Events
If you’re thinking of coming, here’s the latest weather forecast.
Oct 6th – Feb 2012 - New exhibition ‘ De|Code’ by Emma Tuck in the Courtyard Art Gallery.
Sunday, February 5th at 2pm. Great Glasshouse: Celtic Women Concert Series with Kate Strudwick and friends. A home-baked musical feast from the Celtic kitchen.
Sat-Sun February 11-12: Winter Craft Fair. Looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a cherished loved one? Then come to the Garden for the first of its 2012 ‘Four Seasons Craft Fairs’ in the stunning surrounds of the Great Glasshouse. There’s gorgeous jewellery, heart-shaped novelty clocks, garden ornaments, hand-carved wooden mushrooms, Welsh oak benches and hand-made soap – all hand-crafted by local artisans.
Sunday, February 12 2012 at 2pm. Theatr Botanica: Celtic Women Concert Series with Jacqueline Emslie. Singer-songwriter with music from the well of soul.
February Half-term Family Activities
February is a great time to start preparing your vegetable garden for the summer. Families can find out what they need to do and how to have fun at the same time. All activities will run from 11am – 3pm and will be free with normal admission prices. Booking on the day will be necessary for the Grape Escape, the other activities will be informal drop-ins.
Monday Fe
b 13th and Tuesday Feb 14th is Grow Your Own days. What needs to be done at this time of year to grow salad and veg?
Thursday Feb 16th and Friday Feb 17th is Crafts for the Garden days. Decorate your garden by making fun things such as a Scarecrow Heads, colourful plant labels and a Welsh Potty Woman, a fantastic creation for the upcoming St David’s Day.
Wednesday 15th Feb is Grape Escape Day. Come and make a raft out of plants then sail it down the Garden’s beautiful rill.
Friday, February 17 : Melvin Grey “The flora and fauna of Trinidad and Tobago (illustrated talk)” meet at 11am, for coffee, followed by Melvin’s talk at 11.30am. ** £2 per head to include coffee + biscuits
Friday, February 17 6.30-9.30pm. Swansea Astronomical Society is holding a Star Party and society members will be giving talks on “Sunspots and the Weather” at 7.15 pm and “The Wonders of the World and the Universe” at 8.15 pm. There will also be demonstrations and the opportunity to receive advice on getting the most out of your telescope. Entrance is £3 per person but under 16s can come in for FREE. Please come in via the Garden’s Corporate entrance (just follow the brown signs from the Garden’s Visitor entrance).
Saturday-Sunday Feb 18-19 – Bird-watching weekend with the RSPB. English and Welsh-language birdwatching tours am and pm both days, provisionally at 12noon and 1.30pm.
Saturday and Sunday Feb 25-26: A Weekend of Wonderful Warming Tales. The event takes place in various venues around the Garden and features a number of silver-tongued story-tellers, including Suzanne Hughes Owen, Jeff Rees, Grethe Gillham, Sam Collins, Lloyd Roberts, Anne Lister and Sophie McKeand. Creative director Cheryl Beer, who will also be telling stories accompanied by musician Heather Summers (funded by Community Music Wales), has been running a series of workshops with local schoolchildren. She says: “We’re hoping that lots of people – young and old – will come along and get involved.” Stories will be themed through the day but visitors will also be able to dip in and out of the various events: “We have musical story tellers, graffiti storytelling, and one of our story-tellers tells her tales through the medium of collage. For the more traditional story lovers, we also have Jackanory Twist with Magic Carpets in the Theatr Botanica, it’s all about taking part, getting involved – and having fun.”
The Storytelling Weekend takes place from 11.30am-4pm on both days and there is no additional entry cost but normal admission prices apply; full details from 01558 667149. Cheryl Beer can be contacted on cherylbeermusic@gmail.com
Thursday March 1 – St David’s Day – FREE for all. Featuring Fiddlebox, Shelley Fairplay, Tony Martin carving lovespoons, Côr Meibion Clwb Rygbi Aberteifi, Sian Wynn’s harp school & Cardigan Male Voice choir. At 2.30pm- 3.10pm, there will be talk on stage in the Great Glasshouse by medicinal herbalist Heather Henderson “Poisons – fact and fiction”.
1 – 31 March: Exhibition in the Courtyard Gallery – Women Botanists in Wales, including special event on International Women’s Day on 8th March.
Sunday 18 March: Mothers’ Day + Craft and Food fair + music
Saturday March 24th Harmony Workshop 10.30am-1pm in the Great Glasshouse. Kate Evans + 30 people from her Carmarthen Oriel Group
April: A Month in the Mediterranean – this month will see a packed programme of talks, tours and evenst linked to the wonderful meditteranean plant collection in the Great Glasshouse, the largest such collection in the northern hemisphere.
