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The view from Federal Twist – James Golden – Lecture
James Golden is a garden-maker of international repute whose garden,Federal Twist, has featured in The New York Times, Gardens Illustrated,Horticulture, Better Homes and Gardens, Elle Décor and several books.Monty Don visited Federal Twist in 2019 for the BBC series 'Monty Don's American Gardens',describing it as ‘one of the great modern gardens’ and commented after his visit, “It made me rethink what a garden can be and do”. James has published in the Journal of the Society of Garden Designers and…
Find out more »Traditional Botanical Painting and Drawing with Jenny Brooks
Join Senior associate Jenny Brooks Dip.AD for this three-day course running from 10am until 3pm on three Sundays in February, March and April. Each day will feature themed workshops, covering the different stages of botanical painting. The workshop will suit all abilities, beginners will be welcome to work with more advanced Students. 27th February Sharpen up your pencils to improve your drawing skills, working from observation of different plant specimens. 13th March. Exploring different watercolour techniques used in botanical painting.…
Find out more »Curator’s spring tour
Join Curator, Nick Wray, for a spring tour of the Botanic Garden. In March there are bulbs on the ground and blossom in the trees as the season well and truly has winter in the rear view mirror. He will then guide you into the different worlds experienced in the glasshouses where you will find flowering orchids, bromeliads and South African bulbs. Come rain or shine there will be plenty to see. Tours are an excellent opportunity to hear updates…
Find out more »AGM + Lecture by Maisie Brett
The AGM of the Friends of the Botanic Garden will be followed by a lecture by Maisie Brett, University of Bristol Life Sciences PhD student. Maisie did her masters project on plants and pollinators in South Africa. Invasive plants now cover over 10% of South Africa's land mass. In this talk Maisie will explore the role of invasive acacias in endangered fynbos habitats, and how they alter the pollination of native plants in a global biodiversity hotspot. Due to the…
Find out more »Easter Sculpture Festival
Mars, by Lucianne Lassalle It's back! The Easter Sculpture Festival returns for the first time since 2019. The ephemeral sounds of melodious Zen bells chiming on trees, enchanting pond lily ceramics and the mesmerising sight of the potter’s wheel are all features of this year’s Festival. New sculptors include Simon Probyn, Sonya Wilkins and Geoff Hannis. Visitors will be able to view and buy sculpture, enjoy demonstrations of willow weaving, pottery and woodworking and take a…
Find out more »Introduction to flowering plant families and how to identify them.
Join Dr Paul Smith for a one day workshop to introduce the method of plant identification. Identifying an an unfamiliar plant is easier if you know the family to which it belongs. This is a skill that may be learned in the UK and then applied to the flora of any country, anywhere in the world. The morning theory session will look at a selection of flowering plant families and their identification. This will include important characteristics, how to study…
Find out more »Chemigram workshop
Join Sophie Sherwood for a Chemigram workshop. Chemigram printing involves using light sensitive paper with resists such as vaseline to experiment with printmaking techniques. Learn how to make your own darkroom chemistry at home so you can experiment using these with the resists. In this workshop you will use plants from the Botanic Garden and different resists to build layers and so create otherworldly effects on the light sensitive paper. This workshop is aimed at adults but is suitable for…
Find out more »Lumen Printing and Cyanotype Process Workshop
Wendy Leocque is a photographic artist and creative facilitator that has worked in variousdarkrooms around Bristol. As a way of introducing newcomers to alternative photographic process, Wendy teaches Lumen Printing, and Cyanotype process.These processes are a perfect fit for gardens, as your art will be created by the shrubs, blooms and leaves around you and will only need the sun to make an impression. Playing with these processes give an insight into both art and science and will definitely make…
Find out more »National garden Scheme open day
The National Garden Scheme (NGS) open day returns to the Botanic Garden this year where you can see the Garden in all its summer glory. The NGS has been running since 1927 initially to support district nurses; there are now over 3500 gardens across the country open as part of the scheme which last year raised £3.1 million for nursing and health charities. Here at the Botanic Garden there will be tours, displays, plant sales, refreshments and, fingers crossed, lovely sunshine. Please…
Find out more »Summer evening tours
After a hard day at work, battling with childcare or coping with the normal stresses and strains of everyday life, what could be more relaxing and enjoyable than spending the evening touring the Botanic Garden with an experienced, enthusiastic and knowledgeable garden guide? Many groups including gardening clubs, schools, and youth and social groups include a visit to the Botanic Garden as part of their annual programme, but this is the first time that any individual can book on a…
