The weather may not agree, but Summer is well and truly here! Rain or shine, it’s time to head outdoors and explore our definitive guide of summery adventures this June.

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE NURSERY
LIME CROSS NURSERY
3 JUNE, 2.00 PM

Delve into the wonderful world of Lime Cross Nursery with head grower and propagators Mark & David in this exclusive behind-the-scenes workshop. Discover how they produce their vast collection of conifers, trees and shrubs each year, and discuss the fascinating reservoir irrigation system used to maintain them. The tour finishes in the relaxing Olive’s Café, with a glass of French sparkling wine and a delightful afternoon tea - be sure to book your place now!

BOOK

SATURDAYS IN THE GARDEN WITH JOE ARCHER
KEW GARDENS
18 JUNE, 11AM TO 3.30PM

Join horticulturist Joe Archer, Manager of Kew’s Kitchen Garden, this summer for an insiders look at the world of pollination and growing your own garden. During a series of 30 minute talks Joe will take you through the history of Kew’s Kitchen Garden, as well as what’s growing, what’s sowing, and how you can encourage bees into your garden. Talks are included in the price of entry and will be happening every third Saturday of the month until October.

FREE

KNOWING SUMMER TREES
SOUTH LONDON BOTANICAL INSTITUTE
18 JUNE, 10.30 - 16.30

Get to know the summer trees that are brightening up our gardens and outdoor spaces with Landscape Horticulturalist Letta Jones. You’ll spend the morning in the SLBI before heading for an afternoon stroll around Brockwell Park, getting to know the fascinating origins of the different species that can be found in Britain today.

TICKETS: £25-£30

RHS ON TOUR
COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET
19 JUNE, 10AM – 3PM

RHS have been teaming up with London Farmers’ Markets around the city all year, and this June sees them hitting the road again to visit Columbia Road Flower Market. Local independent food producers will be offering delicious summer treats, alongside an extensive range of informative talks and craft workshops for all the family. With a whole host of plants to browse and buy, and RHS experts on hand to help you choose the very best, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

FREE

BEGINNER’S PLANT ID
CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
30 JUNE, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Can’t tell your Nigella’s apart from your Aquilegia’s? If you find identifying plant species baffling, then this is the workshop for you. Join Chelsea Physic Garden’s Head Gardener Nick Bailey for his latest workshop aiming to demystify Latin plant names and help you understand the confusing international system for naming and classifying plants. By the end of the day you’ll be the one friends call in their next horticultural crisis!

TICKETS: £35

GROW LONDON
HAMPSTEAD HEATH
24 – 26 JUNE

And our top on the must-do list…
Come and visit us at GROW London 2016 on the glorious Hampstead Heath, as we bring together the worlds of horticulture and contemporary design like no other event in the UK! We can’t wait to see you there!

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Fiona Wemyss from Blueleaf Plants is back this month to share her terrarium top tips, as well as her favourite succulents to use to in her mini-ecosystems.

Terrariums are on trend right now and I’ve been selling quite a few over the last few weeks. The trick is not to over-plant, and to use smaller plants so you can watch them grow. There’s no point forcing in that huge cactus, which will soon crowd out all the other plants. If your creation looks a little sparse, add a few decorative pieces of stone or knarled wood for interest, so that once the plants start to grow they will hide the stones. You also need to consider where you will be positioning it – most succulents like full sun, but the glass walls of your chosen object will concentrate light levels and you don’t want to scorch your plants.

Some of my favourite succulents for terrariums are aloes and haworthias, which can look like sea anemones or coral amongst the gravel, suggesting a miniature seascape. There are several small varieties and slow growing species that make strong focal points with their architectural shapes and textures. My current favourites include Aloe ‘Cosmo’; a handsome cone shaped plant with dark green overlapping tapering leaves and faint white striations. This plant is a hybrid of Aloe aristata, the lace aloe, a fairly common and hardy aloe that’s easy to look after, and Haworthia attenuata. Sometimes known as the Zebra Haworthia, this is a smallish clump-forming plant with narrow upright leaves that tend to sway or bend over, giving it an appealing look. There are many different forms of this plant, many are strongly marked with white blotches or stripes – hence the Zebra moniker! Aloes and haworthias originate from South Africa and so can tolerate full sun, but they don’t mind light shade either, which makes them a flexible terrarium plant. Both these succulents look very well with some of the more colourful echeverias – try Echeveria minima, or E. shaviana – as well as the true blue Senecio repens for a real mermaid’s paradise.

Finally, before planting make sure you include a layer of crushed charcoal between a layer of grit or leca and some good free-draining compost as this helps keep the compost sweet. Don’t forget to water frugally – there is generally no drainage so you don’t want to drown your poor plants!

Join us at GROW London this June to see Fiona’s full range of succulents with Blueleaf Plants.

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Here at GROW we like to share offers and giveaways with you whenever possible, so this month, just in time for bonfire night, we’re delighted to offer you a cracking 20% off Phaidon’s fabulous new book The Gardener’s Garden.

Lavishly illustrated with over 1200 photographs, the book provides glimpses into more than 250 of the world’s finest gardens, from the famous Renaissance gardens at Villa d’Este in Italy to Derek Jarman’s extraordinary seaside garden at Dungeness in Kent.