Sunday April 1: Corran Singers
School Easter Holidays April 2-5, and April 10-13. Peppers, Pirates and Plague Treasure Hunt. Chance Encounters Theatre take you back 400 years to a time when spice trading Middleton family moved to the land where the Garden now stands. You’re invited to quiz servants and pirates who’ll help you find out how the Middleton’s made their fortune and how they tried to avoid getting the plague. Fun for the whole family.
Wed Apr 4: Guided Tour. “A Wednesday Wander Through The Med” (12noon and 2pm)
Easter Bank Holiday Weekend (Good Friday Apr 6-Apr 9 Easter Monday)
Monday, April 9: Dyfed Carriage Driving Club
Wed Apr 11: Guided Tour. “A Wednesday Wander Through The Med” (12noon and 2pm)
Wednesday & Thursday April 11th & 12th: Black Mountain Falconry
Sun Apr 15: Mediterranean Wine Tasting Day
Wed Apr 18: Guided Tour. “A Wednesday Wander Through The Med” (12noon and 2pm)
Sat-Sun Apr 21-22: The Big Med Holiday Show in the Great Glasshouse.
Wed Apr 25: Guided Tour. “A Wednesday Wander Through The Med” (12noon and 2pm)
Saturday & Sunday April 28 & 29 – National Botanic Garden of Wales Mediterranean Craft and Food Fair + Annual Plant Sale
Sunday April 29 – Tenovus Fun Run
May: Medicines in May – a month long festival of plants and health. Plants have been used for thousands of years to treat illnesses. 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 2012 – follow this link to see the full programme.
Wed 2nd May
12 – 12.30pm. Launch of ‘Mediterranean Medicinal Plants QR Code Trail’. Discover how you can use your smartphone to find the most fascinating medicinal plants in the Great Glasshouse. Meet at the Western Entrance of the Great Glasshouse.
1pm. Opening of ‘Physicians of Myddfai Remedies’ –an exhibition of multi-coloured lino cuts by artist Judith Stroud in the Courtyard Art Gallery.
2-3pm: Lecture Series. ‘Lust, hunger and security – The Life of Erasmus Darwin’ with Professor Tony Campbell in the Theatr Botanica. Pre-booking essential – please email Kay Bailey at kbailey@gardenofwales.org.uk
Sat-Sun-Mon May 5-7: Crafts in Action in the Great Glasshouse
Wed 9th May
10am- 5pm in the Wallace Room. Have a Go Yourself Drop-in Session. Medicinal herbalist Nicola Dee Kelly will be on-hand to practically show you how plants, such as meadowsweet, have been used like aspirin.-
2-3pm. Lecture Series. ‘New developments and hopes for Aspirin, the miracle drug’ with Professor Peter Elwood in the Theatr Botanica. Pre-booking essential – please email Kay Bailey at kbailey@gardenofwales.org.uk
Saturday & Sunday, May 12 & 13: West Wales Food Festival featuring music from Fiddlebox (Sunday only), Jugglestruck (Sat + Sun) &Côr Meibion Clwb Rygbi Aberteifi
Sunday May 13th at 11:30am. Speaker: Talk. Medwyn Williams - ‘Growing for Gold’ RHS members £5 – Non RHS Members £6.50. Contact: medwyn@llanor.fsnet.co.uk
Wed 16th May
2-3pm. Lecture Series. ‘Green Medicine’ with Professor Terry Turner in the Theatr Botanica. Pre-booking essential – please email Kay Bailey at kbailey@gardenofwales.org.uk
10am- 5pm in the Wallace Room. Have a Go Yourself Drop-in Session. Medicinal herbalist Nicola Dee Kelly will be on-hand to practically show you how plants are turned into Green Medicine.
11am- 4pm in the Apothecary’s Hall. Meet the Leeches Drop-in Session. Medicinal historian Bob Edwards will be on-hand to talk to you about how leeches have been used medicinally from the past to the present.
Friday May 18: Members’ Day
Friday- Sunday May 18-20: Caravanners
Sat-Sun May 19-20: Spring Craft Fair– ‘Four Seasons Craft Fairs in the Garden’
Wed 23rd May
10am- 5pm in the Wallace Room. Have a Go Yourself Drop-in Session. Medicinal herbalist Nicola Dee Kelly will be on-hand to practically show you how plants referred to in the medieval texts have been used medicinally.
