What's on this April at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
Release date: 21 March 2022
- Zadok Ben-David: Natural Reserve exhibition must end 24 April
- Horticultural highlights include cherry blossom, tulips, bluebells and magnolia
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar arrives at Kew and Wakehurst for Easter
- Wellbeing activities including forest bathing, yoga and tai chi at Kew Gardens, and badger watching, wreath making, and birdsong walks at Wakehurst
- Short courses including organic gardening and introduction to vegetable growing
Kew Gardens
Horticultural Highlights
Spring is in full bloom throughout April at Kew Gardens, with magnificent magnolias flowering across the gardens. Colourful cherry blossoms are also in flower along Cherry Walk behind the Palm House and at Asano Avenue near the Temperate House, where visitors will also discover a treasure trove of tulips, as well as bluebells across the gardens. At Wakehurst delicate magnolias draw people across a new winding boardwalk path through to the Water Gardens where striking azaleas burst into bloom. A new 12m viewing platform awaits with spectacular views of vibrant rhododendrons that transform the steep ravines of Westwood Valley.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar arrives at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst for Easter 2022 with a brand-new interactive adventure to nourish curious minds of all ages. Based on Eric Carle’s best-selling children’s book, the trail will recreate the journey of the caterpillar from egg to butterfly though a series of 3D installations, including a variety of fruit, a cosy chrysalis, and a bright, beautiful butterfly, each recreating the signature aesthetic of the much-loved book. 2nd– 18th April at Kew Gardens & 2nd – 24th April at Wakehurst.
Zadok Ben-David: Natural Reserve
Extended until 24 April 2022 due to popular demand, Zadok Ben David: Natural Reserve concludes at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art this month. This first solo exhibition by the artist in the UK since 2008 includes Blackfield, a space-specific floor installation containing over 17,000 steel etched flowers assembled entirely by hand. Images available here.
Wellbeing at Kew
Kew’s popular wellbeing events return this March, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing within the inspiring surroundings of Kew Gardens’ 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage site.
Forest bathing 2nd, 8th, 13th, 20th & 26th April | 10.30am- 1pm | Arboretum | £60 (includes entry to the Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)
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
Tai chi | 1st, 22nd & 29th April | 9am – 10am | Mediterranean Garden | £35 (includes entry to Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)
Boost your physical and mental wellbeing with the centuries-old Chinese martial art, ta chi, amidst the tranquil surroundings of Kew’s Mediterranean Garden.
Temperate House Yoga | 5th, 12th & 27th April| 7.30am – 8.45am | Temperate House | £45 (includes entry to Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)
These one-hour vinyasa flow sessions are held in the spectacular Temperate House. Enjoy pre-opening classes in the midst of 10,000 rare and endangered plants, led by Anil Jangi, Kew’s own yoga instructor.
New Family Kitchen & Shop
Situated next to the interactive Children’s Garden, Kew’s brand-new Family Kitchen & Shop not only offers families a place to eat and drink, but also to engage with the natural world and learn more about where food comes from, discovering the important role which plants and fungi play in all our lives. With a capacity to host up to 250 diners, the restaurant is a space where the wonder of nature combines with an interactive food laboratory and is perfect for a visit this spring.
Elegant and Enchanting
Also at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art during March is Elegant and Enchanting, a stunning art exhibition highlighting the plant habitats and stunning flora of Japan, China and Thailand. Featured artists include Asuka Hishiki, Hideo Horikoshi, Mariko Ikeda, Mieko Ishikawa and Kimiyo Maruyama. Curated by Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE, the exhibition highlights these botanically rich countries and their wide range of plant habitats and beautiful flora.
Short Courses
Organic gardening | 11th April | 10.30am – 4pm | Lady Sainsbury Lecture Theatre | £80
This new course with award-winning tutor and writer Christine Lavelle will teach you how to create your own environmentally friendly garden. With tips on composting, companion planning and border design, this one day course will highlight best practice techniques for growing fruit and vegetables at home.
Botanical sketchbook study: Intermediate | 19th – 21st April | 10.30am – 4pm | Museum No.1 | £360
Join botanical artist Lucy Smith for this course, suitable for participants with some experience of botanical drawing. Over three days, you will learn to record a wealth of information from life through detailed sketchbook-style study.
Introduction to vegetable growing | 20th April | 10.30am – 4pm | Cambridge Cottage | £80
This one-day workshop, led by Kew botanical horticulturist Helena Dove, will teach you how to grow some of the most popular vegetable crops. With gardening tips and tricks covering everything from seed sowing and harvesting, this course will help you to get the most out of your homegrown vegetables all year round.
Wakehurst
Short Courses
Dawn chorus walk | 2nd April | 5.45am – 7.45am | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £30 | (includes entry to the gardens and car parking)
Join local ecologist and naturalist Tom Forward for an early-morning walk around Wakehurst and tune your ears to the songs and calls of woodland and garden birds. After soaking up the most beautiful sounds of the season, visitors are welcome to enjoy breakfast refreshments at the end of the walk.
Spring wreath making workshop| 9th & 10th April | 11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £50 (includes entry to the gardens and car parking)
In this creative workshop, expert floral designer Kate Langdale will help you make a beautiful fresh spring wreath, using baskets of hand-picked blooms and foliage from the Wakehurst gardens. Participants will be able to take their finished wreaths home to add a striking pop of natural colour to their front doors.
Badger watching evenings | 12th, 19th & 26th April | 7pm | Loder Valley Nature Reserve | £18 |
Led by Loder Valley Nature Reserve Warden, Steven Robinson, these evening events will allow visitors to enjoy a rare glimpse of these magnificent nocturnal creatures in their natural habitat. This unique experience allows you to learn more about their behaviour, how they live in underground setts and about the other wildlife which thrives in the Loder Valley Nature Reserve.
Spring wild food walk | 30th April | 10.30am- 1.30pm & 2pm – 5pm | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £35 (includes entry to the gardens and car parking)
A wonderful opportunity to explore our gardens with professional forager, Sarah Watson of Wild Feast. Explore the health benefits of springtime herbs and greens, learn top foraging tips and how to harvest safely and sustainably. Refreshments will be provided.
The Wakehurst Chorus: Birdsong Walk | 2nd April | 10.30am - 12.30pm | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £30 (includes entry to the gardens and car parking)
Join bird expert and ecologist Tom Forward, for a walk around Wakehurst and learn bird songs and calls, with the aid of field guides, smartphone apps, and doing it the good old-fashioned way - listening and looking.
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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 as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international and a top London visitor attraction. Kew Gardens’ 132 hectares of landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden, 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 Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. 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.
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.
What we are doing to keep visitors safe
The safety and wellbeing of our visitors is of the utmost importance to us and we are continually monitoring and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic as it evolves. We are adhering to government advice in our planning to ensure visitors and staff remain safe while enjoying Kew and Wakehurst. Safety measures will reflect government advice at the time of visiting and will be clearly communicated across RBG Kew’s channels and onsite.