If you have an interest in horticulture or the history and hidden spaces of the capital, a visit to London is a must this Saturday and Sunday as the annual Open Garden Squares Weekend is upon us.
For a mere £12 you can visit as many gardens as you can cram in in the time but it’s best, of course to do the ones that aren’t usually open to the public, such as the HMS Holloway Prison garden which is maintained by the prisoners themselves, or the gardens tucked away in the Inner Temple, a haven for the legal profession for centuries.
There are a few new gardens included in the scheme this year, one of which is the Blue Fin garden, situated on the 10th floor of the award-winning IPC Media Building. This is a contemporary design with simple and striking planting and is used by the employees to sit and have their breaks in.
Or at the other end of the spectrum is the Skip Garden, a mobile allotment on the King’s Cross development site, which is an unusual example of organic urban agriculture.
You can buy tickets in advance or on the day from certain of the gardens, but some garden tours do need to be pre-booked. Don’t expect to waltz into the Downing Street garden as and when you feel like it. Thousands of people entered a ballot for only 25 pairs of tickets and they’ve been notified already, so no flipping burgers with Cameron for you (or me)….
Event: Secret London Gardens
Where: All over London
When: June 8-9
Tickets: £12 for all access pass for weekend on day, £10 in advance, with kids under 12 free
More information: CLICK HERE:
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