This year is a landmark year for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Not only is it celebrating its centenary year, but the 100-year ban on garden gnomes has also been lifted! Gnomes were by no means the most unusual garden feature at this year’s show, however, as innovative sculpture,  unusual materials and unique aesthetics have been used to create some truly memorable displays.

Other gardens have a more sombre mood, however, with many raising awareness for charities such as Arthritis Research UK and Sentebale. Throughout the show the gardeners’ incredible skill and dedication is abundantly clear, and will no doubt inspire visitors to make the most of their own green spaces at home.

Visitors who walk down Sloane Street on their way to the show this year will also notice two floral elephants on its east side, which were installed on Monday to raise awareness of Habitat for Humanity’s Animal Ark initiative. This charity project, alongside many others, will have its own garden at the 2014 show.

As for so many great London institutions, the first 100 years really are only just the beginning!

Written by Tom Wareham, Curator of Maritime and Community History at the Museum of London Docklands.

Today the Museum of London Docklands celebrates its 10th anniversary as a museum – though the building itself is 210 years old and a grand and rare survivor of London’s commercial Georgian past.

Every morning as I arrive at work I am still impressed by the monumental scale of the warehouses built by London’s sugar merchants and plantation owners – even if only two of the buildings survived the firestorm of the Blitz in 1940.

On a warm day, as you cross the dock basin from the modern cityscape of Canary Wharf, the plum-coloured brickwork of the warehouses glows in greeting but, 20 years ago things were very different.  Broken windows, shattered doors and frames, leaking roofs, debris and rubbish cluttered the buildings.  It took millions of pounds to restore the building – and it took years of work to convert it into the exciting modern museum that now attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world.

The museum certainly has a unique effect on visitors who, as they discover the modern galleries, are slowly absorbed and captivated by the soft brickwork and original honey coloured timbers of the building itself. It’s as though the building itself breathes the history of the port that is being narrated in the galleries. No wonder visitors are so surprised and delighted when they come here. So, happy birthday Museum of London Docklands!

A guest post by the Museum of London as part of our Visiting the Past series. Look out for more London history next week.

London Vintage Kitchen

Combining two of the city’s favourite trends – namely pop-up dining and a retro lifestyle – the London Vintage Kitchen hosts glamourous dining events that make you long for a time machine. Their next event takes diners back to the Bohemian world of Paris in 1913, and offers them a four-course menu of period dishes – served by a troupe of butlers – alongside Pernod Absinthe cocktails. After dinner in the candlelit secret location, guests can dance the night away to ‘newfangled’ jazz music. Tickets are £37. 25 May

Concrete Fragments, Shoreditch 

Want to get an exclusive look at tomorrow’s big names in contemporary art? Head to this exclusive two day show by Morgan Concrete Art Advisory London, which brings together seven young international artists for a cutting-edge exhibition featuring both static and performance art. Catch the opening night from 6pm to 11pm on Friday, or the day viewing from 11am to 6pm on Saturday. Entry is free. 24-25 May

IncrEdibles Festival at Kew Gardens

Learn about surprising sources of food at this fun festival, which explores the huge range of edible plants growing at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Not only can you attend a variety of interesting talks and workshops, but you can also enjoy the festival’s more frivolous side at the Rose Garden Tea Party and the Picnic Garden. A highlight will undoubtedly be the Tutti Frutti Boating Lake by renowned jelly-makers Bompass and Parr, which allows visitors to sail across a giant fruit salad to a pineapple island. Entry is £16 for adults; check the website for details of individual events. 25 May – 3 Nov

The Book Club’s May Film Hop

Shoreditch hotspot The Book Club presents an innovative take on the cinema experience this bank holiday weekend. Guests at their outdoor film screenings wear wireless headphones, which not only guarantees great sound but also means you can dance, drink and party along to the film. Three classic films, Grease, Dirty Dancing and Purple Rain, will be shown, and dance experts will be on hand before the screenings to show you the all-important moves. Tickets are £15. 25-27 May 

Foodies Festival at Hampton Court Palace

A food festival fit for a king, the Foodies Festival at Hampton Court Palace is a haven for the culinarily curious. Not only will TV chefs be demonstrating their skills, but you can also sample dishes from popular London restaurants, learn about new products and even take the kids for a cookery lesson. A day ticket costs £15 for adults. 25-27 May

The Star of Bethnal Green Street Party

To celebrate its fifth birthday, the Star of Bethnal Green is hosting a street party at which you can enjoy popular London street food, DJs and live entertainment that includes live graffiti. From 2pm to 9pm the party also features children’s entertainment, including a bouncy castle and face painting, then it moves inside the pub for more revelry until 2am. Entry is free. 27 May

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The most popular pleasure garden was one at Vauxhall. Each year, at the beginning of May, it opened its doors to the public. As it was located on the south side of the river, people arrived either by carriage, crossing over Westminster Bridge, or hired a waterman, at one of the city’s Thames-side stairs, to row them there by boat.

