Category Archives: SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS

MAY IN LONDON

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Whether you need help making those all important design decisions, or are looking to discover the hottest horticultural happenings this May, we’ve got you covered with our marvellous mix of interior, design and gardening events to explore this month.

ONE-DAY INTERIOR DESIGN MASTER CLASS
STUDIO KIRAN SINGH, WATFORD
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 12 - 3PM

Decorating your new pad or just need a refresh? Discover top tips and design secrets from interior expert Kiran Singh. Whether finding your style or planning the perfect room layout, colour and lighting schemes, Kiran will explain how to get the most from your space, whilst discovering your own unique style. Make those Pinterest boards a reality in this fun and friendly three hour masterclass, making mood boards and asking questions with fellow interior enthusiasts.

TICKETS: £99

BEE WEEKEND
LIMECROSS NURSERY, SUSSEX
14-15 MAY

Join Limecross Nursery this spring to celebrate all things bee. Meet keeper Adam as he explains how we can all play our part in saving bees and other pollinators, by providing plentiful forage in our urban gardens, roof tops and streets. With a delicious range of honey recipes and products for sale too, this looks set to be an unBEElievably fun weekend!

FREE

THE POTTING SHED, CHELSEA FRINGE
TOWN HOUSE, SPITALFIELDS
SATURDAY MAY 21, 11AM

Fancy getting your hands dirty somewhere other than your garden path? Head to Town House and try your hand at their botanical-themed clay workshop, as part of Chelsea Fringe. Join ceramic artists Fliff Carr and Matilda Moreto and learn how to create impressions in clay and apply colour whilst creating your very own bespoke floral plate. With limited spaces available, be sure to book early for your chance to get creative this May.

TICKETS: £10

PETERSHAM OPEN GARDENS
PETERSHAM
SUNDAY 22 MAY

Open for one day only, discover the unique delights of over ten private gardens in the picturesque Petersham village this spring. Ranging from quaint cottage gardens to modern minimalist spaces, there’s sure to be a garden to suit every taste. All within east walking distance, maps will be provided so you can carefully plan your trip through these stunning sights, many of which have never opened to the pubic before.

ADULTS: £10
​KIDS: Free

RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
CHELSEA, LONDON
24 – 28 MAY

Garden world heavyweights will once again gather at Chelsea this May, for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s 103rd edition. The world-famous event looks set to be their best yet, with special features including a floral arch to celebrate the Queens 90th birthday, a poppy tribute by Phillip Johnson and an acoustic garden inspired by world-leading percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. With an event programme guaranteed to WOW, Chelsea is the place to discover exceptional talent, view spectacular show gardens and gain horticultural inspiration from around the globe, to inspire your own space big or small!

Buy tickets »

The count down is on! We can’t quite believe it’s only one month until GROW London returns to the wonderful Hampstead Heath, book your tickets now and be sure not to miss a thing!

APRIL IN LONDON

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With warmer nights and brighter days ahead (rejoice!) we couldn’t be more excited to get out and about and enjoy the best horticultural happenings this April.

SPRING AWAKENING WALKS
KEW GARDENS
EVERYDAY THIS MONTH 12-1PM

Looking to explore the delights of Kew Gardens? There’s no better time than spring to take a stroll through their stunning grounds on a guided tour from one of their expert volunteers. You’ll pass a pleasant afternoon enjoying the charms of pretty perennials, blossoming trees and everything else coming in to season in between!

Tours meet at 11.45am daily at the Guides Desk, Victoria Plaza, near Victoria Gate.

Cost included with entry

THE CITY GARDEN
GUILDHALL GALLERY
23 APRIL – 25 SEPT

International artist Rebecca Louise Law‘s stunning floral exhibition ‘The City Garden’ opens this month at the Guildhall Gallery. Inspired by London’s urban gardens, Rebecca has created a breath-taking ceiling of fresh flowers, which will dry and preserve as the exhibition evolves throughout the summer. Not just an exhibition in the gallery, as part of the ever-changing installation, a map of the many gardens that inspired Rebecca’s work will be available in an app that leads visitors through the history, horticulture and design of London’s open spaces.