Find out more »Friends’ Annual Jazz Concert with Blue Notes and Hannah Wedlock SOLD OUT
Blue Notes Band perform at the Garden After the successful return of this popular event in 2021 we are once again delighted to hold our annual jazz concert with the Blue Notes and Hannah Wedlock. This year we have additional entertainment from a local ukulele band, South Bristol Ukes. In 2021, for the safety of staff, volunteers, visitors and the band, the tickets were limited to approx half capacity but although we feel comfortable with extending…
Find out more »Bee and Pollination Festival
The Bee and Pollination Festival returns this year on the earlier weekend of the August bank holiday. This is a great place to learn about the vital role pollinators play in our lives, see demonstrations, exhibits, and talks, buy honey and see the Botanic Garden in all its September finery. Speakers include; Dr Rowena Jenkins (Sunday 2pm) from University of Cardiff will reveal the amazing benefits of Manuka honey and its use in surgery; Dr Thomas O'Shea-Wheller (Saturday 11am) discusses…
Find out more »Traditional Botanical Painting workshop
This course with senior associate Jenny Brooks Dip.AD, ATC, covers the different stages of botanical painting through four themed workshops. By the end of the course you will be able to optimise your equipment to improve your drawing skills; work on observation of different plant specimens; explore different watercolour techniques used in botanical painting; and bring all skills together to work towards completed botanical paintings. Please provide a selection of good quality pencils and an A3 pad of cartridge paper…
Find out more »Give the gift of membership this Christmas!
To order your Christmas Gift Membership, just download the Christmas Gift Application Form by clicking here
Find out more »The Gardens of the Newt – A Journey Spanning Three Centuries
Travel back in time to discover the origins of an exceptional garden nestled in the ancient landscape of Somerset. The seed of the story germinates in 1690 and grows through the centuries, blossoming in the mid-20th century during the ownership of Penelope Hobhouse, when it was still known as Hadspen, up until the present where the story continues to evolve as ‘The Newt in Somerset’. This talk explores the past, describes the present and touches on the future of arguably one…
Find out more »Plant Potting Workshop for Children
This workshop is about the life of a flower and how they grow from bulbs to full bloom! We will learn about different parts of the plant (roots, shoots, leaves and stems) and what plants need to live, (water, soil and sunshine). The children will be able to choose two bulbs to take home in a pot. These should flower indoors. To highlight how special these bulbs are, the children will be able to decorate a cover for their plant's…
Find out more »Andy McIndoe: The Winter Garden
With over 40 years of experience in retail and production horticulture Andy McIndoe is an author and regular contributor to a variety of magazines, blogs and BBC Radio. During his long career with Hillier Nurseries he was responsible for the development of the Company’s chain of garden centres and for 25 consecutive Gold Medal winning exhibits at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Andy was awarded the prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal (one of the highest accolades in the world of horticulture) by…
Find out more »Growing a better world: Poppy Okotcha
LECTURE VENUE: ANSON ROOMS., Queens Road, Clifton. This special lecture for the autumn is a collaboration between University of Bristol Student Union and the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. Poppy Okotcha is an ecological home grower, working to inspire reconnection to land and living world. In this talk Poppy will explore the benefits of home scale ecological food growing. From soil health to gut health, food sovereignty, community empowerment and mental health, connecting with our gardens has proven benefits for…
Find out more »Winter Garden Tour | £10 or free
Physalis alkekengi in winter An unusual chance to enjoy the Botanic Garden on a winter weekend. Our knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides will take you on a tour of the garden, stopping off at plants of particular winter interest and warming up in our glasshouses. The tours start at 11am and end at 12:30pm. Come rain or shine there will be plenty to see - wrap up warm! Tours are an excellent opportunity to hear updates of…
Find out more »The Gardens of the Mekong by Adam Alexander aka The Seed Detective
Adam is a documentary producer with a passion for growing fruit and vegetables and not a year has passed since he was ten when he hasn’t grown something to eat. In the late seventies he ran a small market garden growing organic, unusual vegetables. Trying to sell red Brussels sprouts or yellow courgettes did not prove profitable so he returned to film-making to support his love of horticulture. Adam’s interest in discovering rare, endangered but above all, delicious vegetables from…
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