GROW London, the capital's first and only contemporary gardening show, returns to Hampstead Heath this June.
Chic, cool and modern, GROW London seeks to inspire both the expert gardener and the novice alike to transform their outdoor space, presenting unusual and original ideas, decorative accessories and of course a vast array of plants and flowers.
Alongside this, visitors can again expect an impressive programme of free talks and workshops on everything garden-related, from create your own medicinal remedies using herbs, to advice from Richard Reynolds on becoming a guerrilla gardener.
From 24 – 26 June, GROW London will be located in a purpose-built marquee situated near Hampstead Heath station. Outside the entrance, visitors will find themselves first of all confronted by award winning garden designer Sophie Walker's highly unusual and conceptual installation which aims to play with the idea of bringing the jungle to the Heath. Walker, who in 2014 made news as the youngest woman to design for the Chelsea Flower Show, has won numerous awards for her garden designs and is currently writing a book on Japanese garden design.
With British Flower Week running the week before, GROW London will seek to celebrate the beauty of British flowers which are blooming. Demand for home-grown cottage garden favourites such as orlaya, ammi, irises and peonies is soaring thanks to our desire for sustainable, locally sourced flowers. The Flower Union, a collective of British growers and florists within 50 miles of London, is creating a fantasy floral bedroom made entirely from blossoms – while mainly fresh flowers have been used, the creators have also utilised faux creations to help lengthen the installation's lifespan. Visitors can walk around the bedroom with its bed, rug, bedside table and floral wall art and interact with it.
Another feature area at GROW London will host The Green Wood Guild which runs London's best Green Woodwork courses from timber framing and joinery to axe forging and whittling. Britain's leading authority on spoon carving and wood culture, Barn the Spoon, will be working with the Green Wood Guild and demonstrating a wide range of woodworking skills. Visitors will be encouraged to try their hand at splitting a roof shingle or weaving hazel onto one of their beautiful garden structures.
Over thirty nurseries will be exhibiting at GROW London this year, offering plants that simply can't be found within the capital, from English cottage garden flowers to unusual varieties of conifer. Nurseries exhibiting at GROW London will include Blueleaf Plants, who specialise in growing over 200 varieties of architectural and colourful succulent plants, Glendon Plant Nursery which specialises in unusual foliage and Wildegoose, dedicated to growing rare and old varieties of viola.
