MHS members’ event, but may be open to guests later
Cost: the cost for the coach for members will be £10/ Non members £20.
NB. Payment for the coach is non-refundable. Entrance to the gardens and museum is free, additionally there is a butterfly house which for adults costs £9.75 and aquarium that costs £6.50. These must be booked on line prior to the visit.
Travel: the coach will be leave the Library car park at 8.45am, and leave Hornimans at 4pm to return to Marden.
Refreshments: for refreshments is a cafe, and bandstand kiosk. As these can get very busy at times you may like to take a picnic which can be eaten in the gardens.
Sign up: At the April and May meetings or email Julie (by close on 31st May)at julienicol55@hotmail.com. Once you have paid you will be added to the list and we will let you know when the trip is open to guests.
ABOUT THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM & GARDENS
With stunning views across London, the 16 acres of Gardens are perfect for spotting urban wildlife, architectural treasures, or just a good place to unwind:
Alongside the Grasslands and Sunken Gardens are a number of other fields, meadows and displays, with something for everyone.
The Sound Garden is inspired by the musical instruments collection and features world instruments you can play on a giant scale.
The Bee Garden is a display designed to provide lots of tasty plants for bees and different types of bee hotels. It is designed around a central group of six hexagonal raised beds planted with species that attract and provide food for bees. To either side is an area of wildflower turf for maximum plant diversity, with a bee hotel in each – made from reclaimed pallets – to provide shelter and nesting sites for solitary bees.
The Wildlife Garden is an outdoor classroom full of wildlife.
The Meadow Field - a large green space below the Bandstand - is the area of the Gardens where dogs are allowed off the lead. The area originally included a boating pond, constructed in the 1920s, but this was drained and resurfaced in the 1960s and is now used as an informal play area.
The South Downs Meadow is a quiet, contemplative area at the eastern edge of the site offering views over Kent and the South Downs. Perfect for a picnic, yoga or reading.
At the top of the Gardens, the Prehistoric Garden is a display of ‘living fossils’ filled with plant species that have been around for thousands of years, but keep an eye out for the Velociraptor! It includes a ginko tree, as well as tree ferns, cycads, and a monkey puzzle tree. Monkey puzzle trees were around in the Mesozoic Era. Also in this display is a Wollemi pine, which was thought to be extinct until 1994, when they were rediscovered in a remote location in Australia. The tree ferns were particularly appealing to low-slung herbivorous dinosaurs like the stegosaurs because they did not grow too high off the ground.