Living in the urban jungle often means the only green spaces around us are parks (you can forget having a garden in a London flat).
But in the heat of summer the parks can be so crowded it doesn’t quite give us the green escape we are looking for.
So if you want to indulge your green-fingered self, but stay within the M25, then you should try giving these places a go instead.
1. Visit A Cactus Shop
Prick is the first shop in the capital dedicated to selling our succulent friends. The boutique sells over 150 varieties of cactus, ranging in price from £3.75 to £475. At least you’re not likely to kill it too quickly...
Prick LDN,492 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AE
2. Make A Terrarium
Get your hands dirty with Grace & Thorn’s terrarium workshop held on the first Tuesday of every month.
They provide everything from the glass vessel to the succulents, showing you the steps to create your own miniature garden to take home with you: and even give you a glass of Prosecco to enjoy as you work.
£60, Grace & Thorn, 338 Hackney Road, E2 7AX.
3. Visit Farmopolis
Ever wondered what happens to the thousands of plants no longer needed by exhibitors at the end of The Chelsea Flower Show? Wonder no more.
Farmopolis on the Greenwich Peninsula has been transformed into a floating garden using all of the leftover flowers, complete with restaurant and performance space. Visitors can apply to adopt the plants to take home with them too.
Farmopolis,The Jetty, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0FL.
4. Make Some Purchases At Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road Flower Market, only open on Sundays, is a neighbourhood flower market in the East end of London.
A short walk from Shoreditch High Street, this bustling local market is heaving with customers at the weekend, looking for a bargain and the best Instagram opportunity.
Columbia Road Flower Market, Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
5. Visit Mayfield Lavender Farm
Located in the North Surrey Hills, just south of Croydon (you can get a bus from Croydon station) the Mayfield Lavender Farm is a family run organic lavender-growing- business.
You can spend hours wandering through the sweet smelling fields, as well as stop at the shop and cafe. Try the lavender biscuits with strawberries and cream.
Mayfield Lavender Farm,1 Carshalton Rd, Banstead SM7 3JA
6. Visit Petersham Nurseries
Petersham Nurseries in West London is the perfect place to escape the busy environment of the city.
Forget the wallet-spanking Michelin-starred restaurant - you can pop into the nursery to buy a few plants, and go to the much cheaper cafe in the equally pretty neighbouring glasshouse for a slice of cake and a glass of Prosecco.
The perfect Sunday afternoon.
Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane, Petersham Road, Richmond TW10 7AB
7. Wander Round The Hampstead Heath Pergola
The pergola was built by Lord Leverhulme in 1904, when he bought a large town house in Hampstead. He wanted the pergola to be the perfect setting for extravagant Edwardian garden parties and it still feels just as luxurious today.
Covered in vines and rare plants, the pergola is the perfect setting to take a turn about the gardens.
The Pergola, Inverforth Cl, London NW3 7EX
8. Visit Clifton Nurseries
Clifton Nurseries is an oasis right in the heart of London, the perfect place to have a lazy mooch around the potted plants.
Not to mention their extensive greenhouses and landscaped garden areas, which boast a wide variety of greenery.
Clifton Nurseries, 5A Clifton Villas, London W9 2PH.