Free

GARDEN MUSEUM PLANT FAIR
LAMBETH PALACE
SATURDAY 23 APRIL

Playing host to some of the UK’s best nurseries, the Garden Museum’s annual plant fair is back, taking place this year in Lambeth Palace. Head along for a unique opportunity to take a look around the picturesque Lambeth Palace Gardens, one of London’s oldest cultivated gardens. Discover an abundance of spring bulbs and blossoms from specialist growers perfect for refreshing your garden, balcony or allotment. With a pop-up café and a number of tours around the gardens throughout the day, this looks set to be the perfect spring day out.

Adults: £5
Under 16s: Free

MARIA MERIANS BUTTERFLIES IMAGES
THE QUEEN’S GALLERY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE
UNTIL 9TH OCTOBER

Discover the story of entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian in a unique royal exhibition of her scientific illustrations at The Queens’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. Originally created as 60 copperplate engravings, Maria’s work documents an array of insects, depicting butterflies, moths, and caterpillars. A fantastic opportunity to get a glimpse of the rarely seen Royal Collection.

Adults: £10.30
Concessions: £9.40
Under 17: £5
Under 5: Free

Don’t forget! It’s only two short months until we’re back on Hampstead Heath - buy your tickets now to be part of all the actions!

BUY TICKETS

 

SPRINGING INTO SUMMER

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Spring may be well underway, but there’s still time to transform your garden into a horticultural haven in time for summer. Philippa O’Brien, chairman of the Society of Garden Designers (and something of an oracle on all things green-fingered!), has shared her sage advice on whipping your garden into shape in time for summer.

As the spring progresses it is easy to see which gardeners have planned ahead. Their gardens are overflowing with nodding tulips, buzzing with bee-friendly alliums and altogether a blaze of colour and a deep well of enjoyment! The well-organised gardener will have split their perennials, planted their autumn flowering bulbs, and made sure that the summer and autumn are as stunning as the spring was.

However, if you’re a normal human being with a hectic life, it’s still not too late to think about adding some additional summer interest.

Short-lived herbaceous perennials are great value, and will probably die back before you get tired of them. Think about a luscious carpet of blue with Geranium Brookside, or a fluttering drift of white butterflies with Gaura lindheimeri.

It’s still not too late to buy some bold and slightly shocking dahlia tubers, though you may need to stand guard against the slugs! If your taste is for the dramatic, big bold Rudbeckias can bring a stunning dash of yellow to your border or planters.

Verbena bonariensis is a designer special, the nurseries just cannot grow enough of them. Stick in a few now, and you will have a floating cloud of purple drifting over your other plants. Equally long lasting, but less floppy, the tough little Salvia Caradonna flowers until well into the autumn even if you don’t have the time to deadhead it.

And then there are the asters, just the thing to welcome you back after the summer holidays. These joyful daisies redolent of harvest festivals and bonfirey autumn days both attract the butterflies and light up the late border.

Most London gardens tend to be on the shady side, so think about a collection of ferns. The Victorians knew what they were doing when they put in ferneries, and a collection of these long-lived trouble-free plants can give endless pleasure. One of the most exciting is Belchnum chiliense, which does not mind a bit of sun, or you could try some of the lacy little Polystichums. Throw in two or three of the new double white Hellebores and the grimmest, darkest part of the garden will become a tranquil oasis of soft shady planting.

If all this is just too much to fit in between walking the dog and ordering the shopping, then why not think about employing the services of a professional garden designer. There are many planting specialists living and working around London. The Society of Garden Designers (SGD) website features only its fully Registered Members. These are garden designers that have passed the Society’s strict adjudication process and been in business for at least 3 years. As an organisation with hundreds of creative minds they are never short of ideas. Visit www.sgd.org.uk for a bit of inspiration.

