Kim and Esther join in horticultural fun at Hampton Court

Green-fingered celebrities Kim Wilde and Esther Rantzen braved soggy conditions this week when they attended the charity gala preview of the Hampton Court Flower Show, the largest of its kind in the world. Kim, 46, was clearly in flower-power mode – sporting a painted bloom on her cheek as she inspected a children’s garden.

The pop singer will have cast an expert eye over the horticultural offerings at the Tudor venue as she’s a professional gardener herself and the author of several gardening books including one for children. Her expertise, however, didn’t mean she was any the less squeamish when someone held a worm near her face – causing her to wrinkle her nose in mock horror.

TV presenter Esther, meanwhile, proved prepared for the elements as she arrived bearing a lilac umbrella and wearing some fetching flower-painted purple wellies and a bright red mac. The exhibition runs until July 8 and features a host of show gardens, water features and conceptual design ideas.