You had to pay an admission fee of one shilling (five pence) to enter. Inside, there was an enclosed space with tree-lined walks, fountains and out-door lighting. An orchestra and singers performed the latest music from a raised bandstand. Food and drink were served. The most famous item on the menu was “Vauxhall ham”. It was so thin that it was claimed you could see through it if you held it up to the light! There were supper boxes decorated with painted scenes. Looking out from them, diners could observe the fashionably dressed clientele as they promenaded up and down. The evening often ended with a firework display.

When it became dark, a whistle was blown and a number of the garden employees touched matches to fuses and, as if by magic, the garden was suddenly illuminated by over a thousand oil lamps. Later in the evening, the bolder visitors would stray into the area known as “the dark walks”, the site of amorous liaisons.

You can stroll through the Museum of London’s beautifully recreated 18th century pleasure gardens in the Expanding City: 1666-1850s gallery. Or, visit the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, now a public park which underwent a regeneration project and was re-opened last year.

 A guest post by the Museum of London as part of the Visiting the Past series.

The Chelsea Fringe

Commencing on Saturday, the Chelsea Fringe celebrates the forthcoming RHS Chelsea Flower Show with an extended programme of horticultural events around London. There is a huge variety of events – most of which are free – on offer: visitors can enjoy everything from treasure hunts to floral-themed cocktails. See the Chelsea Fringe website for full programme details. 18 May-9 Jun

Museums at Night

An inspirational festival for those of a nocturnal persuasion, Museums at Night opens up most of London’s cultural institutions for three evenings of learning, exploration and fun. Whatever your interests, there should be something for you; whether that’s a pyjama party at Hampton Court Palace, a 1940s-themed event at the RAF Museum or a tour of the magnificent Banqueting House. For a full list of events, times and ticket prices, visit the Museums at Night website. 16-18 May 

Propaganda: Power and Persuasion at the British Library 

A must for anyone who is curious about how governments communicate with and influence their citizens, the British Library’s new exhibition promises to be a fascinating insight into international state propaganda. Concentrating on the 20th and 21st centuries, the exhibition uses posters, films, cartoons and texts to illustrate the sometimes surprising ways in which people can be informed, mis-informed or persuaded. Entry is free for under 18s or £9 for adults.. 17 May-17 Sep

Curiosities and Quirky Fans at the Fan Museum

Celebrate the quirkier side of fan-making at this wonderful small museum in Greenwich. At this new exhibition you can explore the history of ‘alternative’ fan-making and see how craftsmen have incorporated both unusual objects and designs into their beautiful creations. Admission is £4 for adults. 15 May-1 Sep

Gefiltefest  

Get the best challah, falafels and bagels in town at the Gefiltefest London Jewish Food Festival. Taking place at Ivy House, the former home of ballerina Anna Pavlova, the festival will offer a mix of food stalls, cooking demonstrations, lectures, tastings and workshops. Highlights include talks by award-winning Jewish authors, a chance to find out who won the 2013 Jewish Food awards, and a debate on the merits of eating locust. Adult tickets are £25. 19 May

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The Belgraves Edible Garden

Between 21 and 25 May the Belgraves hotel, located in Knightsbridge, is transforming its terrace into an Edible Garden that features a wall of edible flowers and an interactive cocktail station. Not only will there be cocktail classes and ‘food and flower pairing’ tutorials, but guests can also take away seed packets so they can enjoy the same tastes at home. Those staying in the hotel can opt for the full Bed, Brunch and Botany’experience, which features delights such as brunch in bed, an edible flower recipe book and complimentary cocktails.

Chelsea in Bloom

For eight years Chelsea in Bloom has been extending the wonders of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show throughout the entire borough by encouraging local retailers to create their own floral displays. These creations, this year themed on ‘decades’ to mark the centenary of the prestigious flower show, are assessed for prize-worthiness by official RHS judges and can be viewed between 20 and 25 May. To see them all, join the regular tours, which take place every half hour.

A Guide to Green Scents at the Athenaeum Hotel

Not only is this 5 star hotel on Piccadilly offering a menu of delicious floral cocktails for the duration of the Chelsea Fringe, but it is also hosting ‘a guide to green scents’ on 21 May. This evening event is inspired by the hotel’s landmark Living Wall (right), and features a talk by perfume specialist Lila Das Gupta on perfumes that capture the fragrance of nature, plus a guide to the scented flowers that are grown on the Athenaeum’s wall. Tickets for the talk cost £15 per person and include the talk, canapés and a cocktail. Send an email to reserve your place.