Members of the Society of Garden Designers will be offering free garden design consultations at GROW London again this year. Visit the SGD stand on the day of your visit to find out more and book your slot.

Thanks to Sarah Hammond MSGD, Sue Townsend MSGD and Thomas Hoblyn MSGD for their beautiful images.

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A CALENDAR OF SUCCULENTS - MARCH

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Fiona Wemyss from Blueleaf Plants introduces us to whole new world of sedums that we never even knew existed!

The genus Sedum is a group that most people have heard of. Sedums are green roof plants right? Or those creeping greyish plants that carpet the tops of old walls, and then there are those autumn-flowering border plants with pink flowers that the bees love? Yes, they’re all examples of the sedum or stonecrop family, but there are also many more exotic species that are pretty much unknown amongst the general public that are certainly worth knowing about.

Sedum mocinianum is something altogether quite different. A small, compact plant with plump bluish-grey leaves that are covered in dense white hairs - it looks like a small white furry mound in bright light. The plant is native to Mexico and was discovered only in the last thirty years. It is not hardy, and needs a warm bright windowsill to do its best, where it will resemble a small grey animal nestling in its pot. It is a winter flowering plant – producing short stems with starry white flowers tinged with red during January and February.

Do not assume that flowering means it could do with a drop of water - this is the worst thing you could possibly do, the plant will turn up its toes and die! This plant enjoys gritty, free-draining soil and needs to be kept completely dry over the winter months. Don’t be tempted to start watering again until it has completely stopped flowering and the days have started lengthening – say mid-March onwards. It will look well in a container of other succulents that enjoy dry conditions – use plants with a contrasting shape and colour such as one of the small aloes like Aloe brevifolia or Aloe squarosa, a larger echeveria like Echeveria agavoides, and maybe the china blue Senecio repens planted in a wide shallow container or even a terrarium.

If you want to increase your plant, use the old flowering stems as cuttings and tuck them into or onto a pot of gritty compost and leave until you see some signs of growth. Your gardening friends will be intrigued and want a piece when they see it!

Discover more of Fiona’s succulent picks here »

To stay up-to-date with all our latest news and be first to hear about ticket offers to GROW London this June, sign up to our mailing list here »

LEAVE A CORNER FOR SPRING WEEDS

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Spring is coming and with it, the need to prepare the garden for summer. In this blog however, we’d like to persuade you to look again at a couple of those weeds that might not be so pretty, and leave a corner for them to flourish. Perhaps you already have them to encourage wildlife, but they also have a rich history of folk-use that can be rediscovered.

In many herbal medicine traditions around the world, spring is a time to nourish and regenerate. After a winter of eating comfort foods and high calories to keep you warm through the cold days, now is a time to add the fresh, nutrient rich greens that have finally re-emerged. Before all-year-round access to vegetables became available in shops, this would have been the first time people could get fresh greens into their diet after the winter. So, here are a couple of herbs used traditionally for both medicine and food to whet your appetite.

CHICKWEED (STELLARIA MEDIA)

This unassuming little plant loves growing in disturbed soil. Its tiny white flowers open at midday and give it its name ‘stellaria media’ – meaning ‘amongst the stars’. The name chickweed refers to its use as a poultry feed. It is a top edible human herb too, with a slight salty taste, and is high in minerals and protein. It can be cooked like spinach but is best used raw: chop into salads, sandwiches or over eggs. Its medicinal uses are numerous and it is best used fresh. It can be used for a wide range of problems from nettle stings to eczema and chickenpox: simply squeeze the juice on itchy, hot rashes.

CLEAVERS (GALIUM APARINE)

Cleavers, Goosegrass, or Sticky Willie are just a few of the synonyms for this hedgerow herb. It is a long straggly plant that some children use to throw at each other because it sticks or ‘cleaves’ to clothing.

While it is also often listed as an edible plant, it is one that is down to taste; the tiny hooks that give it its clinging ability are quite tough and are hard to swallow. However, it has a high mineral content including silica – for healthy bones and tendons (and therefore gardeners knees!) so if you would like to use it, chop it up finely and cook in soups, or put through a masticating juicer.