Packed with inspiration, it’s the perfect Christmas present for gardeners – and armchair travellers – everywhere. To find out more have a look at their video below, and to receive 20% off the RRP of £49.95, simply head to the Phaidon website and enter the code GROW when prompted.*

*Offer valid until 31^st December 2014.

There are plenty of exciting activities running in and around the capital - from botanical cocktail demonstrations to scrummy salad workshops we’ve selected the tastiest garden events this month for kids and adults alike.

PLANTASIA – KEW GARDENS
Until 7th September
9.30am – 6.30pm until 25th August, then until 6pm

Described as a festival of sensory experience, this plant extravaganza sounds too fun to miss! Have a drink in the G&T garden whilst hearing about the forgotten medicinal qualities of botanic cocktails (weekends only) or wander barefoot along the walking trail, which includes a special ‘squelch’ zone for intrepid explorers.

There are frequent Tai-Chi sessions, as well as specialised workshops detailing the powerful healing effects of plants found in your own back garden. Throw in performers, impromptu croquet games, or the chance to climb Kew’s famous Pagoda for the first time in eight years, and it all adds up to a brilliant day out.

Festival admission £15, free for under 17s.
Pagoda climb £3.50
Lotions and Potions workshops £3 per person.

GARDEN STORIES DROP IN AND TOURS – FULHAM PALACE GARDENS
Monday 25th August
1.15pm, 2pm, 2.40pm

Dating back to the 11th century, Fulham Palace Gardens are the perfect place to indulge in a tranquil afternoon and escape the bank holiday crowds. Enjoy a free afternoon of storytelling under the ancient evergreen oak inspired by the rich history of the gardens themselves, explore the old kitchen garden, or stroll along the idyllic woodland walk after a spot of lunch in the beautiful Drawing Room Cafe.

GREENFINGERED WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS – BRUNEL MUSEUM, ROTHEHITHE
Sunday 31st August
3 – 3.45pm (gardening workshop), 4 – 4.45pm (games)

Run by Hahahopscotch, these popular ‘Giggly and Greenfingered’ workshops for budding horticulturists take place on the last Sunday of every month. This month, it’s ‘scrummy salads’ with advice for the kids on how to grow their own miniature salad garden. Followed by traditional children’s games, it’s a perfect way to mix a little gardening into a fun day out. Better still, the workshops are run in conjunction with the lovely mixologists from Cocktail Gardener, who prepare delicious plant-based cocktails to keep the adults entertained too.

£4.50 per session per child. All ages welcome.

CHILLI FIESTA 2014 – WEST DEAN, SUFFOLK
8 – 10th August

One of the most popular chilli events in the UK, Chilli Fiesta celebrates three days of all things chilli, from food and plant stalls to grow-your-own workshops. Serious chilli enthusiasts can camp in the wonderful grounds of West Dean College and Gardens during the festival, or you can just pop by one evening. Don’t miss the Victorian Glasshouses in the walled gardens to view their extensive array of chilli plants with over 250 varieties.

Day tickets range from £9.50 - £12, three day camping pass £90.
Evening tickets £6.

HEAD GARDENER’S WALK, SISSINGHURST
Tuesday 26^th August, 9.45am

This exclusive walk involves a two hour visit to the idyllic, world renowned gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, the home of poet Vita Sackville-West. Head gardener, Troy Scott Smith will lead you through the many divided ‘rooms’ that make up the garden, designed by Sackville-West herself, with an hour to enjoy the surroundings before the gardens open to the public. The different ‘rooms’ are divided by yew hedges, and include the Rose Garden, Lime Walk, Purple Garden and the iconic White Garden, with its stunning Rosa mulliganii, currently in bloom.

Tickets £25, tea and coffee included. Booking essential.

Stuck for what to have with your turkey and sprouts? My mum’s simple red cabbage recipe is just the ticket, and smells divine as it’s cooking.

Take one red cabbage and discard outer leaves until leaves are nice and clean.

Shred finely and wash in water, take out with sieve.

Put cabbage into saucepan, add 1 peeled and diced eating apple, 1 peeled and halved onion into which you have stuck 5 whole cloves, add a little pepper, salt, 1 cup of malt vinegar (normal tea cup, not mug), 1.5 cups of water and a good 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring to boil and simmer to your desired level of cruch. Taste - it might need a little more salt or sugar. Hey presto!

Happy Christmas from all at GROW London!

Natasha, fair manager

All this talk of urban parkery – and New York – reminds me of another garden you should definitely seek out if you’re ever in the Big Apple.

Winningly dubbed a ‘pocket park’, Paley Park is just along the street from the Museum of Modern Art, on 53^rd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue. It’s not much bigger than a tennis court, contains only two types of plants: tall, elegant honey locust trees (Gleditsia triacanthos) and ivy on the side walls, and it’s absolutely magical.

A waterfall occupies the entire back wall, blocking out all sound of the city with its own gushing, and white metal mesh chairs (I think they’re Bertoia chairs) – and a hotdog stand – invite you to linger.

It looks and feels incredibly modern, but in fact it was built in 1965, commissioned by William Paley, former chairman of CBS. He was involved in the planning of every detail of the space, right down to the hotdogs.