Worried that autumn is all about staying inside and going into hibernation mode, then get yourself down to the Autumn Festival at Kew Gardens
To celebrate the glorious autumn colours and smells as the season changes, Kew Gardens is holding an Autumn Festival. Red cranberries, orange pumpkins, yellow squashes and green apples are just some of the seasonal fruits and vegetables on display (and quite a few for eating) all with fantastic names such as Sheep’s Snout, Brown Cockle and Slack-my-Girdle!
The festival explores the cultivation and harvesting techniques used on a variety of fruit and vegetables. Look out for the spectacular sight of 5.3 million cranberries floating on the Palm House pond, a recreation of cranberry harvesting in New England where the plants are flooded so the berries rise to the surface. And you’ll be able to sample the end product.
Prepare yourself for the 20 foot pumpkin man and a tower constructed from over 3000 pumpkins, gourds and squashes, weighing in at over 30 tonnes. And you’ll be able to take some of these delights home at the festival end, when all the pumpkins and squashes will be up for sale (sale starts 2pm on Sunday 29 October at The Waterlily House).
If you’ve got kids rest easy! They’ll have a ball running around in the fresh air, playing in the Climbers and Creepers area (3-9 year olds) and taking part in half-term activities such as Making Monsters out of fruit and vegetables, colouring and drawing and ‘cranberry art.
The Kew Gardens Autumn Festival is on at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, running until Sun 29th Oct 2006. Daily 9:30 - 18:00 Adults £11.75. Children under 17 free. Tel. 020 8332 5655
