Join us for four full days of mainly free events!
THURSDAY 16 JUNE
1.00-2.00pm
Arts and Gardens with the Royal Horticultural Society
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
Head of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Tom Harfleet, is joined by three medalists from this year’s show. Together they discuss their love of art and its influence on their garden design. With a roundup of what’s on for the rest of the summer with the RHS.
1.00-2.00pm and 5.30-6.30pm
Five Tree ID
(ticketed walk)
Meeting point Adams Plaza
A birch, a beech, an oak or an elm – ever wish you knew how to identify more trees? Navigate Canary Wharf with our arboriculturist, James Wood, from the urban forest of dawn redwoods in Jubilee Park to fruit trees, cypress, oaks and more. There will be fascinating tidbits about the significance of trees in art and literature along the way, to help you remember what’s what.
11.30am, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30, 3.30pm
Flower Dissection Art
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Flower science and art combine for a workshop with botanical artist Lucy T Smith. Explore the component parts of flowers through a lens, then learn some simple techniques to create your own botanical artwork to take away. Join one of the 30 minute workshops each half past the hour.
12.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00pm
Thai Fruit and Vegetable Carving
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Cucumber lilies, carrot cosmos, lotus tomatoes. Learn to how to make simple and beautiful garnishes with Sumalee, through the ancient Thai art of fruit and vegetable carving. Join one of the 30 minute workshops each hour.
5.30-6.30pm
Crossrail Place’s Roof Garden Architecture & Design
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Learn about the value of green landscape design first-hand from Gillespies, who designed the new Roof Garden at Crossrail Place This unique covered garden takes visitors on a horticultural journey around the globe. The Landscape Institute is offering a great opportunity for you to join Gillespies and special guests to hear about their design inspiration; get to grips with various infrastructure challenges; and discover more about the various species of plants.
FRIDAY 17 JUNE
12.00-12.40pm and 3.30-4.10pm
Growing Organic
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Want to start growing your own food but don’t know where to start? From understanding what can be grown in which spaces, using basic organic principles, this short talk by Capital Growth, will go through all the essential steps for successful food cultivation.
1.00-2.00pm
Arts and Gardens with the Royal Horticultural Society
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
See description for Thursday 16 June, however, guest panelists differ each day.
2.00-3.00pm
Capability Brown: Place-maker
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
Director of this year’s Capability Brown 300 celebrations, Ceryl Evans, is joined by the Head Gardener from Syon Park, Topher Martin, and Royal Horticultural Society historian, Fiona Davison. Join us for their lively accounts of the great ‘place-maker’ himself, what he did and how we can spot his work in the English countryside. Chaired by the Director of Arts and Gardens, Ruth Oakley.
11.30am, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30, 3.30pm
Flower Dissection Art
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
12.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00pm
Thai Fruit and Vegetable Carving
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
SATURDAY 18 JUNE
12.00, 2.00 and 4.00pm
The Wind and The Sun
(free performance)
Jubilee Park
A thrilling two-person outdoor circus-theatre show, based on the original fable by Aesop, and celebrating the good old British weather. This turbulent struggle of Sun vs Wind heats up with audience participation as we urge our favourite character to outdo the other.
12.00-1.00pm
Roald Dahl the Gardener
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
Roald Dahl’s official biographer, Donald Sturrock, author of ‘The Writer’s Garden’, Jackie Bennett, and guest storyteller, Dani Bradstreet, explore the author’s love of orchids, roses, fruit and vegetables. Join us for a wondercrump discussion about the impact that gardens had on Dahl’s family life and in his inimitable children’s stories. Chaired by the Sunday Times’ Children’s Books Editor, Nicolette Jones.
11.30am, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30, 3.30pm
Flower Dissection Art
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
12.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00pm
Thai Fruit and Vegetable Carving
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
1.00-2.00pm and 3.00-4.00pm
Five Tree ID
(ticketed walk)
Meeting point Adams Plaza
See description for Thursday 16 June
2.00-3.00pm
Capability Brown: Place-maker
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
Director of this year’s Capability Brown 300 celebrations, Ceryl Evans, is joined by the Head Gardener from Stowe, Barry Smith, and historians, Sarah Rutherford and Susan Darling. Join us for their lively accounts of the great ‘place-maker’ himself, what he did and how we can spot his work on the English countryside.
10.00am-6.00pm
Giggly and Green-fingered
(free workshops)
Jubilee Park
The Hahahopscotch team bring to life the best of children’s play from the past for our 21st century urchins. They’ll be loading their wheelbarrow and heading to Jubilee Park for a special, fun, gardening session. Drop in and make your very own Canary Wharf inspired garden to take home.
10.00am-6.00pm
Storytelling Tree
(free children’s storytelling)
Jubilee Place
Take a seat under the magical Storytelling Tree and enjoy classics throughout the day such as The Very Hungry Catepillar, Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddleduck.
SUNDAY 19 JUNE
12.00, 2.00, 4.00pm
The Allotment
(free children’s performance)
Jubilee Park
The Vegetable Nannies invite you to join them in their Allotment for a bit of gardening and childcare. Come and get stuck into the daily duties of feeding, bathing and caring for the baby fruits and vegetables. Audiences are encouraged to befriend, feed and comfort all manner of earthen toddlers, such as Beverly, the downhill-skiing watermelon, Jessica, the sweet potato beauty queen, and David, the talented little marrow whose ambition is to become a stage actor. Presented by Plunge Boom.
12.00-1.00pm
The Garden World of Beatrix Potter
(free talk)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden – auditorium
Head Gardener, Tim Wright, from The World of Beatrix Potter garden in Cumbria shows how his team have recreated Potter’s garden using her drawings. Joined by the author of ‘The Writer’s Garden’, Jackie Bennett, with lively telling of Potter tales from her direct descendant, actress Nadine Hanwell, during Beatrix Potter’s 150th anniversary year. Chaired by books editor for the Guardian and Observer, Claire Armitstead.
1.30-2.00pm and 2.30-3.00pm
Isibilia Quartet
(free concerts)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Two special concerts in the performance space at Crossrail Place. Enjoy Beethoven and Dvořák as you explore the beautiful urban garden.
11.30am, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30, 3.30pm
Flower Dissection Art
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
12.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00pm
Thai Fruit and Vegetable Carving
(free workshops, 30 min duration)
Crossrail Place Roof Garden
See description for Thursday 16 June
12.00-5.00pm
Who’s at the bottom of the garden?
(free children’s workshop)
Jubilee Park
It’s time to get creative and crafty! Go wild with collage materials to decorate your own garden creature. Choose from rabbits, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and more.
12.00-6.00pm
Giggly and Green-fingered
(free workshops)
Jubilee Park
See description for Saturday 18 June
12.00-6.00pm
Storytelling Tree
(free children’s storytelling)
Jubilee Place
See description for Saturday 18 June