Chelsea Flower Show Menu at LIMA

For the duration of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show LIMA, the Peruvian restaurant in Bloomsbury, is putting on a celebratory menu that puts a flowery twist on their national cuisine. Dishes include orange and pisco poached lobster salad and steamed fillet of halibut with rhubarb blue potato aji Amarillo. Guests can either opt for a three course menu which includes a Chelsea Cocktail of melon and pink Champagne (£60) or order from the a la carte. The menu is available from the 20 to 26 May.

Floral Afternoon Teas

Given the traditional nature of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it’s no wonder that many venues are serving special afternoon teas during the week to celebrate. Radission Blu Edwardian, Vanderbilt, for example, is serving a Floral Afternoon Tea throughout May that includes rose fruit jellies and orange blossom and lavender scones (£29.50). Nearby, the Royal Garden Hotel offers elderflower posset, jasmine opera and rose marshmallow as part of its celebratory Afternoon Tea during Chelsea week, which is accompanied by tunes from the resident pianist (£24). Further east, The Dorchester has worked with the team behind Laurent-Perrier’s 2013 show garden to create a menu that includes delights such as a ‘lavender basket’; a dark chocolate tartlet infused with lavender scent and decorated with a spun sugar handle. This afternoon tea menu is available between 20 and 26 May for £56.

Floral Facials and Cocktails

The Jumeirah Carlton Tower is offering a range of excellent floral indulgence options; why not follow one of their new Rose Facials (£65) with a Chelsea Flower Show-themed cocktail in the hotel’s Rib Room Bar? Guests can choose between rose, camomile and elderflower martinis – yum!

The Avant Garden in Covent Garden

Head to the Covent Garden piazza to see Crabtree & Evelyn’s twist on the classic British herb garden. Created by garden designer and rising star Emma Coleman, ‘The Avant Garden’ will be a tranquil urban oasis that promises to be a highlight of the 2013 Chelsea Fringe Festival from 14 May to 9 June.

Floral Cocktails at Barts, South Kensington

Popular speakeasy Barts, situated close to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is offering a special cocktail in honour of the event. ‘The Chelsea Flower’ is a mix of home-made lavender-infused Grey Goose Vodka, peach liquor and jasmine essence, garnished with a molecular raviolo of lavender. Furthermore, guests can really get into the spirit of the occasion by availing themselves of the bar’s dressing-up box, which will feature a range of floral-themed items during the show week.

Floristry classes and lunch at Tom Aikens, Chelsea

Learn the delicate art of floristry at the Michelin-starred Tom Aikens restaurant in Chelsea, where you can create a stunning arrangement of freshly-cut blooms to take home, before tucking into a delicious three course lunch that contains edible flowers. The package also includes coffee and pastries and a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne. Classes run throughout the RHS Chelsea Flower Show week, as well as on selected other May dates, and cost £120.

Chelsea Fringe at Battersea Power Station

This free event takes place between 17 to 19 May and 21 to 26 May, and allows visitors to enjoy a variety of entertainment and activities in the newly-opened temporary riverside park at Battersea Power Station. The focus of the fringe hub at Battersea will be installations, including one that features 35 people planted knee-deep in soil to promote conversations on sustainability. See the website for opening times and full details.

The Sound Tracks Festival on the East London Line

Enjoy a day of great music throughout East London during the Sound Tracks Festival. Not only will a great variety of bands be playing at venues such as Dalston Roof Park, The Geffrye Museum and the Brunel Museum, but you can also listen to live music on the East London Line as you travel between venues. Wristbands, which allow entry to all the festival venues, are £15. 11 May

The Richmond May Fair

Head to the pretty green at Richmond for a traditional May Fair, which features craft stalls, a vintage carousel and all-day entertainment. Don’t miss the crowning of the Richmond May Queen, or the dancing around the Maypole! Entry is free. 11 May

The Marriott London Sevens at Twickenham Stadium

Combine rugby and fancy dress at the Marriott London Sevens, which is known for its carnival atmosphere. Not only can you watch a series of exciting short matches throughout the weekend, but there’s also live entertainment and competitions galore. This year’s fancy dress theme is ‘safari’, so dig out your adventure gear and animal costumes! Tickets are £25. 11-12 May

The World on Regent Street

Regent Street will be pedestrianised for this free one-day festival, which features entertainment and activities from around the globe. Visitors can enjoy Argentine tango lessons, Trinidadian steel band music, Chinese drumming and much more. All of the street’s shops will also be open – perfect for some retail therapy. 12 May

The London Burlesque Festival

Be dazzled at the glitzy London Burlesque Festival, a ten day extravaganza of burlesque and cabaret that takes throughout London. At this international festival, which is the largest of its kind in the world, you can see everything from the best of home-grown talent to the biggest stars of ‘boylesque’. Event times and ticket prices vary – see the festival website for full details. 10-19 May

