The fabulous Taking Flight theatre company are back at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Sunday May 19 at 2pm.

They will be presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy – which will star Cara Readle, from TV’s Tracy Beaker.

 Taking Flight’s Elise Davison said: “Using the Garden as our inspiration, we will lead you on a magical journey filled with laughter, puppetry and original live music.”

The performance starts at 2pm and there is no additional charge to see the play. Normal Garden admission applies.

For more information about this and other Garden events, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk or call 01558 667149.

]]> http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/news/magic-is-out-there/feed/ 0 http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/news/hobbies-a-hit-at-the-garden-2/ http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/news/hobbies-a-hit-at-the-garden-2/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 13:43:02 +0000 Bruce http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/?p=20325

There’ll be hobbies and handicrafts of all kinds at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on 25-27 May.

With displays of dolls’ houses by West Glamorgan Dolls’ House Society, jewellery demonstrations by Maggie C Jones, Dinefwr Photographic Society, British Woodcarvers’ Association, patchwork, quilting, lacemaking and more, there’ll be something for all the family.

Organiser Les Bryan said: “It’s set to be a tremendous event for the Bank Holiday weekend. The Hobbies Weekend has been a great success over the years and the Garden is a lovely setting for it.  We’re very excited and hope visitors will pick up some ideas for a new hobby.”

There’ll be plenty to interest visitors around the Garden, in Principality House and in the stunning Great Glasshouse.  For lovers of the great outdoors, there’s a chance to see the Garden at its most beautiful, along with canoes on the Garden’s splendid necklace of lakes. The Ladies’ Welsh fly-fishing team will be at the Garden for the first time too to offer some top tips.

Swansea Astronomical Society Talks will be held on Saturday, 25 May.  The magical Jugglestruck will entertain little ones on Sunday and Monday and the fabulous Quack Pack will entertain all ages on the Monday.  Fiddlebox will provide musical entertainment throughout the weekend and Wirral Choir will perform at 1pm on Monday.

Hobbies Weekend at the National Botanic Garden is on 25, 26 and 27 May from 10am-6pm each day.  For more information call 01558 667149 or e-mail info@gardenofwales.org.uk

This year’s 100^th anniversary RHS Chelsea Flower Show (May 21-25) will feature an Artisan Garden entitled ‘Get Well Soon’ that focuses on plants for health.

Maggie says: “The Get Well Soon garden illustrates the many ways in which a garden and its plants can improve our health through ancient, traditional, modern and alternative forms of medicine; endeavouring to capture the uplifting feeling that visiting a beautiful garden can bring as well as the health benefits of creating your own.”

The Director of the National Botanic Garden Dr Rosie Plummer said: “We couldn’t have chosen a better year to make our debut at Chelsea and we are delighted to be working with Maggie and Kati – both talented designers who have a fabulous track record for creating unforgettable award-winning Chelsea gardens.”

If you’d like to have a look at the plants we’re using at Chelsea, click here.

* For the full story, see the spring edition of Yr Ardd – the official magazine of the National Botanic Garden of Wales

But how relevant are they to 21st century medicine? The National Botanic Garden of Wales will help you decide.

To do this, we are hosting a series of talks, courses, exhibitions and fun activities throughout May 2013.

All events are FREE with admission.

• ‘Poisons Day’ – discover the historical uses myths and magic association with poisonous plants
• ‘Meet the Apothecary’ – Professor Terry Turner, creator of the National Botanic Garden’s Apothecaries’ Hall, is on hand to talk about the wonderful Victorian pharmacy collection
• Honey, I Cured The Kids – the past, present and future uses of honey – Mother Nature’s great healer
• Pirates, Pepper and Plague – Chance Encounters Theatre will transport you back to what life was like in the Garden in the 17^th century
• The Secret to Growing Great Herbs – with Andy Cook of Rhoshill nursery

Plus a full Key Stage 2 school programme and lifelong learning courses, such as Herbs in the Hedgerow and Herbs for Beginners.

For more details or to request a Medicines in May brochure, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk or call 01558 667149.

Anyone buying a ticket to the Garden between now (Friday March 22) and the end of September will be allowed back in FREE of charge for seven days after their visit – and as many times as they like!

“We do like to tell people ‘You won’t be able to see it all in a day’ but folks from out of the area not familiar with the Garden are often caught out. This is a good way of ensuring that, if they want to come back and see some more, they can – and free of charge.”

But the offer isn’t just open to tourists; the ‘return ticket’ deal is available to everyone: “There’s so much going on here over Easter, the spring and all through the summer, we’re sure local people will want to take advantage of this, too,” he added.

When you add Waun Las National Nature Reserve and the magical wooded valley of Pont Felin Gât to the formal ‘core’ Garden area, you have just under 600 acres. There is also much to see, including the wonderful images from the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition, which are on show in the Gallery and Restaurant, and the fabulous fungi exhibition “From Another Kingdom” in the Great Glasshouse.

This summer also sees a packed programme of family fun activities including outdoor theatre, food and craft events, falconry and meerkats.

So it definitely makes sense to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the Garden and its many facets to the full.

The ‘Return Ticket’ will apply to all full price admission bought between March 20^th and September 30^th 2013.

