Bank Holiday festivities at Kew Gardens

Kick off the summer and join in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s 250th festivities with a visit to the Gardens over the bank holiday weekend (2 to 4 May 2009). Take a stroll through Kew’s tranquil bluebell wood or try your hand at willow weaving.

A spectacular ‘Seed Walk’ with 5 huge seed willow sculptures by artist Tom Hare lines the mini-Broadwalk, leading visitors from the Main Gate towards the Nash Conservatory, home to the ‘Banking on Life’ exhibition about Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank partnership. These vast sculptures – some reaching up to four metres high and five metres wide – are of seeds such as a devil’s claw, conker and star anise, set against display beds planted with spring flowers for the anniversary.

Over the summer a further five sculptures will be crafted on site, allowing visitors to take part. The first of these weaving weekends kicks off this May bank holiday weekend and visitors can help create a lotus seed sculpture.

Wander through a carpet of bluebells covering Kew’s conservation area – 15 hectares (37 acres) of natural woodland donated to Kew by Queen Victoria in 1898 to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee. Catch the bluebells this bank holiday weekend before they fade away.

Opening hours until 29 August:
Monday to Friday 9.30am – 5.30pm. Glasshouses, Galleries and the Xstrata Treetop Walkway close at 5.30pm.
Weekends 9.30am – 7.30pm. Glasshouses and Galleries close at 5.30. Xstrata Treetop Walkway closes at 6.30pm.
Admission: Adults £13, Concessions £11, free for children under 17 (accompanied by an adult).

For more information, visit kew.org.