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The Book Club’s May Day Fete

East London cultural hotspot The Book Club is taking over the Leonard Street Car Park for another one of their epic outdoor parties. Their May Day Fete features Morris Dancers, folk bands, traditional games and delicious, freshly-foraged food from The Foragers. Entry to the fete, which runs between 12-9pm, is free. 5 May

The Rooftop Film Club at The Queen of Hoxton and Kensington Roof Gardens

The Rooftop Film Club returns for another year of great cinema under the stars in London. Visitors can watch a variety of cult, classic and modern films on the big screens, with night-time London providing a spectacular backdrop. Tickets are £12 at the Queen of Hoxton or £22 – including a hot snack – at Kensington Roof Gardens. Until 30 Sep

The Campo Viejo Streets of Spain Festival at the Southbank Centre

Immerse yourself in the flavours of modern Spain at this four-day festival, which brings the best of Spanish food, wine, art and culture to the Southbank Centre. Not only can you browse stalls from Barcelona’s famous La Boqueria food market, which is making an appearance in London for the first time, but you can also learn about Spanish winemaking, see live street art and watch acclaimed films from the Spanish Film Festival. In the evenings the festival will host a pop-up restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Angel Pascual. 3-6 May

The Make Believe Festival at the Islington Metal Works 

Combining the best of everything from steampunk to faerytales, the Make Believe Festival promises to be an immersive experience. It presents a different event on each of its three days, all of which combine elements of art, music, performance and fantasy. Events range from the Goblin King’s Masquerade Ball to a Steampunk Market, and tickets start at £5. 3-5 May

The Imperial Festival

Taking place at Imperial College London, the prestigious South Kensington university, the Imperial Festival returns for a second year of scientific discovery and fun. Not only can you chat to more than 200 scientists and get an exclusive look at their research facilities, but you can also take part in science demonstrations, try your hand at surgery or enjoy music, dance and science comedy. Entry is free. 3-4 May  

Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice

Head to the pretty canals of Little Venice for this fun free festival, which celebrates the waterways and the canalboat community. Visitors can watch the pageant of boats, live bands and traditional Morris Dancers, as well as browse stalls, take part in kids’ activities and sip a traditional English pint from the real ale bar. 4-6 May

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Happy Birthday Wembley! The iconic stadium turns 90 on Sunday 28 April. You can take part in a host of celebratory events tomorrow (Saturday 27 April), including a chance to have your photo taken with the FA Cup and official Nike match ball, which will be travelling through London, stopping off at landmarks including the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.

O Tours de Londres offer French language tours of London. Guest blogger Hugo took an afternoon tour of London and and gives us his thoughts (in French, of course!) below:

“Visitez Londres est une expérience fascinante. En effet, la ville a été le témoin de 21 siècles d’Histoire… Cependant, il est parfois difficile pour de nombreuses personnes non anglophones de réellement comprendre et découvrir la capitale anglaise. Heureusement, Ô Tours de Londres propose un circuit au bord de la Tamise adapté à tous les francophones.

“Pendant près de 2h30, vous marcherez de la Tour de Londres jusqu’à la Cathédrale St Paul en passant notamment par le Tower Bridge. Sur le trajet se succèdent d’incontournables monuments comme la Cathédrale Southwark miraculeusement conservée, le Shakespeare Globe Theatre ou encore les ruines du Palais de Winchester… Vous découvrirez aussi l’incroyable histoire du London Bridge, l’unique pont de Londres pendant près de 18 siècles…

“Au total, cette balade guidée comporte 13 arrêts qui vous permettront de découvrir des lieux mythiques de l’Histoire de Londres.

“Les guides compétents, dynamiques et disponibles vous dévoileront, de façon simple et claire, récits et anecdotes. Ils partageront avec vous les secrets des rues Londoniennes et de la Tamise et vous emmèneront sur les pas de Guillaume le Conquérant, Henri VIII, William Shakespeare ou encore Charles Dickens.

“C’est après ce fantastique voyage dans le temps, que vous serez à même de comprendre l’évolution de Londres, de sa mentalité et de ses habitants.

“Accessible à tous, cette balade est proposée à un prix très abordable : 15 £ par personne (17,5 €) (Gratuit pour les enfants de moins de 8 ans). Alors oubliez la barrière de la langue et allez découvrir Londres et son Histoire dans la bonne humeur grâce à Ô Tours de Londres !”

Pour plus d’informations et pour les réservations, n’hésitez pas à consulter le site de Ô Tours de Londres : www.o-toursdelondres.fr

Hugo was a guest of O Tours de Londres.

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