Kitchen Garden Forum

I received this today from a lady called Emma Thompson and promised I'd alert everyone here to this fabulous opportunity

"Many of you will know I write the gardening column in the Independent on Sunday.

But in another guise I am a volunteer guide at Kew, and we have a massive programme of amazing behind-the-scenes tours scheduled for the 250th birthday celebrations - all through the summer. It means you can check out the DNA sequencers used to reclassify plants into different genus (boo) see the labs where they classify pollen for the police (oooh) and have a nose around the work they are doing to create anti-oxidant gardens for people affected by HIV in South Africa (hurray).

The only problem is that we are having real trouble getting press. I don't know why. I think the press office has put the more splendid things we are doing for the 250th higher up the list, which is totally fair enough... but... our tours aren't full! And they are SO cool, and the chance is never going to happen again to see behind the scenes in quite this way.

I am sending this to you all in the hope that either you'll fancy coming along, or you'll find space to write about it, even the tiniest blog entry would be sooo fab... Or you'll tell someone else, who'll tell someone else...

It's so frustrating knowing there's all these amazing guides all swotted up and taking round half-full groups. I know there's a public out there who would LOVE these tours - but we don't know how to find them. It just needs a little listing somewhere. (Or of course a massive "your chance to complain in person about plant reclassification' story )

here's the full schedule

www.kew.org/education/toursfestival

Any ideas VERY gratefully received, too, as to where else I could try. THANK YOU THANK YOU!

So now's your chance folks, don't pass it up if you can get there and if you can pass on the message in any way...

So, this is from a journalist. "Fab" and "cool" rather puts me off, as does the poor grammar. But thank you for bringing that to our attention.

I have just become a volunteer for the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, so can appreciate the sentiments behind this. Going by the profile of the people who visit Botanic Gardens, she should try Saga and other similar sites.

But let me take this opportunity of plugging the NBGW. We have a members day on Friday (22nd May) and it is always worth a visit just because it is such a fabulous location - the great glasshouse features in the latest Dr Who episode due out November or thereabouts.

For us veggies the organic double-walled garden is always worth a visit to see the different varieties that are being trialled - I regard it as my second garden. Currently there is a Sarpo Mira trial, though I think the lack of frost has hindered it!

I was at the NGBW just three weeks ago. It was my second visit, and I've every intention of going again in July. It is completely fabulous. It is an overlooked treasure and needs all the support it can get: you can keep your Eden Project (crikey, yes) and hideous Bodmin when there's the NGBW and all of beautiful Carmarthenshire to explore instead. And if you want to make an overnight of it, there's the World's Finest B&B with its legendary breakfasts just up the road.