Cleavers is one of our favourite medicinal herbs, mainly because, according to folklore ‘drinking cleavers water for 9 weeks will make you so beautiful, everyone will fall in love with you!’ It’s not entirely mythical though, cleaver aids the movement of fluid through the lymphatic and urinary system, washes out your tissues, and gets rid of waste products - leaving you with a beautifully healthy glow!

 

CLEAVERS COLD INFUSION:
A handful of cleavers
Lemon slices (optional)
A jug
Cold water

Bash the cleavers a bit to release their juiciness. Place in a jug (with lemon slices if you choose) and cover with cold water. Leave overnight to infuse. Strain and drink throughout the next day. Repeat and watch the radiant glow begin!

We hope you have been inspired by these two herbs. If you would like to learn more, please join us for our medicinal and edible herb walks & workshops around London.

Kim & Vicky
Medical Herbalists

Follow Kim and Vicky on Twitter and like them on Facebook for more medicinal recipes and herbal remedies.

MARCH IN LONDON

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Winter’s deep morning darkness has started to wane and with the growing light – and the fact that the 1st March heralds the first day of spring in the meteorological calendar – hints of the new season are beginning to appear. And with the lengthening days, there could be no better way to make the most of them than by exploring the engaging exhibitions, foodie feasts and wild workshops we’ve found taking place around London!

PAINTING THE MODERN GARDEN: MONET TO MATISSE
ROYAL ACADEMY
UNTIL 20 APRIL
SATURDAY – THURSDAY, 10AM-6PM AND FRIDAY, 10AM-10PM

Feast your eyes upon some of the most renowned horticultural masterpieces in history at the Royal Academy this March. Their latest exhibition explores the vital role gardens have played in art since the early 1860′s right through to the late 1920′s. Revel in the garden scenes from the likes of Monet, Cezanne, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matisse, Klimt, and more to boot.

Adults: £16
Friends of RA: Free
Under 16′s: Free with paying adult

Enter our exclusive competition! We’ve teamed up with the wonderful folks at RA to give you a chance to win a pair of tickets to the exhibition, plus afternoon tea for two in the RA’s Keeper’s House, courtesy of Peyton & Byrne, and a pair of tickets to the GROW London Garden Party Charity Preview!

To enter, simply head to the competition page on the Royal Academy’s website and answer the question for your chance to win.

EASTER EGG HUNT
NATIONAL TRUST LOCATIONS AROUND THE UK
UNTIL THURSDAY 31 MARCH

Cadburys are teaming up with the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland to bring you an Easter egg hunt of egg-gantic proportions! Hunts are being organised in over 300 locations across the UK, so grab the kids, pack the basket and get your search on!

Locate your nearest hunt on the National Trust website »

FERMENTED + WILD WITH OLIA HERCULES AND L’ATYPIQUE
APIARY STUDIOS
FRIDAY 4 & SATURDAY 5 MARCH

Whilst a fermented feast might not sound instantly appealing, just wait until you see the menu crafted by the folk of at L’atypique natural wine’s and Ukranian cookbook writer Olia Hercules! The three course menu features deliciously intriguing dishes such as salt-baked beets with tkemali sauce and radicchio; roasted hake, cauliflower satsivi puree, kindzmari sauce, crispy shallots and pomegranates; and blood orange, pomegranates, rhubarb with kefir ice cream and wild honey gozinaki brittle. Bet those taste buds are a-tingling now, hey?! And with a specially selected glass of wild-yeast fermented natural wine with every course, we can’t think of anywhere else we’s rather be dining.

Tickets: £49

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT: HORTICULTURE
KEW GARDENS
SATURDAY 5 & SUNDAY 6 MARCH, 12-4PM

Broaden your horticultural horizons at this weekend of talks and demonstrations from Kew’s Science, Horticulture and Library, Art and Archive experts as they explore everything from Brazilian biodiversity and Amazonian plant hunters, to the work of Kew’s own conservation projects.

