OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST
Do you have a love for gardening and want to contribute to the upkeep of a historic, beautiful garden? Join our team at John Clare Garden as a Volunteer Gardener!
Interested? Contact us to find out more here. We look forward to hearing from you. info@clarecottage.org
10AM-4PM, LAST ENTRY 3PM.
ADULTS £7 – CHILDREN 5-16YRS £3
Please note our gate and tearooms are cash only.
We can’t quite believe we are nearing the end of August already! Where has the year gone? This does mean one thing however! The stunning colours of Autumn will soon be upon us and Chippenham Park Gardens will be basking in all its glory. Join us for our final weekend of open gardens on Saturday, 19th October and Sunday, 20th October 2024.
Dogs welcome on leads. Please note our gate and tearooms are cash only.
After a good walk why not treat yourselves at our licensed tearooms which will be open all day serving hot food, drinks and homemade cakes.
We can’t wait to see you again soon before the close of the season!
Click here to see what’s happening and how to buy tickets
Day timed admission tickets from £15,
All options below are bookable and extra ££
showcase gardens
beautiful borders
plant expert tours
explore the kitchen garden
learn how to grow mushrooms
dahlia workshop
shopping
good food market
live entertainment
Capability Brown tours
talks
expert advice
We are thrilled to share news of our upcoming Beth Chatto Symposium - 'Beneath the Surface', to be held on the 29th & 30th August 2024 at the University of Essex, with an extra optional day of tours and talks on Saturday 31st at the Beth Chatto Gardens.
This third event, following the success of 'Ecological Planting in the 21st Century' and 'Rewilding the Mind', continues Beth’s mission to inspire and educate through horticulture.
Proceeds will help further the work of the Beth Chatto Education Trust.
Beneath the Surface:
How do we interpret the vital signs of the world around us, such that we can respond appropriately to the critical challenges the future poses?
How much do we really know about the life forces that surround us- those in the soil, air and water, and importantly those in, on and between the plants that surround ourselves with?
The Beth Chatto Symposium 2024 will delve deep into hidden realms to explore many of the lesser-known factors that affect the way we garden. This exploration will investigate the ways in which we can perceive and understand the processes in which we are intimately entangled and how we can engage with them in ways that are beneficial to all parties involved.
Three strands:
Perceiving revealing research into hidden realms and new worlds.
Thinking big ideas about our relationship with the natural world and how we define and express them (through language and forms of representation)
Doing putting new ideas into practice, skills, design and activism
Your ticket will include two days of lectures, conversations and panel discussions at the Ivor Crewe Lecture Theatre, an exclusive garden party held at the Beth Chatto Gardens on the evening of the 29th August, and 'new for 2024', an optional, informal day of tours and talks at the Gardens on Saturday 31st; the perfect opportunity to explore, ask questions, and network with other attendees.
We're excited to share that the live stream option is back for those unable to attend in person, offering real-time access to lectures and Q&A sessions. Post-event, you can enjoy the convenience of edited recordings of all discussions and talks to re-watch at your own pace.
In the upcoming weeks, we'll be revealing our line up of fantastic speakers. These individuals are experts in their field and will be sharing their wealth of knowledge with us.
As for tickets, their release will be announced shortly. We recommend signing up for notification so you can be among the first to know when they become available to purchase.*
*We will be releasing the tickets for sale at least 24 hours before we announce, so by signing up you will get priority to secure your place - this event was sold out in 2018 and 2022.
Best wishes, Julia Boulton, Beth's Granddaughter and Chairman of the Gardens
A seven acre site with ruin of C12 Norman keep and C19 neo Norman folly. Highlights inc spectacular snowdrops and spring bulbs; formal rose garden; walled kitchen garden with vegetables, bantams, and wildflower meadow; orchard with perennial meadow; lake; unspoilt panoramic views over surrounding parkland. Recent replanting of main border with plants resistant to climate change and wildlife friendly.
Entrance fee - adult £8, children £4
Teas available and wheelchair friendly
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7BS
A talk at the Cambridge Literary Festival - A Year Full of Pots
Sat 20 Apr 2024 | 10:00am - 11:00am
Back by popular demand, Sarah Raven discusses the final book in in her ‘Year Full Of…’ trio. Having covered flowers and veg, she now turns her attention to pots. With her trademark brio and flair, Sarah offers practical design tips to improve your pots using ingenious tricks with form and colour to enhance any plot from balconies and small city yards to more spacious gardens.
