August at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
Release date: 18 June 2025
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- Of the Oak by Marshmallow Laser Feast continues at Kew Gardens
- Seedscapes now open at Wakehurst and Globe Trotter trail for families
- The Power of Trees in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery celebrates the secrets of the forest
- Horticultural highlights include the Mediterranean Garden at Kew and American Prairie at Wakehurst
- Oaklore, an adventure of making and exploring inspired by Kew’s oak trees continues
- Coming soon: Material World in Kew’s iconic Temperate House
Kew Gardens
Of the Oak | until 28 September 2025 | Syon Vista | Included with entry to the Gardens
Now open at Kew Gardens, Of the Oak, a new interactive video installation inspired by one of Kew’s most magnificent trees.
Fusing of-the-moment scientific research alongside Marshmallow Laser Feast’s signature innovation, this world-premiere installation takes visitors on a captivating visual and auditory journey, using extensive real-world data to untangle the invisible web of water, oxygen and carbon at work within the majestic Lucombe oak - one of Kew Gardens’ most remarkable trees. Visitors are invited to explore a deep connection to the majestic tree's story and resilience, as they peer through its unique characteristics and learn about its vital role in the ecosystem.
Every Thursday and Saturday at 11.30am, visitors can join a free Of the Oak walking tour to learn more about Kew’s oak collection.
The Power of Trees | until 14 September 2025 | Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art | Included with entry to the Gardens
Head to the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art for a new exhibition celebrating woodland wonders and their impact on art and culture across generations. The Power of Trees will showcase a broad range of works, from the world premiere of 20 delicate botanical illustrations from The Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society to an epic cinematic installation from Finnish visual artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila.
In Horizontal – Vaakasuora, Ahtila portrays a 30-metre spruce from Finland across six vertical scenes, complete with a natural soundscape to create an immersive, living portrait. Ahtila’s preparatory works for the installation, entitiled Anthropomorphic Exercises in Film will premiere in the UK alongside the cinematic masterpiece. Forming a vibrant celebration of trees and their artistic resonance, the exhibition shines new light on the power of art in connecting people more deeply with the natural world.
Oaklore | Daily until 31 August
Step into an adventure of making and exploring, living out exciting stories and creating memories together, diving into the wonder of the oak tree. Meet unique characters, hear botanical wisdom, battle lightning with mighty acorns, and parade joyfully as you take your place as proud oaktivists!
Join Wild Rumpus at Kew Gardens this summer, creating fun moments where your family will feel free to learn through play, imagine boldly and gather for moments of collective wonder.
Wellbeing in Nature
Kew’s popular event series Wellbeing in Nature returns this month, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing within the inspiring surroundings of Kew Gardens’ 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage site. All tickets include entry to Kew Gardens and a 20% discount in our restaurants.
Tai chi | 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 August | 9am – 10am | Mediterranean Garden / Berberis Dell
Boost your physical and mental wellbeing with the centuries-old Chinese martial art, ta chi, amidst the tranquil surroundings of Kew’s Mediterranean Garden. Six-week courses also available for beginners and intermediate participants.
Forest bathing | 2, 22 & 30 August | 10.30am- 12.30pm | Arboretum
Inspired by the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing is a sensory woodland walk alongside an expert guide, who will lead participants as they disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. Organised in partnership with the Forest Bathing Institute.
Temperate House Yoga | 2, 16 & 29 August | Temperate House
This one-hour vinyasa flow session is held in the spectacular Temperate House. Enjoy pre-opening or sunset classes in the midst of 10,000 rare and endangered plants, led by Anil Jangi, Kew’s own yoga instructor.
Pilates | 13 & 27 August | 10am – 11am | Nash Conservatory
Tone your body in our historic 19th century Nash Conservatory with our special Pilates sessions. Find mindfulness through pairing breathing exercises with movement; our knowledgeable and friendly Pilates instructor will focus on improving your flexibility, strength, and posture.
Summer Cycle | 7 August | 5pm- 9pm
Enjoy exclusive access to the Gardens by bike and experience Kew on two wheels during this special event. New trails on two wheels will allow visitors to enjoy the best of Kew's trees, art and architecture during the evening.
Horticultural Highlights – Summer
Horticultural highlights on display at Kew Gardens across the month include the newly refreshed Mediterranean Garden, as well as the spectacular displays along the Great Board Walker Borders. Visitors can also escape the peak of the summer sun with sedate, shady walks around the Arboretum.
