Revel in the great outdoors as galleries hold nature-themed exhibitions and London’s private green spaces throw open their gates.

GATHER

As the weather warms, the garden beckons. London Open Gardens (10-11 June) sees the city’s private residences and parks open their gates for all to explore. Spot the once-thought-extinct Wollemi pine just moments away from Victoria station, and the Jamyang Buddhist Centre’s sacred green garden space. Connect With The Forest, a nature group, is holding woodland bathing sessions in Wimbledon Common across the summer. 

The Festival of the Garden (13-16 July) takes place at Charleston, a house in East Sussex made famous by the Bloomsbury Group. The grounds and gardens will host a programme of events, including Isabel Bannerman’s talk pairing aromatic plans and prose and Ruby Taylor’s wild cordage workshop.

GIVE

Midsummer sees the launch of our newly coloured totes. Our signature bags get a summery update in two new shades of olive green and burnt orange. Collect all three styles now, available free with any bouquet purchase online or instore.

Midsummer Majesty has returned for the summer months, our most vibrant bouquet that sings of summer in vivid shades of apricot, yellow and pinks, with the season’s sunflowers taking centre stage. The perfect floral gift for summer occasions, dinner parties and get-togethers. Available online now.

Father’s Day (18 June) celebrates the pivotal figure in all our lives. The Chinese Library, occupying the 170-year-old Central Police Headquarters building in Tai Kwun, is inspired by David Yeo’s vast library of Chinese cookbooks. Surprise Dad with a trip to this upscale restaurant for a weekend dim sum lunch – a two-hour dining experience featuring unlimited dishes. 

GAZE

The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea sets the stage for The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show (16 June-9 July). Photography and artworks of plants of ecological importance, such as English seaweed and Scottish lichens, Australian algae and Korea’s most endangered species, are exhibited. Elsewhere in the UK capital, Tomás Saraceno’s Web(s) of Life (1 June-10 September) extends past the walls of Serpentine into the parks beyond. Looking to spiders’ symbolic webs, the artist explores the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the groups formed around them. 

The Hong Kong Museum of Art stages Joan Miró – The Poetry of Everyday Life (until 28 June), bringing nearly a hundred of the Spanish artist’s works to the East. His avant-garde paintings and drawings are complemented by installations by local artists, GayBird and Leelee Chan, alongside illustrator Zoie Lam.

GROW

Late June is when the first of the plump tomatoes are eagerly harvested and the table continues to overflow with produce through July and August. If you have been growing leafy greens, now is the time to plant another cycle. Be wary of areas in full sun, and opt for shadier spaces for lettuce, pak choi and radish. Winter brassicas, sweet pepper and French bean seedlings should go into the ground. If you haven’t planted these from seed, look for pre-grown ‘plugs’ in gardening stores. The first of the tiding-over winter vegetables, such as root celeriac can be rooted in outdoor beds.

Foraging is also bountiful during these summer months. Elderflower hangs in sprays of tiny white flowers. It looks similar to meadowsweet, another delicate bloom which emits the scent of freshly mown hay. Both make excellent cordial. In July, fat hen’s and chickweed’s tender leaves bulk salads or can be blended into homemade pesto, but the real crown jewel is the golden chanterelle mushroom, which is found in ancient woodland and best served in an omelette.