Opera in the Gardens at Chiswick House

 

Here at The Amazing Blog  we love to find fun things to do with our summer nights! Despite being in the heart of London, we suffer from the typical ‘been there done that’ Londoner mentality. So when we heard about Garden Opera, a chance to try something brand new, we had to investigate.

 Focus Opera was founded in 2009 and aspires to tailor its productions to site specific locations using the physical space to create an arena in which the concept, drama, music and performers come together perfectly. Focus Opera have performed almost everywhere, from country houses to caverns, but this summer they will treat audiences to two evenings of spectacular opera in the beautiful gardens of Chiswick House. A fabulous way to make the most of the sun, the group are performing on Wednesday 2^nd July, with a performance of the French play Barber of Seville, and then on Thursday 3^rd July with the Italian opera Cosi Fan Tutte.

This is the second year the folks from Focus Opera will be serenading audiences at Chiswick House. It also happens to be the 10^th anniversary of Opera in the Gardens at the Chiswick House, making it the perfect summertime celebration. Bring your blanket, chairs, and refreshments for a wonderful, opera filled picnic or come al fresco and purchase beer and wine on location. Both performances start at 7.30pm but guests can set up their chairs and picnics from 6pm, and enjoy a magical evening celebrating summer with friends!

Tickets are priced at £30 for adults, and £15 for children aged 5-15 are available here. 

Mojai gets his rocks off!

It’s very hard to keep a nice lush looking garden when you have an elderly fluffy dog who likes nothing better than to spend hours having a potter. Mojai (fellow team member of The Amazing Blog) just loves to snuffle and truffle in and amongst the flower beds ‘marking his territory’ as he goes. Thus all my hard work primping and preening my postage stamp sized garden goes completely to waste... After a long conversation with a trusty friend (and dog owner), about Mojai peeing on and killing all members of plant life in the garden; she then enlightened me with her secret Dog Rocks.

Dog Rocks? How interesting, but how could some simple stones thrown into the dog’s water bowl really help my scorched grass and plants? Dog Rocks are 100% natural and are mined in Australia. The purpose of the rocks is to filter out impurities from the dog’s urine, such as tin, ammonia and nitrates, which are responsible for ‘burning’ the grass when the dog pees on it. Each pack has approximately 2/3 stones in it, and after giving the stones a little rinse, they are placed in the dog’s water bowl. The stones last up to 2 months, then they need to be replaced. Marvellously easy! Yes and they do make a difference, but at £10 a pack they’re a bit of a commitment. But if you’re a pet owner and like me you do battle to try and keep a green and fragrant garden – then these Dog Rocks are definitely for you. Available here.

Wally Pockets

As summer draws near, and this glorious weather continues, I’m sure a lot of you are just itching to show off your green thumb. With the Chelsea Flower Show this week, there’s no shortage of inspiration for you to liven up your garden or flower boxes this summer. And whilst we know that the gorgeous displays at the show are slightly (completely) unattainable, The Amazing Blog has found a great way for you to make the most of your garden spaces, Wally Pockets from Garden Beet.

These innovative garden accessories are perfect for maximizing any space, indoor or outdoor. You can keep up with the new trend of ‘vertical gardens’ and ‘living walls’ with Wally Pockets, there’s no limit to your creativity with them! You simply attach them to your wall, fill them with soil and your chosen plants, and watch them grow. So even if you’re not the most garden savvy, making your outdoor spaces beautiful is easy with Wally Pockets. They’re made from recycled plastic bottles, and are fully lined to stop any dripping, so you’re fine to use them indoors too – they also let your plant’s root systems breathe and grow into healthy plants. You can make your living wall as big or small a you wants, Wally Pockets come  in three sizes, and are available on their website.

Whether you’re looking to grow a few herbs in your kitchen, or rival the displays at the Chelsea Flower Show, Wally Pockets will be your new favourite addition to your garden.

Urban Physic Garden

Everyone at Amazing PR loves a pop-up, so far this summer we have frequented Tom’s Terrace at Somerset House for an (almost) too-hot-to-handle chilli martini...or three. Headed to Southbank for traditional Indian street food and deliciously spiked coconuts at Dishoom’s Chowpatty Beach Bar and hit up Basil’s Beach Bar at The Goring for a taste of genuine Mustique glamour, sans airfare...and weather for that matter. But all this eating and drinking has taken it out of us a bit (I know, woe is us) and we feel something a little more alternative is in order.

Enter the Urban Physic Garden, which has burst into bloom on a neglected patch of land in South East London. Thanks to the work of a collective of designers, urban growers and over 150 eager volunteers the garden is now flourishing with medicinal plants and healing herbs. Taking inspiration from the Chelsea Physic Garden - a centre for plant-based healing, research and experimentation for over 300 years - the Urban Physic Garden aims to inform and inspire on this fascinating subject.

This summer the Urban Physic Garden welcomes all budding botanists and medical mavericks to their festival of talks, workshops, film screenings and events. The garden provides a platform for artists, designers, gardeners and health practitioners from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures to showcase their talents. It is a place for lively debate – an outside space where a range of people can come together to explore the role of plants in science, health, well-being and the environment.

There is a fascinating programme of events coming up over the rest of the summer: Free lunchtime talks in the on-site ‘Rambulance Cafe’ (whose kitchen is a decommissioned ambulance), walks around the garden with Professor Peter Houghton an expert in medicinal plants, private consultations with a medical herbalist and creative workshops that cater to all ages.

The Urban Physic Garden is a work in progress. If you have some free time, and would like to get your hands dirty helping out, sign up to volunteer.

The Urban Physic Garden is open Tuesday-Sunday 11am – 6pm until 15th August. 100 Union Street, London SE1 0NL.