Talks included with price of entry

MOTHERS DAY- FREE HANGING BASKET DEMONSTRATION
LIME CROSS NURSERY
SATURDAY 6 MARCH, 11-11.30AM & 2.30-3.00PM

If you’re looking for a different Mother’s Day surprise, then why not sign flower-loving mums up to this free workshop at Lime Cross Nursery?! In-house expert Michaela Vardanis will demonstrate how to create beautiful hanging baskets, and how best to position and compost different varieties of plants and flowers in a basket. Afterwards, you can take mum for a stroll around their stunning plant collections and enjoy an afternoon tea – now that’s sure to earn a brownie point or two!

RSVP: [email protected]

SPRING HERB WALK & TASTER SESSION WITH HANDMADE APOTHECARY
HIGHGATE WOODS, LONDON
SATURDAY 12 MARCH, 11-2PM

Our friends, the lovely Handmade Apothecary ladies, have organised a forage in Highgate Woods to show you the edible and medicinal greens residing there. With valuable advice for combating the allergies that appear with spring foliage, you’ll learn how to prepare herbal remedies that can help alleviate hayfever, seasonal eczema, and food sensitivities. Finishing with a picnic lunch and herbal medicine tasting session, you’ll leave on a healthy high, armed with fresh recipes you can make at home.

ADULTS: £25
CONCESSIONS: £20

LONDON DESIGN WEEK
DESIGN CENTRE LONDON
PUBLIC DAYS: WEDNESDAY 16 – FRIDAY 18 MARCH

Design junkies can get their fix at this spring’s design week in Chelsea Harbour’s Design Centre. You’ll have the opportunity to browse the 105 showrooms, discover over 600 of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands and hear from leading designers in lively panel discussions. A not-to-be-missed event for anyone interested in the latest interior and exterior trends and innovations.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

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Encourage budding romances with this charming selection of some of the quirkiest green-fingered and contemporary Valentine’s gifts around, sure to woo the gardener or design-junkie of your eye.

C&K JONES SIMPLY THE BEST ROSE

Let your Valentine know exactly how you feel with this exquisite ‘Simply the Best’ rose from C&K Jones. Beautifully perfumed and vibrantly coloured, it’ll be love at first sight.

£9.95

 

ESSENCE + ALCHEMY JAR CANDLE

We love the delicate fragrance of Essence + Alchemy’s FLOWERS jar candle – a perfectly original alternative (or addition to!) that traditional bouquet. Hand poured with scents of ylang-ylang, geranium, rosewood and orange, it’ll set a perfectly romantic tone.

£10

 

POTTING UP BIRD CAGE LANTERN

We love Potting Up’s antique-effect bird cage lantern, ideal for lighting up those romantic outdoor evenings.

£19.99

 

 

CONCRETE JUNGLES HILARY PLANTER

Treat your design lover to this wonderfully minimal planter from Concrete Jungles. Pop their favourite plant in there too and earn some extra brownie points.

£30

 

GEO-FLEUR LEATHER AND BRASS PLANT HANGER

Give a gift that lasts in the form of Geo-Fleur’s leather and brass plant hanger. Pop in a potted plant, give it a little love and care, and it’ll adorn your home for years to come.

£30

 

 

BOTANICAL CUSHIONS PAEONIA LACTIFLORA

Make your outdoor space a romantic haven with these gorgeous floral cushions from Botanical Cushions, perfect for cosying up on Valentine’s evening.

£65

 

 

SO COSY BESPOKE BLANKET

Fill a hamper and set the scene for romance with So Cosy’s bespoke pure wool picnic blanket. Venture out to your favourite spot or shelter from the winter weather and enjoy an indoor feast instead!

£86

 

 

JARDINS ANIMES DOUBLE HAMMOCK

Head to the garden and gaze up at the stars from your weatherproof double hammock, beautifully crafted by Jardins Animes.

