Boston Flora

Tag: London Parks

  • Monday, October 9, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – St. James’ Park: Plants, Pelicans and Processions, Online

    St James’s Park is one of Europe’s busiest parks attracting some 17 million visitors per year. The Park is bordered by the Mall and Horse Guards Parade, both scenes of annual ceremonial events such as State Visits, State Opening of Parliament, and the monarch’s Birthday Parade. It regularly hosts a wide range of participation events such as the finish of the London Marathon and became the venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for several sporting events. Half a million people are estimated to have visited St James’s Park on the day of the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011, with similar numbers for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 2012 and the Platinum Jubilee weekend in 2022. More recently St James’s Park has been the focus of world attention during the Funeral Procession of Her Late Majesty The Queen, and for the Coronation of King Charles III. The Park is known for its displays of spring bulbs, the floriferous borders and landscape styled by John Nash, and intricate summer bedding schemes. The lake is home to many species of waterfowl and has been a home to pelicans since 1664. On October 9, enjoy an online lecture by Mark Wasilewski, Manager of St. James’ Park and The Green Park, who will present an insight into the history, landscape, and iconic events within the ceremonial setting of the Park.

    Mark Wasilewski is a Trustee of London in Bloom and judges for several organizations including the London Gardens Society and Guild of Horticultural Judges and is an RHS Accredited Floral Judge. He served on the RHS Britain in Bloom national judging panel between 2004 and 2016 and on the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee 2015-20. 

    Appointed as a Member of The Royal Victorian Order in 2013 for his services to The Royal Parks during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Mark was recently promoted to Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order for his services to The Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty The Queen. £5.00. Register with London Parks & Gardens HERE.

  • Tuesday, April 12, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Eastern Time – From Royal Hunting Ground to Parks for People and Nature: A Celebration and History of London’s Parks, Online

    This really is a fascinating insight into the history of one of the greatest ever institutions – the British public park. Many Americans have enjoyed them at some time in their lives but what do we really know about them? Their origins? Did they really start in the Victorian period or do they go even further back? This London Gardens Trust talk on April 12 illustrates their origins, talks about the need for parks, the Victorian heyday, what makes a great park, with examples of lodges, lakes, bandstands, fountains and floral displays, to their great decline in the sixties and seventies. However, the subsequent revival has led to a major shift in interest in our parks and once again we are much in love with them. This is also a highly illustrative talk accompanied by slides with examples of parks from across London and other parts of the UK and their designs and architecture. This is a particularly popular talk and always goes down well as we can nearly always recount our own experiences with our own local park.

    Paul Rabbitts is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and Royal Society of Arts, parks historian, Head of Parks, Heritage and Culture at Watford Borough Council, public speaker, and chair of the Parks Management Association.  He is also the author of over 25 books, that include the history of public parks, The Royal Parks, the architect Decimus Burton, bandstands as well as books on local architecture in Amberley Publishing’s ’50 Buildings’ series on Britain’s towns and cities. 

    £6.00. Book HERE.