12.30-1.30pm. Creating a Herb Garden with Sally Hedger in the Apothecaries Garden
2-3pm. Lecture Series. ‘Secrets of the Medieval Manuscripts – Welsh medicine’ with Dr Diana Luft in the Theatr Botanica. Pre-booking essential – please email Kay Bailey at kbailey@gardenofwales.org.uk
12 – 4pm in the Apothecary’s Hall. Display of ethno-botany books from the Garden’s library.
Sat 26- Sun 27th May 10am- 5pm. Pirates, Peppers and Plague Treasure Hunt. Actors dressed in the costumes of Elizabethan pirates, maids and merchants, will interact with visitors. The storyline will be based on the adventures of the Middleton family whose profitable trade in mace, nutmeg, cloves and peppers, led to the establishment of the Middleton Estate where the Garden now stands.
Wed 30th May
2-3pm. Lecture Series. The Future of Plants in Medicine with Professor Les Baille in the Theatr Botanica. Pre-booking essential – please email Kay Bailey at kbailey@gardenofwales.org.uk
10am- 5pm in the Wallace Room. Have a Go Yourself Drop-in Session. Medicinal herbalist Nicola Dee Kelly will be on-hand to practically show you how plants are being used today to treat illnesses.
11am- 4pm in the Apothecary’s Hall. Blood Letting Drop-in Session. Medicinal historian Bob Edwards will be on-hand to talk to you about how blood letting was thought to have been a medical cure-all.
May 31 Soroptomists Ball – Marquee
Sat June 2-Tues June 5 – Spring Bank Holiday: Hobbies Weekend
June-July in the Gallery: Ian Phillips
Saturday June 2- Tues June 5 – Spring Bank Holiday – HOBBIES WEEKEND (4 Days). Dollshouses, Model Railways, Canoe-ing, Fishing showcase of clubs including woodcarving, photography, lace-making, quilting & more.
Wed June 6 – Friday June 8. Family activities for the school holiday. Details nearer the time.
Saturday June 9: Penny Ediker’s Traditional Welsh Music and Dance Day. Featuring Ceri Rhys Matthews/Julie Murphy (off of Fernhill), Sille Ilves (Estonia) Martin Leamon (Sild), Penny Ediker and Stef and Balesi (Mordekkers), Jason Lawday (piper/flautist), Ceri Jones (harpist), Twmpath and Fest noz
Sunday, June 10: Corran Singers
Monday, June 11-Sun June 17: Volunteers Bring a Friend For Free Week
Wednesday, June 13: Launch of the Waun Las Wild Flower Finder, an illustrated leaflet which will help you get to know some of the most fascinating plants on our national nature reserve.
Saturday, June 16 at 2pm: Quantum Theatre – Tales of Beatrix Potter
Sunday, June 17: Fathers’ Day Free entry for dads
Saturday June 23: National Gathering of Basketmaker. Demonstrations, displays, workshops and talks
Saturday June 23: Midsummer Concert - the superb Symphonica Tywi play until the sun goes down . . .
Thursday June 28 – Coleg Sir Gar Fashion Show
Sunday July 1: Merlin Bike Ride and Corran Singers
Sunday July 8 – World Music Day
Saturday July 14: International Day of Dance
Sunday July 22: Corran Singers
School Summer Holidays: We’ll be running themed family fun days throughout the holidays – details nearer the time.
August-September in the Gallery: Brendan Burns
Sat-Sun Aug 4-5: Summer Craft Fair – ‘Four Seasons Craft Fairs in the Garden’
Sun Aug 5: Swansea Astronomical Association will be at the Garden with their telescopes so that you can safely view the Sun. Demonstrations, videos, talks in the Marquee.
Sat & Sun Aug 11-12: Black Mountains Falconry, hawk display, static exhibition and two flying demonstrations
Thurs Aug 16: Diwrnod Hwyl y Plant children’s fun day organised by Menter Cwm Gwendraeth 10.30am-3.30pm
Saturday & Sunday Aug 18-19 – Tree Festival. Come and have fun with trees. Lots of things to do and see including woodcraft demonstrations, family activities, guided walks,tree trail, music,stalls
Sat Aug 25-Mon Aug 27: August Bank Holiday Weekend
Sep 1, Sept 2: Orchid Festival
Friday Sept 7: SA32 Day – free entry for anyone proving they live in SA32
Sat-Sun, Sept 15-16: Chrysanthemum Show
Sun Oct 14 – Wales Fungus Day including mushroom recording blitz, guided tour, fungi photography and illustration experts
Sat-Sun Oct 20-21: Apple Weekend
Sat Nov 4 – Male Voice Choir from the Isle of Wight, in the Great Glasshouse
Sat-Sun Nov 10-11: Autumn Craft Fair– ‘Four Seasons Craft Fairs in the Garden’
Sat-Sun Dec 8-9 – Christmas Craft and Food Fair
