Open Garden Squares Weekend - Preview of Free OGSW 2019 Activities Programme

Preview of Free Activities Programme for OGSW 2019 The OGSW 2019 garden activities have been announced on the website. This year, we’re delight to announce an exciting programme of free events and performances that will take place over the weekend.  So many in fact that we’ll be sending another update in a couple of weeks with more.  For this edition we are focussing on some major activities for children and families and culture vultures. We're thrilled to provide you with the opportunity to meet CBeebies presenter of Minibeast Adventures Jess French - see below for more details. We also have 'grow your own sensation' Vlogger Huw Richards who'll be on hand to answer lots of questions from visitors of all ages. There will be a nutrition demo by expert Catherine Arnold at Bell House for the whole family, too. The Poetry School's best poets will perform in the Poetry Quarter and in other gardens across the weekend.  These are just some of the exciting things we'll be offering - so do check out our website. Our Early Bird Rates for this year have closed but it’s not too late to buy tickets and enter some of our ballots. Ballots include places on a unique family workshop to create houses and gardens for woodland creatures and the opportunity to attend other fabulous events - these ballots close on 16th May.  Now’s also your last opportunity to get your guidebook posted to you directly before the weekend. Tickets are still available for our Chelsea Fringe panel discussion 'What are Gardens for?' on May 21st at the Coutts Skyline Garden, including a drink, canapés and access to the garden.   Do read all about our programme highlights below:

Family friendly! Meet Jess French and make a bird feeder Oasis Farm, SE1 - Saturday 8 June - 12 noon Jess French is a vet, explorer and CBeebies presenter. She joins Open Garden Squares Weekend to talk children about how they can attract more wildlife into their gardens and her latest book How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear. Read more about Jess on her website. Family friendly! Meet ‘grow your own sensation’ Huw Richards   Photo: DK Images  © Regent’s Park Allotment Gardens, NW1 - 2.30pm and Approach Gardens, E2 - Sunday 9 June - 12 noon Heralded as ‘the future of gardening’ by The Guardian, 20 year old Huw Richards began growing on his family’s smallholding in Wales at the age of 3. He uploaded his first gardening video to YouTube when he was 12, and has since surpassed 20 million views online. Meet Huw for a growing workshop and an opportunity to ask him all your ‘grow your own’ questions. Huw will also be signing copies of his book Veg in One Bed, just published and available at a reduced price via the London Parks & Gardens Trust website Hear Huw welcome you to his garden at his Youtube channel. Poetry Quarter - Sunday 9 June   Photo: poet Anna Selby by Katie Musgrave © This year Open Garden Squares Weekend extends its partnership with The Poetry School to create a Sunday Poetry Quarter in four London squares. Bryanston Square hosts author Meryl Pugh, Montagu Square hosts poet and naturalist Anna Selby, Portman Squarehosts poet and composer Jade Cuttle, and Manchester Square Gardens hosts Will Burns and illustrator Jess White. Croquet and Cocktails Back for 2019 due to popular demand - learn to play the quintessential British garden game with croquet master on-hand in one of three locations. Photo: Duncan Catterall © Royal Crescent Garden, W11 - Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 - 11am-5pm Nevern Square, SW5 - Saturday 8 June - 12-5pm Inner Temple Garden, EC4 - Sunday 9 June - 1-5pm Cocktails by resident mixologist: Gin Basil Smash, Pimms, Mojito, Raspberry Margarita.

Open Garden Squares Weekend - OGSW at the Chelsea Fringe: join us to find out 'What are Gardens for?

What are gardens for? Join a panel of fantastic speakers to find out at our Chelsea Fringe event!  Tickets go on sale tomorrow for OGSW at the Chelsea Fringe - an exciting debate hosted by Coutts on 21 May at 6pm. We'll be celebrating gardens of every kind and shape, and exploring the value and purpose of planted spaces and their impact on our lives.  Buy 'What are gardens for?' tickets online from 10am on 21 March Read our blog to find out more about the event's panellists, Professor Nigel Dunnett of Sheffield University, Chief Executive of Thrive Kathryn Rossiter, horticultural consultant Pilar Medrano Dell and urban organic champion Claire Ratinon. Guests will have a chance to explore the Coutts Skyline Garden with executive chef Peter Fiori, and will be served canapés prepared by the Coutts kitchen. The Skyline Garden is participating in Open Garden Squares Weekend via a public ballot, which opens on 3 April at 10am (entry via the OGSW website). Photo: Beech Gardens at the Barbican, designed by Nigel Dunnett (© Graham Willson)

Don't forget - the ballot to visit the garden at 10 Downing Street closes tomorrow (21 March) at 12 noon. Enter online now! If you miss out on the Downing Street and Coutts ballots this year, you can still explore some of the best private gardens in the city during Open Garden Squares Weekend. The majority of gardens are not normally open to the public and offer exclusive access for ticket holders, but we are also proud to present six 'star’ community gardens, which open more frequently. Schedule in a visit to Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, Culpeper Community Garden, The Phoenix Garden, St Mary’s Secret Garden, The Skip Garden, Global Generation or Walworth Garden to find out how we can all work together to create and nurture unusual local green spaces. Photo: Walworth Garden © Graham Willson Buy Open Garden Squares Weekend tickets now at advance prices - just £15 for adults with discounts for students, young people and groups. Under 12s go free! When you buy a ticket online, you will receive an e-ticket by email. You can show this on your phone or print it out to use over the Weekend. If you buy an advance ticket, you will receive a guidebook by post in May (UK only). One guidebook will be posted out per single ticket, and then one per two tickets thereafter.

We are also delighted to announce that Huw Richards, decribed in The Guardian as "the future of gardening” will be appearing during Open Garden Squares weekend. With over 100,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel Huw's Nursery and his first book Veg in One Bedjust published, Huw is an online horticultural sensation. Copies of Veg in One Bed are now available via the London Parks & Gardens Trust website. Photo: DK Images

Open Garden Squares Weekend - The public ballot to visit the garden at 10 Downing Street is now open!

The public ballot to visit the garden at 10 Downing Street is now open! As part of Open Garden Squares Weekend 2019, the London Parks & Gardens Trust is offering the rare opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street and take an exclusive guided tour of the garden. Find out how the ballot works on our website, or read our blog to discover more about the garden. Then click the button below for a chance to win a place on a garden tour. Enter the Downing Street public ballot now Due to extremely high demand for places, entry is allotted only via a public ballot, which will be open until midday on 21 March. The winners will be contacted shortly thereafter.   There will be two tours on Sunday 9 June 2019 at 11.30am and 1.30pm, with 24 places available on each tour.   You do not need to have purchased an Open Garden Squares Weekend ticket to enter the ballot. Photo: 10 Downing Street © Jay Allen Crown 10 Downing Street © Jay Allen Crown

If you miss out on the ballot this year, don’t despair! You can still explore some of the best gardens in the city, which are not normally open to the public, during Open Garden Squares Weekend on 8-9 June. All our gardens are now listed online, so you can now browse the map and garden list to get a flavour of what's on offer.  Buy Open Garden Squares Weekend tickets now at advance prices - just £15 for adults with discounts for students, young people and groups. Under 12s go free!

Details of our free cycle rides are now up on our website. These hugely popular tours are led by members of the London Cycling Campaign and Cyclists in Southwark. Where possible, the rides go through quieter, characterful streets. You are welcome to leave or join the rides at any point. No need to book – just turn up with your bike. Photo: Crescent Garden © Diana Jarvis  Watch this space for details of pre-bookable guided walks and further balloted garden tours. The Open Garden Squares Weekend team is also confirming details of some very exciting events and activities which will take place during the Weekend - more information coming soon! Check our Activities web page for details as soon as they are confirmed.  Photo: Manchester Square Gardens © Anna Barclay

When you buy a ticket online, you will receive an e-ticket by email. You can show this on your phone or print it out to use over the Weekend. If you buy an advance ticket, you will receive a guidebook by post in May (UK only). One guidebook will be posted out per single ticket, and then one per two tickets thereafter.

10 Downing Street garden tour: public ballot now open - Open Garden Squares Weekend

Open Garden Squares Weekend: 9-10 June 2018 Open Garden Squares Weekend is delighted to announce that the garden at Number 10 Downing Street will open again in 2018, via a public ballot. Find out more online then click the button below for a chance for you and a guest to win a place on a garden tour.  Enter the Downing Street public ballot There will be two Downing Street garden tours on Sunday 10 June at 11.30am and 1.30pm. 24 places are available on each, and due to high demand these can only be allocated by ballot. The ballot will close on Tuesday 1 May at 5pm. Find out how the ballot works on our website, or read our blog to discover more about the garden.

Open Garden Squares Weekend - Fun and Fascinating Garden Activities

Open Garden Squares Weekend  17 - 18 June 2017   This year the gardens are putting on some fascinating and fun events ranging from music concerts to bug-hunting, tea party pop-ups, medieval soap making and plant sales. Find out more about the garden activities here! The diverse and enjoyable activities offered in the gardens across London are aimed at all different ages. From classical and jazz concerts and gin cocktails for adults to seed-planting, storytelling and nature trails for families and children. Get your tickets for OGSW here!

Read the latest blog at Tales from Duck Island Cottage. Dorothy explored Bina Gardens East, a magical hidden gem off Old Brompton Road. Join the conversation on our social media channels! Share your #ThursdayFirsts this week with your first photos of bluebells! Follow us on Twitter & Instagram to participate.

Special garden tours and bookable events Watch out for our next newsletter when we will be releasing all of our bookable walks, cycles and tours! As a subscriber to our newsletter you will be one of the first to know!

Open Garden Squares Weekend - Walks & Special Tours

Open Garden Squares Weekend 18 - 19 June 2016   We are excited to announce the release of over 40 guided walks and six special tours in some of London's most beautiful and unusual gardens. You'll need to have bought a ticket before booking a place. Purchase your OGSW ticket HERE Special Tours   Nigel Dunnett Talk and Tours of Beech Gardens Behind the Scenes at Kew Gardens' Orchid Nursery Coutts Bank Rooftop Garden Tour River Cafe Garden Tour Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Tours Barbican Station pop up Garden Tours   Guided Walks We have a selection of over 40 free guided walks available to book now! Including foreign language tours in Polish, Italian, Russian, Spainish and French. Visit the website for a full list. Please note: We will be allocating places on the Nigel Dunnet talk and The Kew Garden's Orchid Nursery tour via a ballot due to their expected popularity. All other walks and tours are allocated on a first come, first served basis and so early booking is recommended. Visit over 200 secret and hidden gardens in this magical two-day London event. Book your ticket now!

London Parks & Gardens Trust Events Lambeth Riverside Wednesday 1 June, 6pm Leader Mike Dawson, Chairman LPGT An evening stroll exploring parks and open spaces along the riverside. The walk will include Jubilee Gardens, the Festival of Britain site, St Thomas’s Hospital, Lambeth Palace and the Garden Museum, and Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park at the Imperial War Museum, together with a number of new community open spaces. Price: £6.31 (including booking fee) Booking Support London's green spaces by becoming a member of the London Parks & Gardens Trust and you will receive a free ticket for Open Garden Squares Weekend plus a host of other benefits.JOIN TODAY