The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is held every summer at Tatton Park in Cheshire, United Kingdom by the Royal Horticultural Society. It has been running since 1999 and attracts 80,000 visitors on the 28 acres show grounds over 5 days. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of inspirational show gardens, marquees displaying prize plants and flora exhibits. Another key feature of the show is the Greenfields zones that is dedicated to activities for families and children.
This year, the National History Museum and NIAB-EMR represented the Excalibur with a stand called “The Soil is Alive” in July 2021. The Excalibur team had fungi and soil invertebrates on display and visitors were able to have a closer look at these organisms under microscope.
DNA extractions from fresh strawberries were carried out using a simple protocol based on salt and dish washing liquid. Visitors were also able to see demonstrations of DNA sequencing using Lego DNA strands and Blocksford Brickopore sequencer. The Brickopore mimics a Nanopore sequencer and allows to do a real-time NCBI database of the sequences. The Excalibur had an amazing week talking with hundreds of visitors and share our enthusiasm for soil biodiversity and horticulture.