For more information, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk  call 01558 667149 or log on to www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The Festival, held at the National Botanic Garden, features the best Welsh lamb, pork and beef, Bryn Williams, Penderyn whisky, Stephen Terry, Welsh cakes, Dudley Newbery, the choicest cheeses, Hybu Cig Cymru, Patchwork Traditional Foods, Shaun Hill, Castell Howell, Angela Gray and more.

And there will be plenty of top-quality Welsh produce to try and buy, a full, weekend-long programme of chef demos and specialist talks, a chance to forage for food in the Garden, family activities and youngsters’ cooking sessions in the Pumpkin Patch children zone, plus music, magic and balloon modelling.

Mr Jones added: “Events like these are the perfect showcase for these companies – they are the little acorns that will grow into our future, thriving food businesses and ensure a bright future for our region and the people who live here.”

‘Grow your own’ is  a key theme for the weekend with the Botanic Garden-based project Growing The Future (GTF). GTF will be offering lots of taster sessions during the weekend from keeping chickens and bees, have a go at planting as well as plenty of growing activities for children to get involved.

GTF project manager, Andrea Powell, said: “The time is ripe to get growing your own and experience the pleasure of eating your veg and fruit straight out of your garden. GTF is here to help you ‘Get Growing.”

The West Wales Food Festival runs from 10am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday May 11 and 12. If you are interested in attending Sunday night’s Gala Dinner, which starts with a champagne and canapés reception in the Great Glasshouse at 6.30pm and is followed by a three-course dinner, with each course cooked by a legend of the Welsh food scene, call 01558 667149.

The West Wales Food Festival is sponsored by Castell Howell and Growing the Future.

To book the taster sessions or for more information about Growing the Future, go to http://www.growingthefuture.co.uk/

That’s exactly the treat in store at this year’s West Wales Food Festival when a star-studded line-up of chefs will prepare a special three-course gala dinner at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Sunday May 12^th.

The evening begins with a ‘welcome’ reception in the Great Glasshouse from 6.30pm, with complimentary drinks and canapes, prepared by chef and Marco Pierre White prodigy Scott Davis of Cnwd – a great little food company based in the Tywi Valley.  Dinner is served at 8pm.

Great British chef Shaun Hill – patron of the Walnut Tree, Abergavenny – is responsible for the starter; the brilliant Stephen Terry – proprietor at the Hardwick – is preparing the main course; and the award-winning Y Polyn restaurant will provide dessert.

He added: “West Wales as a region produces some of the best ingredients money can buy and to have this excellent, local food in the hands of such top experts . . . well, we are definitely in for a treat.”

The two-day West Wales Food Festival promises a feast of local produce, family fun, foraging, entertainment, music, magic, talks and cookery demonstrations by the likes of Dudley Newbery, Angela Gray and Ludovic Dieumegard. The festival takes place at the National Botanic Garden on Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12, from 10am-6pm both days.

For more info or to book Gala Dinner tickets – at £50 each – email info@gardenofwales.org.uk, go to www.gardenofwales.org.uk or call 01558 667149.

The ‘Better plant and garden photography’ course is run by IGPOTY founder and director Philip Smith and takes place in the Garden Gallery on Saturday April 27, from 10am to 4pm.

Says Philip: “This is an all-day workshop aimed at photographers of all abilities and no specific level of expertise is expected. A morning lecture and discussion will be followed by a session photographing in the spectacular gardens. If wet, we will work in the Great Glasshouse.”

The cost of the course is £36 including VAT (£30 inc VAT for Garden members). Philip’s book accompanying the course will be on sale (cash only) and they are £10 or £15. Meet at the Gallery for 10am.

Philip adds: “Remember, the day is more about exploration and discovery than it is about taking wonderful pictures on the day.”

Bring your camera – with a full battery, please – and a storage card (any format). If you have a DSLR or compact system camera with interchangeable lenses you will get more out of the day than if you use a simple compact camera.

To book, please call 01558 667149 or email info@gardenofwales.org.uk

* There are more IGPOTY workshops on Saturday June 8, Saturday July 20 and Saturday September 7

* The International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition continues at the National Botanic Garden of Wales until September 15.

Harris hawks, red-tailed buzzards and an eagle owl will take to the air as part of two daily set-piece shows, at 12 noon and 2pm, and there will be a chance for visitors to take up the gauntlet and try their hand at falconry themselves.

The Garden is open from 10am-6pm both days and the birds of prey display is free to all Garden visitors.

For more information about this and other Garden events, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk or call 01558 667149.

The weekend event – on April 13 and 14 – features the children from two Carmarthenshire schools who will be joining the trail and telling stories of their own.

Creative director Cheryl Beer has been busy working with the youngsters from Bigyn School, Llanelli, and Johnstown Primary in Carmarthen, creating the trail and designing posters and fliers to advertise the event.

Last year’s event was a big hit with all the participants but, said Cheryl, the children’s feedback was clearly in favour of them taking part as story-tellers on the trail as well. So, four children from each school will be performing tales for the trail that they and their classmates have created.

She added: “We are very lucky that so many talented people are taking part. Many of them were here last year and we have some brilliant new-comers, too.”

The Children’s Story-Telling Trail starts at 11am on Saturday April 13

* For more information about this or any other Garden event, email info@gardenofwales.org.uk  or call 01558 667149

* For more information about the Children’s Story-Telling Trail, visit the blog at http://nbgwstorygalleryforchildren.blogspot.co.uk