SUMMER EVENTS IN THE CITY

May 10th 2017

Mary Cole-Adams presents a round-up of summer events...

The Broadgate Estate's Urban Eden Season which began on the 10th April runs until the 10th June 2017. It mixes three pop up gardens with dining areas / food markets and interactive health and wellbeing – boosting events.

The Deliciously Ella garden at Exchange Square is a pop up market garden with a deli and dining area offering the chance to pick your own seasonal produce including fresh herbs, edible flowers and vegetables.

Striking pillars of bamboo have popped up between Broadgate Tower and 201 Bishopsgate to create The Japanese Bamboo Garden at Broadgate Plaza. Yoga classes and free neck and shoulder massages are on offer.

The Tulip Patchwork Garden at Finsbury Avenue Square (the creation of a landscape design studio led by RHS Gold Medal Winner Tony Woods) is a thing of beauty.For details and a site map log onto www.broadgate.co.uk/GlobalGarden

The London Festival of Architecture runs from the 1st to the 30th June. The long-established London Festival of Architecture is Europe’s biggest annual architecture festival, and it returns to with hundreds of events exploring ‘memory’. It celebrates London as a global architectural hub, provokes questions about the life of the city, and promotes positive change to its public realm.

The festival enjoys the support of an impressive list of sponsors and supporters and includes events not just in the City, but London-wide.The programme, to be released shortly can be found on londonfestivalofarchitecture.org/programme .

The City Sculpture Trail 2017 is to be re-launched for its seventh year on the 26th June with upwards of 20 works by major sculptors on view at carefully selected sites around the insurance quarter of the City until the end of April 2018.

The 2015/2016 Trail included works by Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei, Antony Gormley and Edouardo Paolozzi while the show just finished saw works by Gavin Turk, Sir Anthony Caro, Sarah Lucas (whose giant bronze marrows might have been of interest to Gardeners) and a large head called LAURA sited in front of the Gherkin which was executed by Jaume Plesna whose wall of changing faces may be familiar to those have visited Chicago’s Millennium Park.A walking trail map will be available on www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visit-the-city/art-architecture/sculpture-in-the-city in the near future.

While following the helpfully numbered walking trail around the exhibits look out for the plaques which record previous winners of our Flowers in the City Campaign.

The City Beerfest held in Guildhall Yard on Thursday the 6th July is now in its fourth year having been established by Alderman Sir Roger Gifford to support his own and subsequent Lord Mayors' Charities. It runs from 12.30 to 9.00pm and will feature four different live music groups, interesting fast food outlets and offerings from no fewer than 14 breweries.

Sounds like an excellent place to meet with friends and perhaps fellow Gardeners for lunch! Details may be found on www.citybeerfest.org

And finally, Gardeners may be interested in the 2017 Series of Medicinal Plant Lectures at the Royal College of Physicians at their prestigious headquarters at 11 St Andrew's Place, Regent's Park, London NW1 4LE.Three afternoon lectures at the College have been arranged – on the 19th June (Helpful and Troublesome Plants), the 17th July (Dangerous Plants) and the 11th September (Keeping an Eye on Herbal Medicines).

There will also be guided tours around the College's Garden [in Regent's Park] and tea will be provided. Details of the programme and how to book a place can be accessed at https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/events/medicinal-plant-lecture-helpful-and-troublesome-plantsHopefully these events will be of interest and may reveal new aspects of the City.