Daily Archives: February 8, 2024

Tuesday, May 21 – Tuesday, May 28 – The Royal Chelsea Flower Show & Kent, The Garden of England

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The prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show has come a long way since its humble single-marquee beginnings in 1913; the kaleidoscopic event is now an unmissable highlight of the British calendar and is world famous for its stunning displays, vibrant colors and innovative designs.

The Royal Oak Foundation is lucky enough to be visiting on Member’s Day, where RHS members, royals and celebrities take an exclusive first look at the floral extravaganza, set in the grounds of London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The beautiful blooms continue with our exploration of Kent, often referred to as the Garden of England thanks to its rolling orchards, mild climate and fruitful allotments. There’s time to stop and smell the flowers at a host of horticultural wonders, from the idyllic grounds of Winston Churchill’s Chartwell and the juxtaposing masterpiece of Derek Jarman to the fragrant Sissinghurst Castle Garden and the striking Hole Park Estate, which we discover during a special Head Gardener-led guided tour.

The details of the eight day tour, May 21 – 28, may be found at https://www.royal-oak.org/britain-tours-2024/The-Royal-Chelsea-Flower-Show/ $4,995 per person.

Monday, February 12, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – A Geologic Year in North America: Three Geologic Eras in 365 Days, Online

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The geologic time scale is one of the most difficult concepts in geology to grasp, yet is fundamental to our understanding of how Earth and life processes have changed the face of our planet over the past 4.6 billion years. In a Smithsonian Associates program geared to the layperson, world traveler, or aspiring geology student in awe of deep time and the geologic record, geologist Kirt Kempter offers a unique approach to making the topic approachable: He condenses the last three geologic eras into a humanly comfortable time frame of a single calendar year.

Within those 365 days, Kempter explores the evolution of life and land from the perspective of North America, beginning 541 million years ago at the start of the Paleozoic Era. He covers the formation of significant mountains, including the Appalachians and the Rockies, and the first appearance of major animal groups, such as amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Not surprisingly, the human story in North America takes place in just the last hour of this geologic year. Kempter’s approach to geologic time provides a simplified strategy to perceive and digest temporal connections among important events in the Earth’s history.

The program on February 12 at 7 pm Eastern is presented on Zoom and is $25 for Smithsonian Associates members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at www.smithsonianassociates.org