£99.90

 

MAUD AND MABEL MARIA DE HAAN MOON B

Give your loved one a truly one-of-a-kind gift in the form of Maria De Haan’s Moon B porcelain pots from Maud and Mabel. Each one is hand-thrown and smoke-fired to produce the delicate, unique designs.

£160

 

MARCUS STEEL BIRD TABLE

Exquisitely designed and beautifully finished, Marcus Steel’s folded aluminium bird table will certainly to leave you and your Valentine feeling like a pair of lovebirds.

£235 - £280

FEBRUARY IN LONDON

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Ah February, mon amour, you’re a month for loving and we can’t think of anything we love doing more than exploring the most alluring horticultural, foodie and design events that London has to offer! We’ve found a fantastic array of festival fun, floral delights, foodie fancies and wonderful workshops that you can enjoy with the ones you adore most.

SNOWDROP FESTIVAL 2016
NGS GARDENS
1 - 29 FEBRUARY

Discover the delicate delights of the National Garden Scheme’s first ever Snowdrop Festival, as they kick start Visit England’s Year of the English Garden 2016. With over 100 gardens opening across England and Wales for the entire month, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to admiring British gardens in all their winter glory. For a perfectly romantic day out, head to their website to see a full list of participating gardens.

MAGICAL LANTERN FESTIVAL
CHISWICK GARDENS
3 FEBRUARY - 6 MARCH

Celebrate a spectacular Chinese New Year at Chiswick House and Gardens, where the UK’s first ever Magical Lantern Festival is premiering! Stunningly sculpted lanterns in the shape of animals, birds, buildings, and abstract designs will cast their magical lights upon the gardens, while live performances, exotic food stands and market stalls promise fun for all the family to enjoy.

Find full ticket information on the website

ORCHIDS 2016, A SPECTACULAR CARNIVAL OF DAZZLING BRAZILIAN COLOURS
KEW GARDENS
6 FEBRUARY - 6 MARCH

Beat those winter blues away Brazilian stylee at Kew Gardens in their vibrant celebration of Brazil’s carnival season. Bursting with colour, tropical plants, from orchids to bromeliads, are taking over the Princess of Wales Conservatory in this fantastic opportunity to experience one of South America’s most diverse horticultural environments. Such a dazzling sensory fiesta should not be missed!

LITTLE PIGS PANCAKE DAY
JIMMY’S FARM
TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY, 4PM & 5PM

Join the folks at Jimmy’s Farm and challenge your family and friends to see who can toss their way to pancake victory this Shrove Tuesday. Whether you take to the flipping station like a pro, or opt for a more sophisticated afternoon tea, you’d be flippin’ mad to miss this fun, pancake-flying afternoon.

£4.95

THE SCENTED GARDEN
WATERPERRY GARDENS
MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 10-1PM

Pick up some expert advice on how to create a fragrant garden year-round at Waterperry Gardens. The morning workshop will show you how to plan, place and select a perfectly perfumed garden space. You’ll learn about using honeyed herbal aromas such as basil, sweet peas and rosemary, and how to get the best from subtle floral scents - so you’ll have the sweetest smelling garden around!

£40

A CALENDAR OF SUCCULENTS - JANUARY

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As the old adage goes, new year, new succulent…well, we would like to think so anyway! And to celebrate the coming of a new year, Fiona Wemyss from Blueleaf Plants brings us not just one, but TWO stunning succulents to appreciate.

I am cheating a little this month and bringing you two succulents, but I just couldn’t choose between these two species which are looking their best at the moment. The first is Aloe variegata (common name ‘Partridge-breasted aloe’), a plant from South Africa that is relatively common and easy to look after. It is a near cousin of Aloe vera, and while not as successful for treating burns, it is much more handsome with racemes of orangey-red tubular flowers to add to its appeal.