Elsewhere, marvel at the largest waterlily in the world, Victoria boliviana, still flowering in the Waterlily House and Princess of Wales Conservatory.
The Nash Sessions | L’Inviti Singers | Thursday 14 August, 6.30pm-9pm
Enjoy an enchanting candlelit concert in the Nash Conservatory at Kew Gardens – a magical setting for an summer soirée with family and friends. Enjoy an evening with one of the UK’s most versatile chamber choirs, with singers hand-picked from the country’s top ensembles including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
Theatre on Kew
This summer, choose from two daytime productions – Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and magical The Dream Fairies - Adventure to Bubble Land – and an atmospheric theatre under the stars production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, presented by the Australian Shakespeare Company. Tickets include entry to Kew Gardens.
Macbeth | Tuesdays – Sundays, 7.30pm
This new, powerful and critically acclaimed production directed by Glenn Elston is fresh from a sold-out Melbourne season.
Alice in Wonderland | Wednesdays – Sundays, 11am & 2.30pm (times vary)
Come along and join the fun in this enchanting world of song, dance, and interactive games that will leave the whole family dizzy and giddy with nonsense.
The Dream Fairies- Adventure to Bubble Land | Wednesdays – Sundays, 10.30am and 2pm (times vary)
In an enchanting world of song and dance, the adventurous Tinkerbell meets up with the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Together, the cheeky Mustardseed, fluttery Moth, daring Cobweb and sweet Peaseblossom go on a magical quest with Tinkerbell.
Twilight Nature Walk | Monday 18 August, 8.30pm-10pm
Join Natural Habitats Supervisor, Ru Brookes, to explore the hidden world of dusk at Kew – as the visitors leave the Gardens for the day, some of our reclusive inhabitants emerge. During the 3km long walk, you will listen for bats hunting over the lake, try to catch a glimpse of our resident owls and badgers foraging, and release moths which have been collected as part of our scientific research.
Kew Publishing Book of the Month | Kew Pocketbooks: Tropical Plants by Brie Langley
Tropical plants, from the self-peeling banana to the Brazilian rain tree, are a rich and biologically diverse group which draw attention with striking colours, textures and structures. This Kew Pocketbook is an exploration of some of the most compelling tropical plants, showcased through 40 stunning paintings from the Kew archives.
Coming Soon: Material World in the Temperate House, from 20 September, supported by Cazenove Capital
This autumn, discover Material World, a festival of art, fashion and horticulture inside the stunning Temperate House. This thought-provoking exhibition dives into the fascinating connections between textiles, plants and sustainability, exploring the hidden stories behind everyday materials. Drawing from Kew's renowned scientific collections, Material World explores the intertwined threads of nature, culture and creativity, and allows us to discover how we can all wear a more sustainable future.
Wakehurst
Horticultural Highlights
At Wakehurst, the meadows reach their seasonal peak, with Coronation Meadow and Bloomers Valley transforming into wildflower wonderlands filled with colour and the hum of pollinators. Meanwhile, the American Prairie boasts towering giants, such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), sometimes reaching up to five feet tall. In the Walled Garden, towering colours and sunny paths provide respite and horticultural inspiration, while the Water Gardens provide a serene escape of lush greenery. The Children’s & Community Garden has been newly expanded and now hosts new vegetable plots, a bug bed planted to attract critters such as caterpillars, and a woodery providing a new habitat.
Wakehurst Mansion
The Wakehurst Mansion doors open once again this summer, inviting visitors to explore a place where history, science, and nature intertwine. Two new immersive exhibition spaces invite visitors to delve in to the stories that shape Wakehurst. Discover the humble beginnings of the Millenium Seed Bank and our ongoing scientific mission to protect nature in the Mansion’s Chapel or visit the Billiard Room to uncover the history of the Wakehurst site and importance of our living collections and our relationship with the National Trust. The newly restored library offers a lounge space for visitors to pause and soak in the Mansion’s unique atmosphere whilst exploring the botanic gardens.
Events
Seedscapes | Until 14 September | All day, free with entry
An exhibition of art, sculpture, and sound set throughout the gardens, inspired by the science of seeds, and the groundbreaking research carried out daily at the Millennium Seed Bank, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Discover the work of six international artists, whose installations highlight the urgency and beauty of global seed conservation. Through sculpture, light, colour and sound, each artwork aims to inspire, engage and reconnect visitors with the role of seeds in culture, science and conservation.
