If you are planning on visiting the show, make sure to bring some spending money with you as there are stalls of all kinds, mostly plant and garden related, but there are several stalls selling other things like artwork and clothes. Some of the other activities include talks by plant and garden experts and a terrarium workshop, as well as plenty of refreshments available at the cafes, outdoor food trucks and bars.  

The main attractions of the RHS Urban show, however, have to be installations. Featuring the work of 25 different designers, the displays explore different aspects of plantlife, as well as their uses and how we can use them in our own homes. One of the first ones that caught my eye in entering the exhibition space was the Pop Culture Planting: Punk Rockery, the New Wave and 24-Hour Party Planting by Midlands-based designer Amanda Grimes, which is supposed to evoke the bright colours and feelings of a good night out. 

Another highlight for me was the Urban Forest. Located towards the back of the concourse, guests enter into an enclosed area, which is dimly lit in shades of purple and blue. There is a faint mist from a smoke machine and bird noises play through the speakers, which aims to recreate the “theatre” of forests. There are around 23 trees in the Urban Forest as well as a couple of swing chairs, which are tempting to sit in all day, but there is so much else to see – like Ellie the robot dog. 

Anyone who has seen that episode of Black Mirror with Maxine Peake, may feel some trepidation when checking out this exhibit, but don’t worry Ellie is friendly – she even signs love hearts at passers-by with her robot paws. She is an agri-tech robot adapted by the University of Plymouth and designer Kenny Wilding-Raybould of the Grown That Way collective to analyse soil. 

One of the headliner exhibits has been conceived and created right here in Manchester by social media star and gardening influencer Jason Williams. Over the last few months, he has been working students from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Rise programme and Notcutts Garden Centre to create pieces designed to challenge and inspire ways to make our cities greener.

Each group of students were given £500 to design a balcony garden. Each garden faces a different direction –  north, south, east and west – meaning they will have different levels of sunlight. One group of students told me about their balcony garden, which was inspired by the idea of a Chinese student in the UK designing their tiny garden to remind them home, featuring red lanterns and a selection of potted herbs. 

We also spotted rapper Tinie Tempah checking out the exhibitions. He was promoting Chase Distillery’s ‘Forage Your Own Garnish’ bar. Sadly, it was far too early for G&T, so that’s one exhibitor I definitely missed out on. 

The RHS Urban show is on now until Sunday 21 April and it’s not too late to get your ticket. More information can be found on the RHS website, or you can buy tickets on the door.