In conversation with Alex Clark
Palmerston Room, St John’s College, Cambridge
https://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/events/sarah-raven-a-year-full-of-pots/
A talk at the Cambridge Festival - Sanctuary Gardens
Three literary historians will talk about the history of gardens as sanctuary.
Author Sue Stuart Smith will read from The Well Gardened Mind.
A tour of Downing College’s Wellbeing Garden and an exhibition in The Heong Gallery.
FREE Mon 25 March 2024 at 2.30, 4.00 or 4.45pm
Downing College, Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1DQ
BOOKING REQUIRED
https://www.festival.cam.ac.uk/system/files/cam_fest_24_online_programme.pdf
Join us for a stroll through the beautiful gardens of Pembroke College and enjoy the serene atmosphere and stunning scenery!
Pembroke College Garden Tour
The gardens of Pembroke College are an Oasis of interconnecting gardens in the heart of the City Centre. The Head Gardener, Sarah Claydon, will be leading a tour of the gardens, as part of our giving day events. The tour will last approximately 1 hour and you will find out about the history of the 3rd oldest surviving Cambridge College, the people behind the gardens, plants of interest and the changing face of the gardens. This in-person event offers a unique opportunity to explore the beauty and history of the college's gardens. Discover hidden gems, vibrant flowers, and serene pathways as you learn about the rich botanical heritage of this historic location. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or simply looking for a relaxing afternoon, this garden tour is sure to captivate your senses. Don't miss out on this enchanting experience!
Pembroke College, Trumpington Street Cambridge CB2 1RF
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pembroke-college-garden-tour-tickets-852098147497?aff=oddtdtcreator
Click here to find open gardens near us .
Kirtling Tower, Newmarket
Netherhall Manor, Soham
Chippenham Park’s lovely gardens are open every day from now until Friday 29 March.
Tickets £7, children 3-16 £3
Gate and tea rooms are cash only
RHS Members are free Monday to Friday only
Tucked away in the quiet countryside of Cambridgeshire close to St Ives you will find our RHS Chelsea Gold Medallist and RHS Master Grower nursery.
Whether you are new or experienced at growing Alpine Plants and unusual plants, you can be assured of a warm welcome when you visit D’Arcy & Everest nursery. The owners Luke and Laura Whiting still work with Angela Whiting who started the nursery in 1992 and exhibited at RHS Chelsea ’93. Now in passing its 25th year of growing D&E has been awarded the accolade of RHS Master Grower. Propagating and growing all our own plants from seeds cuttings and division using both old and modern techniques on this traditional nursery. Growing Hundreds of different varieties of unusual specimens that you would not find at your local garden centre.
Please be aware that due to us being a small family business it is best to phone before travelling.
Thursday 7th March 2024 10am – 3pm
Thursday 6th June 2024 10am – 3pm
Thursday 12th Sept 2024 10am – 3pm
Meadowsweet Nursery, Pidley Sheep Lane (B1040), Somersham, Cambs PE28 3FL
info@darcyeverest.co.uk 01480 497 672
The Manor House Garden features avenues of white stemmed Himalayan birches, eucalyptus and metasequoia. Topiary forms a major interest with a snaking dragon, tiered hollies, a jury scene etc. Paths are lined with colourful cornus, rubus, viburnum, honeysuckle and sarcococca. Grass borders swish and sway, aconites and snowdrops play their part too. Garden featured on Gardeners' World, 'Winter Specials'. There will be a kokedama demonstration at 12pm and 2.45pm.
Church Road, Stevington, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 7QB
Homemade Teas
Adults £8.50, children free
Gardener’s Question Time - Friday 1st December Radio 4 at 3pm
Repeat on Sunday 3rd December at 2pm
On behalf of the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge we invite you to a weekend course that you might find interesting.
The course that may be of interest to you is Plant hunters - the quest for the world’s edible and exotic plants (from 17-19 November, 2023) delivered by Caroline Holmes for the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE).
Our weekend courses take place, in person, in the beautiful setting of Madingley Hall, where you can book accommodation in comfortably furnished rooms with pleasant views over the woods, gardens and courtyard.
Further details of the course, including the course syllabus, dates, accommodation, fees and booking information, can be found on our website here.
Please see our website for a full list of our upcoming weekend courses this academic year as there may be more that interest you. These are now open for booking.
THE PLANT HERITAGE CAMBRIDGESHIRE GROUP
The Max Walters Memorial Lecture - Plants from the Edge of the World
Tony Kirkham MBE,VMH,FICFor (Hon)
Saturday 11th November 2023 - 2 for 2.30 p.m.
The Saloon, Madingley Hall, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AQ, Ample free parking. Disabled Parking available
A graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Diploma Course in 1981, Tony Kirkham retired as Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Services in 2021. During this time he was responsible for the management and curation of over 14,000 trees in the collection. He has participated in and led several plant collecting expeditions to Chile and the Far East of Asia, and has co-authored several books on his travels including‘Plants from the Edge of the World’.
Tickets: £15 Plant Heritage Members: £12 (includes refreshments)
Welcome to the Tender Shoots – We are an online club with gardening talks and events over the Autumn Winter months via Zoom. Individuals and clubs are very welcome to join in, it’s open to anyone, there’s no charge to attend most of the talks, zoom link below. Sign up to our email event reminder service in the grey box below. TS is national collective of UK garden clubs set up during Covid so clubs could work together, have joint online events, share tips & advice, share discounts, plus much more. Complete novices are especially welcome
For more information click here
Tuesday, 31 October 2023 18:00 -Tuesday, 31 October 2023 19:15
This is an online event.
A talk on Ellen Willmott, one of horticulture's most enigmatic figures, world famous in her lifetime, almost forgotten after her death
Please do consider a donation - your smallest kindness will go a long away for us in helping us deliver our nature and natural history programmes.
Miss Ellen Willmott is one of horticulture's most enigmatic figures. World famous in her lifetime, almost forgotten after her death, she created three renowned gardens, pioneered thousands of new plants and fought for her place alongside men in society. She is also one of the first fifteen women accepted as Fellows of the Linnean Society.
Willmott has endured a chequered reputation in the past, but recent new discoveries have forced a re-evaluation of her life and work, not least that her work as a photographer has been severely undervalued – so far, a conservative estimate of her surviving work totals c.25,000 glass plates, prints, lantern slides and negatives. This talk will discuss Willmott’s life and work, focusing on her journey to join the Linnean Society and the ramifications of her Fellowship.
Journalist and historian Sandra Lawrence, MRes, has spent the past eight years recovering Miss Willmott's lost archive from the basement of a stately home in Worcestershire. Thousands of letters, diaries, receipts, bills and photographs, mostly in poor condition, have enabled her to reconsider the life, work and legacy of Ellen Willmott, resulting in a new biography, Miss Willmott’s Ghosts, published in 2022. The recovery work on Willmott’s papers is ongoing.
This talk is online and Zoom login details will be sent out two hours before the event start time.
Other Events: To hear about our other events, subscribe to Linnean News.
Talk on zoom from Timothy Walker (former curator of Oxford Botanic Garden) – “Bordering on Insanity – creating an all-year-round border.
This talk is organised by the Tender Shoots Garden Network, an online club with gardening talks and events over the Autumn and Winter months via Zoom. Individuals and clubs are very welcome to join in, it’s open to anyone, there’s no charge to attend most of the talks, zoom link below. Sign up to our email event reminder service in the grey box below. TS is national collective of UK garden clubs set up during Covid so clubs could work together, have joint online events, share tips and advice, as well as trips to see gardens, share discounts, plus much more. Complete novices are especially welcome.
Zoom login details:
(This same code applies to most meetings)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4043014750?pwd=SVRibE0vRW5mTUFqdG1NblVxSlJPZz09
Meeting ID: 404 301 4750
Passcode: bonsai
Audley End House and Gardens
See the transition of the grow your own movement from the Victorian era through to the present day.
The garden showcases a 19th century kitchen garden, a family vegetable garden from 1968 (the year BBC Gardeners’ World was first broadcast on television) and a modern-day plot embracing organic and wildlife-friendly practices.
Hemingford Abbots is a quintessential English village in Cambridgeshire, near St Ives, and every 2 years since 1964, we hold a large Flower Festival. As well as over 20 open gardens, our church is decorated with amazing flower displays, and there are a range of entertainments and attractions. Afternoon tea and cake is served in open gardens and at the Old Rectory, as brass bands play. Outside the local pub, the Axe and Compass, Morris Dancers perform, and there are exhibitions of vintage cars and motorcycles, as well as plant stalls and local artisans selling their crafts. You can also take a trip on an electric boat along the River Great Ouse, from the centre of the village. The residents of Hemingford Abbots rally together to create a most enjoyable week-end, and at the same time we are raising money to conserve the fabric of our church, St Margaret of Antioch, a Grade 1 listed gem and the oldest building in the village.
