Crabtree & Evelyn will revisit the classic British herb garden for a new generation this spring, temporarily transforming Covent Garden’s iconic Piazza into a tranquil urban oasis to celebrate the 2013 Chelsea Fringe Festival.

Designed by garden designer and rising star Emma Coleman, ‘The Avant Garden’, a signature project for the Chelsea Fringe, will blossom on Covent Garden’s West Piazza from 14^th May to 9^th June and marks over 15 years of the Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Collection and their 40 years of pioneering botanical formulations. The Gardeners Collection will be celebrated through the choice of planting, inspired by the fragrance notes of the range including: rosemary, thyme and sage.

Commenting on the project Jacqui Gale, from Crabtree & Evelyn said: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting project and to be working with the Chelsea Fringe. Emma’s design brings alive the ideals and history of our brand, highlighting the natural ingredients of our products. It is a fantastic way to celebrate over 15 years of our Gardeners Collection.”

Onsite Events
For the duration of the installation, you can pop down to Covent Garden to enjoy some special treats courtesy of Crabtree & Evelyn.

Hand Therapy Time: Get a complimentary Crabtree & Evelyn hand treatment, FREE sample or voucher. Every Mon – Sun 12pm -4pm

Afternoon Tea: Treat yourself to a complimentary Crabtree & Evelyn afternoon teatime treat. Every Mon – Fri 4:30pm – 6:30 pm

Meet some of the events partners, including members from The Herb Society, Waterwise, Carbon Gold and GrowUp Gardening and pick up water conservation and gardening tips.

The full event lisiting will be coming soon!

Project Team
Sponsor: Crabtree & Evelyn
Garden Designer: Emma Coleman
Project Director: Anna Paganelli, GrowUp Gardening
Contractor: Hendzel + Hunt
Sub Contractor: Physical Pixels

Supporters
The Herb Society, www.herbsociety.org.uk
Waterwise, www.waterwise.org.uk
Carbon Gold, www.carbongold.com
Hendzel + Hunt, www.hendzelandhunt.com
Physical Pixels, www.physicalpixels.com

A springtime stroll through a beautiful garden can be fun for the family, make a romantic date, or offer some tranquillity if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle. But for those who want more than rambling past roots and shoots and revelling at rose beds, here’s our round up of hidden garden gems in the UK. From dining in one of the world’s biggest tree houses to learning about fragrances in a perfume amphitheatre, there’s something for everyone…

Chelsea Physic Garden

The luscious botanical delights at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London aren’t only beautiful to behold, they also offer a bounty of remedies that are used in modern medical practice. The garden was originally known as Apothecaries’ Garden and was founded in 1673. Today visitors can learn about which plants led to the development of aspirin and local aesthetic in the Pharmaceutical Garden, and gain inspiration for home gardens in The Garden of Edible and Useful Plants. Did you know that burdock leaves are the inspiration for Velcro, or that flax plant is tough enough to be used as armour? These are the amazing facts you can learn in this riveting section of the Chelsea Physic Garden, which houses a compact vineyard, heritage vegetable bed and an unusual fruit bed. But our favourite feature has to be the perfumery amphitheatre where you can learn about fragrances.

Cost: £9 for adults and senior citizens, £6 for students, unemployed people and children (5-15 years old)

For further details visit: www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

Photo by Charlie Hopkinson.

Alnwick Garden

Do you love the idea of dining in one of the world’s biggest tree houses? Or witnessing the magnificent Grand Cascade water feature tumble 7260 gallons of H20 down a series of 21 weirs? Or discovering myths, legends and fascinating facts about deadly plants in the Poison Garden? At Alnwick Garden in Northumberland you can do all this – plus get lost in a bamboo labyrinth and see a staggering 3,000 David Austin Roses.

Ten years ago the Duchess of Northumberland began renovating the derelict and forgotten site, and now it’s one of the most enchanting gardens in the UK. As well as learning about plants, flowers and vegetables at the Roots and Shoots Garden, adults and children can be educated on how to cook them as part of Jamie Olivier’s Ministry of Food programme. Just don’t get any ideas about cooking with belladonna (aka deadly nightshade)!

Cost: Adults £12, children (5-16 years old) £4, concessions (students and aged 60+) £10.80

For further details visit: www.alnwickgarden.com

The Secret Gardens of Sandwich

Hidden away from public view for almost a quarter of a century, The Secret Gardens of Sandwich in Kent were in such a state of unruliness that they were almost lost forever. But in 2004 an ambitious restoration project began, and now the gardens are back to their former green glory of 1911. Surrounded by an old stone city wall, The Secret Gardens of Sandwich offer a tranquil escape into nature.

If you want a proper getaway you can even book luxury accommodation at the manor house in the grounds. Spanning 3.5 acres, the show-stopping sights include the rare plant the Wollemi Pine – dating back to the Jurassic period – and the beautiful island Lake Patricia, which can be reached by a small bridge. Cream teas are aplenty at the Salutation Tea Room. A must-see event is the Sandwich Dahlia Festival (September 7-15), which celebrates the 76 varieties of the plant in seasonal bloom.

Cost: Adults £6.50, children (under 16) £3, children (under 6) free, Senior Citizens £6

For further details visit: www.the-secretgardens.co.uk

The tradition for decorating eggs during springtime is thought to go back thousands of years, with the egg being a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth. If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the kids – you can’t go far wrong with an egg decorating session.

The old school way of embellishing an eggs is to prepare them first by make a small hole in the top and bottom of the egg, and then gently blowing through one end to release the yolk and the white. This delicate task can be time consuming and unpleasant (particularly if you have an aversion to raw egg). Therefore, we got our mitts on a bag of plastic eggs, which are far more robust for little hands. They also open up – so you could hide prizes, handwritten wishes for spring, or clues for an Easter egg hunt inside them. If you can’t find these eggs on your high street, it’s worth seeking them out on eBay.

Here’s how to decorate your eggs for a real Easter ‘wow’ factor…

You’ll need

Newspaper

Plenty of eggs to decorate

Paint in your choice of colour

Double-sided tape

Scissors

Ribbon

A small tree on willow branches to hang the eggs on

Make it

1.  Decorate your eggs. Let your imaginations run wild! Think cowboys, fairies, monsters, mermaids, pirates, popstars, cartoon characters, animals, witches and wizards. Or stick to a more classic look with pastel colours

2. Use the double sided sticky tape to attach a loop of ribbon to your eggs

3. Simply hang the eggs on your tree.  For an extra treat hide mini Crabtree & Evelyn gifts inside – a perfect indulgence  for Easter time dinner party guests.

4. The decorated eggs can be also be used for imaginative play, an Easter egg hunt, or special table decorations.

Easter Egg Hunt

We’ve hidden an egg somewhere on our website www.crabtree-evelyn.co.uk. If you find it you could win a delicious fine food hamper worth £50.

Find out how the enter on our Facebook page.