Nature Heroes: Globe Trotter | 21 July to 5 September | All day | Mission and badge: £4
Join us in celebrating 25 years of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, with nearly 2.5 billion seeds from 40,000 wild plant species safely stored. Set off on your own Nature Heroes mission across the globe, from Asia to Australia, South America to the Caribbean and beyond - you’ll be walking the world, all without leaving the gardens! Grab your map and discover amazing plants from around the world.
Trees for Bees | Free with entry to the gardens
Scientists at Wakehurst are undertaking a pioneering project to discover which trees prove most popular with our buzzing pollinators. With this vital data, they can help boost populations of critical bees, wasps and more across the country, particularly in urban areas. And now, visitors have a chance to be part of it. Grab a free guide, download the app and follow our trail to help our scientists understand our bee population. Community groups can also sign up to an Engagement Session to hear from our scientists and enjoy a guided tour.
Bat walk | every Thursday until 11 September | 8pm to 10pm | Wakehurst and Kew members £22, Non-members £25
Choose between two immersive experiences: the woodland bat walk, which takes you down to serene Westwood Lake, or the shorter, accessible garden bat walk, centred around the peaceful Mansion Pond. The woodland walk covers approximately 4 km on a steady path, with an uphill return for those who enjoy a bit of a climb.
Parkrun at Wakehurst | Every Saturday from 9am | Free
Pace yourself through our scenic landscape as Parkrun is now at Wakehurst. Every Saturday morning, embark on a fun, free and friendly 5K. Participants must register with Parkrun before their first event.
Guided tours | Tues to Thurs, 11.30am and 2pm | Fri – Mon, 11.30am | Free, subject to availability
Whether it’s your first time visiting or you're a regular to the gardens wanting to learn more, join a volunteer-led tour to discover seasonal areas of interest, learn about the history of the landscape and discover behind-the-scenes stories of the gardens.
Millennium Seed Bank Atrium Guided Tours | Mondays 2pm | Free, subject to availability
Step inside the most biodiverse place on earth and enjoy a guided tour of the MSB Atrium. Trained volunteer guides will take you through the journey of a seed from collection to banking and point out areas of interest through the laboratory windows. Launched in celebration of the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25th anniversary.
Dog walks at Wakehurst | Daily | Dedicated dog walking route
Enjoy Wakehurst’s wintery woodlands and captivating views with your four-legged friend in tow. Wakehurst’s dedicated dog walking route takes you through woodlands of the world, offering a dog walk with a difference. Excitable pups can burn off energy in the secure off-lead area and enjoy some downtime in Wakehurst’s dog-friendly cafes.
Exhibitions
Surviving or Thriving: An exhibition on plants and us | Daily, 10am – 3.30pm | Millennium Seed Bank | Included with entry
This exhibition brings Kew’s State of the World’s Plants reports to life, telling the story of why some plants are only surviving, while others are thriving. Through film, audio, models, and a futuristic garden, explore the challenges that plants face and discover the vital role of fungi.
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ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025. Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. In 2021 Kew launched its Sustainability Strategy to become climate positive by 2030. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needs to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
About Wakehurst
Whilst Wakehurst is not a National Trust property, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has a longstanding relationship with the National Trust dating back to 1965 when Kew took over the running of Wakehurst’s 535 acres of botanical landscapes and Elizabethan Mansion, bequeathed to the National Trust in 1963.
Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald National Landscape. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquility, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.
RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.
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In March 2021, RBG Kew launched its 10-year strategy Our Manifesto for Change 2021. The institution’s ultimate goal is step up to help to end the extinction crisis and contribute to creating a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. In the wake of a global pandemic, and with the future of the planet in peril, the strategy represents a public commitment by RBG Kew to do everything in its power to reverse the environmental devastation of biodiversity loss and climate change. The five key priorities are 1) Delivering science-based knowledge and solutions to protect biodiversity and use natural resources sustainably 2) Inspiring people to protect the natural world 3) Training the next generation of experts: 4) Extending our reach 5) Influencing national and international opinion and policy.
On May 25 2021 RBG Kew launched its new Sustainability Strategy – committing to become Climate Positive by 2030 and marking a step-change in our urgent action to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis.