March at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
Release date: 23 February 2023
- Final chance to experience Orchids 2023 at Kew Gardens
- Horticultural highlights include spring daffodils and crocuses at Kew, whilst rare rhododendrons start to appear at Wakehurst
- Superworm begins at Wakehurst on 30 March, where children can gain the next badge for their Nature Heroes cape
- Short courses include vintage botanical collage and botanical art with metal
- Coming soon: All the Flowers are for Me and Plants of the Qur’ān in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art
Kew Gardens
Final slots for Orchids 2023: Cameroon
Back bigger and better than ever for 2023, Kew Gardens’ much-loved Orchid festival must end on Sunday 5 March 2023. Taking inspiration from the beauty and biodiversity of Cameroon, Orchids 2023 is a vibrant celebration of colour to brighten up the winter months, and is the first time Kew’s Orchid festival celebrates an African nation. Entry included in Kew Gardens admission, with £1 tickets available for recipients of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other legacy benefits. Time slots must be pre-booked in advance.
Last chance to see When Flowers Dream | Entry included in admission
The perfect escape from grey winter days, When Flowers Dream by Pip & Pop showcases an eclectic, playful and immersive mix of vibrant artworks and a brand-new bespoke installation created especially for Kew Gardens - an imaginary landscape brimming with foods of the future. Runs until Sunday 5 March 2023 in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, entry included as part of Kew Gardens admission.
Horticultural highlights
Horticultural highlights on display this month at Kew Gardens include early signs of spring with crocuses and daffodils in the Woodland Garden, the Natural Area and the Great Broad Walk Borders. At Wakehurst, visitors can spot the first rare rhododendrons blooming across stunning vistas as they make their way through the dramatic ravine of Westwood Valley.
Kew Publishing Book of the Month: The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents by Paul Rees
Cactuses and other succulents are incredibly popular in homes and gardens across the world - they are resilient, beautiful and easy to care for as long as you’re armed with the right knowledge. This guide, written by Paul Rees, is a perfect mix of practical and giftable gardening reference for the entry level enthusiast who wants to find out more about succulents and cacti and wants to grow them successfully.
Online Courses from David & Charles
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and David & Charles have partnered to deliver a selection of new online learning courses, available to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Courses are delivered through a mix of video tuition and downloadable instructions and include a materials kit to provide established and amateur artists alike with the tools they need to develop their skills. Courses now live include Capturing The Inner Beauty of Flowers in Pen & Ink with Hazel Wilks, Painting Roses in Watercolour with Trevor Waugh, and Botanical Watercolour Vegetables with Rachel Pedder-Smith, the ideal way to start the new year.
Short Courses
Why not sign up for a crafty new short course at Kew Gardens? Led by a selection of experts, these one-day courses and workshops offer unique opportunities to develop fresh skills within the stunning surroundings of Kew’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spoon carving | Monday 20 March | 10.30am – 1pm or 2pm – 4.30pm | Nash Conservatory
In this friendly small-group session, experienced local spoon carver Eleanor Morgan will guide you through all the steps to safely carving a spoon from local wood using just two different knives. You’ll find yourself lost in a world of wood chips and the beautiful facets of the natural product as you’re taken through the spoon carving process from beginning to end.
Botanical Art with Metal | Monday 27 March | 10.30am - 12.30pm or 2pm – 4pm | Nash Conservatory
Create beautiful botanical artwork from metal in this hands-on workshop at Kew. During this 2 hour workshop, Jess Wheeler will show you how to transform recycled sheet brass & wire into delicate everlasting florals. Choose from a selection of leaves gathered from the gardens at Kew to study, then learn how to recreate these in brass using embossing, debossing, metal cutting & shaping techniques.
Vintage botanical collage workshop | Thursday 30 March | 10.30am – 1pm | Nash Conservatory
Join this two and a half hour art class where you will make your own vintage paper collage! Guided by the talented and friendly teacher Laura Goossens, you will be guided in the making of your piece of collage art and will leave with a stunning recycled piece to be proud of.
Coming soon: All the Flowers are for Me and Plants of the Qur’ān | Entry included in admission
Acclaimed artists Anila Quayyum Agha and Sue Wickison present new works at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens from 1st April. Exploring themes of faith and cultural exchanges, this tandem exhibition showcases stunning contemporary sculptural work alongside intricate botanical paintings, reflecting the evolution of art inspired by the natural world.
Wakehurst
Superworm at Wakehurst
Superworm | Thursday 30 March – Sunday 23 April | Included with entry
This Easter, embark on an exciting adventure through Wakehurst’s ornamental gardens and striking woodland. Interactive activities and sculptures will bring the trail to life, as families discover a trail introducing them to different botanical blooms and their superpowers.
Mighty Microbes Mission | Thursday 30 March – Sunday 23 April | Mission and badge: £3, Nature Heroes cape: £13.50, members £6.75
Help Superworm find nutritional microbes in the soil that support healthy plants and fungi, through this add-on activity. Wriggle like a worm through bespoke tunnels, encountering the Mighty Microbes and their incredible superpowers. Complete the mission to gain a special Superworm badge for your Nature Heroes cape.
Wormery workshop | Various dates | 10.30am - 12pm or 1pm – 2.30pm | £23 per child, 1 adult and siblings under 2 free
In this workshop, listen to the story of Superworm told by Lucy’s Little Forest School and meet some of the minibeasts that live in the woodlands and gardens at Wakehurst. You'll learn some super worm facts and create your own wormery to take home with you.
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Wakehurst Workshops
Forest bathing | Saturday 4 March | 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pm | £22.50 or £20 or Wakehurst and Kew members
Based on the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing allows you to slow down as you immerse yourself in the forest environment. Swedish teacher and workshop leader Helena Skoog will show you how to use all your senses to connect with your surroundings, drawing on the power of nature to relieve tension, relax and nourish your sense of wellbeing.
Dawn chorus walk | Saturday 25 March | 5.30am - 7.30am | £30 or £27 for Wakehurst and Kew members
Wakehurst is the perfect place to listen to birdsong first thing in the morning. Join local ecologist and naturalist Tom Forward for a walk around Wakehurst and tune your ears into the 'love' songs and calls of woodland and garden birds.
The Wakehurst chorus: Birdsong walk | Saturday 25 March | 10am – 12pm | £30 or £27 for Wakehurst and Kew members
Imagine a walk where you can recognise birds by their song, tune into their fight for territories or against predators, and at the same time feel more connected to the natural world. Join bird expert and ecologist Tom Forward for a walk around Wakehurst. Learn bird songs and calls with the aid of field guides, smartphone apps, and the old-fashioned way — listening and looking.
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 too.
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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. 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 20,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
About Wakehurst
Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex is home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of the world’s plants including temperate woodlands, ornamental gardens and a nature reserve. It is situated in the High Weald of Sussex, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and focuses on wild plant collections. The Millennium Seed Bank houses and protects seed from the world’s most substantial and diverse collection of threatened and useful wild plants, making it the most biodiverse place on earth.
RBG Kew receives just under half of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales.
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 25th 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.