Tickets to give you entrance to the open gardens and attractions, are £9 for one day or £15 for the week-end, and can be purchased at various locations in the village during the weekend. But if you have a minibus or coach of 12 or more visitors, then we can offer a special concession rate of £8 for a day. Car and coach parking is free, and the car park is by the river, so plenty of opportunities for riverbank picnics. Lunches are available at the Village Hall, on a first come basis, and must be arranged in advance. Lunch can also be taken at the Axe and Compass, and there are filled rolls for sale in some gardens.
For more information, see our village website https://hemingfordabbots.org.uk/hemingford-abbots-flower-festival/ or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/haflowerfestival/about
If you are interested in visiting us, and would like to purchase concessionary tickets in advance as a group, please contact Dr Josephine Wills at drjowills@gmail.com.
Join us on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June 11am-5pm to explore the gorgeous garden of Red Balloon’s Founder, Carrie Herbert, at 49 New Square, Cambridge, CB1 1EZ. Carrie will be throwing open the gate to this normally private garden for the weekend, giving people a chance to unwind and relax among the beautiful flowers.
Enjoy lovely relaxed afternoons in the stunning gardens at Childerley in their seasonal glory.
Tea and delicious home-made cake will be available in the Kitchen Courtyard.
Some Childerley plants will be for sale.
Entrance: £5 (children under 16 free). Cash is preferred but there is a card facility.
Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome on garden open days.
General Information for all Events:
DIRECTIONS - CB23 8BA. Don't rely on Satnav alone. Make sure you approach from the St Neots Road (old A428) between Caldecote and Cambourne and refer to directional map.
PARKING - There is good parking for cars and bicycles. On arrival, please follow the signage.
A great selection of rare and unusual plants from specialist nurseries.
Refreshments, grounds and knot garden
Entry £2.50, children free
Click here for information poster
Buckden Towers, PE195TA
TENDER SHOOTS GARDEN NETWORK – update March 2023
The Tender Shoots Garden Club Network is a national collective of UK garden clubs set up by a novice gardener (Indy Rana ) during Covid so clubs could work together, have joint online events, share tips & advice, as well as trips to see gardens, share discounts, plus much more. They hold gardening talks over the Autumn Winter months via Zoom. Individuals and clubs are very welcome to join in, it’s open to anyone, there’s no charge to attend. See ‘Membership‘ page for further information. We admire the energy and perspective that this ‘new to gardening’ enthusiast provides.
Upcoming talks …
· April 27th Thursday – Hilary Hutson – Patio Panache
Container planting ideas from around the world.
· April TBC Chris Blackburn - Ultra Sonic Pest Control - Learn about the safe way to control animals coming into your gardens without the need to use harmful chemicals.
· September 25th Monday – Lucy Hartley – Climate change and its effect on our gardens
· October 26th Thursday – Timothy Walker (former curator of Oxford Botanic Garden) – Bordering on Insanity (creating an all-year-round border)
· November 8th Wednesday – Andrew Mikolajski – Do Your Roots Need Doing – Good root growth is essential for healthy and productive plants.
· December Christmas Quiz TBC
More talks TBC, further details are on the tendershoots.uk website.
Meetings open at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start and there is no charge to attend so everyone is welcome. Feel free to pass it on to your gardening friends.
Zoom link is the same as usual for every meeting.
Meeting ID: 404 301 4750 Passcode: bonsai
Enjoy lovely relaxed afternoons in the stunning gardens at Childerley in their seasonal glory, in support of St Michael's Church, Caldecote
Tea and delicious home-made cake will be available in the Kitchen Courtyard. Some Childerley plants will be for sale.
Entrance: £5 (children under 16 free). Cash is preferred but there is a card facility.
Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome on garden open days.
General Information for all Events:
DIRECTIONS - CB23 8BA. Don't rely on Satnav alone. Make sure you approach from the St Neots Road (old A428) between Caldecote and Cambourne and refer to directional map.
PARKING - There is good parking for cars and bicycles. On arrival, please follow the signage.
Come to Thriplow Daffodil Weekend to experience the warm and friendly atmosphere of our charity fundraising event, run entirely by local volunteers.