This small aloe has green or deep brown leaves, painted with creamy white blotches and stripes, and white-toothed leaf margins; its sharply pointed foliage forming a spiky rosette. Its crisp outline looks fantastic in an indoor display and the plant can tolerate a hot south-facing window or conservatory, and doesn’t mind an unheated spot during the winter. Young plants or ‘pups’ push their way up from the roots to form small colonies that are easy to break off to make new plants. The flower stalk makes a welcome appearance from the centre of the plant in late winter/early spring (in the UK). Like most succulents, these plants require good drainage and careful watering, and this variety can also tolerate light shade.

My second selection is another Crassula – this time Crassula tecta. A diminutive species from the Little Karoo in southern Africa, this beautiful plant has plump, overlapping, rounded leaves covered with a frosting of white papillae that look like they have been dipped in icing sugar. If you look closely, you will see the amazing texture of the papillae - more like fabric than plant tissue. During the winter months, flower spikes emerge through the foliage terminating in long-lasting white balls of tiny flowers. They look adorable in tiny pots and take up little space on a sunny window-sill. Over time, a single plant will spread to form small mounds in a larger pot.

Discover more of Fiona’s succulent picks here »

To stay up-to-date with all our latest news and be first to hear about ticket offers to GROW London this June, sign up to our mailing list here »

JANUARY IN LONDON

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The best thing about a new year? All the exciting new adventures you can get fully stuck into! So, if one of your resolutions is to get out and about more, then we can help. Hunting through London’s thick foliage of entertainments, activities and what’s ons, we’ve picked out the best for you here.

SENSATIONAL SNOWDROPS, LECTURE AND TOUR
CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
SATURDAY 16 – SUNDAY 24 JANUARY, 9.30AM – 4PM

After one of our mildest Decembers on record, Snowdrop season has arrived early! Celebrate the return of Chelsea Physic Garden’s most charming perennials and join renowned plantsman Joe Sharman – aka ’Mr Snowdrop’ – for a tour of the garden’s woodlands, where there are currently over 70 different varieties waiting to be admired. With the garden’s experts on hand to guide and advise on growing your own snowdrops, it’s a positively blooming way to start the new year.

Free with Garden entry

WINTER WILD FOOD WALK WITH CLAUDIO BINCOLETTO
PETERSHAM NURSERIES
SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 2 – 5PM

Join multi-talented forager, chef and horticulturist, Claudio Bincoletto to discover the delightful delicacies hiding in our winter woodlands. From wild garlic, hazelnut shrubs and mushrooms, to lamb’s lettuce and dandelion, Claudio will uncover the dense vegetation awaiting us as a result of the mild season. The walk will last around an hour and is followed by a lunch replete with delicious foraged treasures.

£40

PLANT DRAWING EVENING
SOUTH LONDON BOTANICAL INSTITUTE
FRIDAY 22 JANUARY, 7 – 9PM

Get your creative green fingers going in this drawing workshop at the South London Botanical Institute with Helen Firminger. You’ll gather plants and flowers from the garden and herbarium, before sitting down to sketch and share horticulturist advice and stories with fellow gardeners.

Free

WINTER GARDEN TOURS
OSTERLEY PARK AND HOUSE
SUNDAY 24 JANUARY, 12 - 2 PM

Dig out your wellies, wrap up warm and embrace the winter chill as you roam Osterley’s charming Winter Garden. Join Head Gardener Andy Eddy as he leads you round the gardens and learn about the different planting schemes and plant varieties appearing throughout the year. Afterwards, warm up with a hearty bowl of spicy soup in the café – a cosy way to end your winter’s day out.

£13.50 Adult ticket
£7 Child ticket

A DAY AT THE HERBARIUM
KEW GARDENS
THURSDAY 28 JANUARY, 10.30AM – 3.30PM

Kew’s very own Assistant Curators Nina Davies and Aurélie Grall are hosting a day at the Herbarium, where they will share their latest findings in plant biodiversity research and introduce you to a few of their favourite specimens from the seven million that are housed in Kew’s Herbarium. Spaces are limited, so do book in advance to enjoy a fascinating day behind the scenes at one of the world’s largest botanical collections.

£60 Adult ticket
£55 Concessions and Friends of Kew