Join us for two days of fun activities for all the family and amble through over 100 stalls to find that something special. Check out the blacksmiths at work in the Smithy and be entertained by the merry Morris dancers. Then recharge at Taste of Thriplow for street food and beer or enjoy hot drinks and homemade cake at our Village Tearooms. With live music being played all around the village it’s the perfect place to get some springtime cheer.
It takes over 350 kind-hearted and very fabulous volunteers to put on a two-day Daffodil Weekend, with many people often working a number of shifts to cover the weekend. By the end of each day, everyone is totally shattered but happy. The friendliness and warm-heartedness of our visitors keep us going.
Click here for more information and link to buying early bird tickets
Open every day from Saturday, 21st January 2023 continuing straight into our spring gardens until Sunday, 2nd April 2023 .
10AM–4PM, LAST ENTRY 3PM.
Entry £7 adult garden entry, children 5-16yrs £3. Dogs welcome on leads. Please note our gate and tearooms are cash only. Our first opening of the year to cast your eyes on our amazing aconites, glorious snowdrops and winter gardens. Well renowned throughout the country and beyond.
No outside food or drink permitted on site. After a good walk why not treat yourselves at our licensed tearooms which will be open all day serving hot food, drinks and homemade cakes.
Wheelchair access is only limited in places although there are wood-chip paths in most places. There is wheelchair access to the outdoor toilet in the kitchen garden but the indoor toilets have a couple of steps. Be aware when visiting, especially with children, that the gardens contain large areas of open water.
We are extremely excited to announce a partnership with Gastrono-Me in Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds for a combined brunch and wreath-making event…including a merry Me-Mosa! Join us at their beautiful restaurant to enjoy a sumptuous brunch of your choice, before making your own wreath to take home and enjoy!
On the sustainability front, we have added another workshop to our Christmas offerings: Sustainable Christmas arrangements in Churches! We’ve noticed that some churches are finding it difficult to transition from using floral foam to more sustainable arranging methods. We will therefore be demonstrating a range of sustainable floristry techniques and introducing the latest eco innovation of fibre-blocks. This demonstration will focus on large arrangements, as well as smaller ones to decorate pews and windowsills. Come and join us on Saturday November 12th, between15:30-17:00. And if you don’t have a Church to arrange your flowers in, not to worry, these techniques can be applied at home as well!
The usual offer of Christmas Wreath workshops and Table Arrangements remain open for bookings and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would prefer a private workshop with family or friends - starting from 5 participants. Please get in touch soon, as available dates are running out!
We are looking forward to welcoming you in our studio this season
Dr Twigs Way will be giving a talk on ‘History of the Chrysanthemum in Art and Literature’. The Chrysanthemum isn’t a fashionable plant currently but it has a rich history and Twigs Way is an entertaining speaker with a huge amount of knowledge.
Dr Way is a professional researcher, writer, speaker and consultant in garden history and designed landscapes - and is intrigued by the role of flowers, gardens and landscape in art and culture of all kinds. She is currently developing a series of books on the art and culture of specific flowers and the recently published Chrysanthemums has received rave reviews, including this extract from Ambra Edwards in Gardens Illustrated. “With her vivacious prose and unerring knack for unearthing the absurd or delicious detail, (Twigs) Way could probably fashion the minutes of your local parish council into absorbing history: with this flower, she is in her element”. Don’t miss hearing her speak in person.
Click here for further information
2pm for 2.30 start
Members of the Plant Heritage Group £10, visitors £13
The Saloon, Madingley hall, Madingley, CB23 8AQ
In the lovely rustic studio of Battersea Bloem you can take a break, get creative and enjoy all these beautiful autumn colours! Autumn wreaths have gained in popularity over the last years, and we fully understand why. The lovely colours and textures are such a joy to celebrate nature. During this wreath workshop you can choose your base to be willow, straw or metal and make a sumptuous autumn wreath using a mixture of natural decorations. Under expert guidance you will create a masterpiece to keep either inside or outside.
The Tender Shoots Garden Club Network is a national collective of UK garden clubs set up by a novice gardener ( Indy Rana ) during Covid so clubs could work together. They hold gardening talks over the autumn and winter months via Zoom. Individuals and clubs are very welcome to join, it’s open to anyone, and there’s no charge to attend, click here for more information
There are lots of talks on a very wide range of topics. Zoom meetings are held both evenings and afternoons. There is sure to be something of interest to you.
