Always fancied rowing a slice of papaya through an interactive floating pineapple or entering a secret banana grotto? Of course you have, and this summer at Kew Gardens you can!

The gardens are opening their lake to the public for pleasure boating this year, for the first time ever. This comes as part of the IncrEdibles festival, which celebrates all the weird and wonderful food we eat that originates from plants. Not knowing an awful lot about plants myself, I went to Kew to find out more.

We were met by Sam Bompas of the famous food architects Bompas and Parr, who created the Tutti Frutti boating lake. He told us that the pineapple is “a symbol of welcome to the city.”  In the 18th and 19th century the pineapple was seen as a representation of hospitality, and therefore is now used by many buildings in London as decoration.

A definite highlight of the day was rowing the fruit inspired boats around the “Mediterranean” blue water, under the pineapple and through the banana grotto; wear 3D glasses for a psychedelic experience complete with the scent of banana! Don’t fancy rowing? Then take a stroll down the walkway out over the water to the island and watch the boats go by whilst communicating with the plants! Sounds mad, but touch them and see what happens…

Next take a tour of the Palm House, a tropical rainforest which is home to 60 edible plants. Then step outside and visit the tea party with a twist, a dining table on which edible plants grow out of plates, dishes, jugs and platters. Move from seat to seat and learn about where your favourite food products come from, for example Bakewell Tart and Earl Grey Tea. Kirsti Davies who designed the table tells us “not everything is as it seems” – the table is full of riddles and clues which encourage you to touch, smell and taste if you dare!

Go past the bouncy carrot tops to the Global Kitchen Garden – each bed geographically arranged in continents, from Europe to Asia, telling the story of the plants often surprising origins. For example, did you know that the carrot, which is grown all over the world today, originally came from Afghanistan? No, me neither!

The festival, which opens this weekend, will feed your imagination, inviting you to reconsider the way you look at plants, broadening your relationship with what you eat.

I had an incrEdibly good time and guarantee you will too!

IncrEdibles at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 25 May to 3 Nov. More information

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

More London events

London will be awash with colour this weekend: not only does Sunday see the vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations taking over Trafalgar Square, but Kew Gardens will also be filled with a rainbow of orchids. Elsewhere, you can see some of the world’s oldest art, take the whole family dancing or watch James McAvoy star in the Scottish play.

Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind at the British Museum

Learn about the beginnings of art at this fascinating exhibition, which brings together works of Ice Age art from across Europe. Created more than 20,000 years ago, the works of portraiture and sculpture demonstrate the evolution of figurative art and humans’ enduring ability for creative expression. Not only does the exhibition contain striking works of ancient art, but modern masterpieces by artists such as Picasso, Henry Moore and Matisse are also displayed to demonstrate themes that span millennia. Adult tickets are £10. Until 26 May

Orchids at Kew Gardens

Kew’s Princess of Wales Conservatory is filled with an unseasonal burst of colour this month, as it hosts a four week long celebration of orchids. The glorious plants are arranged in a variety of captivating displays, with a centrepiece that pays tribute to the majestic giant water lily. Adult tickets are £14.50; children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. Until 3 Mar

Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square

Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake on Sunday with a colourful parade and celebrations that will light up the West End. London’s Chinese New Year celebrations are the world’s largest outside China and centre around a lively stage in Trafalgar Square, from which fireworks will be released at the end of the day. Don’t miss the parade to Chinatown’s Rupert Street, which leaves the square at 10am. 10 Feb

Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios

Bafta-winning actor James McAvoy, famous for starring in films such as Atonement, Wanted and X-Men: First Class, takes to the stage as Macbeth in a new production of Shakespeare’s renowned tragedy. The play follows the Scottish Lord Macbeth in his murderous quest for power, and is considered one of the bard’s darkest plays. Tickets start at £10. Until 27 Apr

Family Barn Dance at Cecil Sharp House

Deal with your children’s half-term high spirits at this energetic afternoon of British country dancing. Commencing at 3pm, the barn dance features live music and a caller to guide you through the lively steps. Tickets start from £3 and adults must be accompanied by children, see the website for full details. 10 Feb

Looking for a tropical paradise in London? Head to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and wander around the Palm House where ThePhotoSchool photographed these lush leafy palms against the ornamental Victorian spiral stairs.

If you’ve taken some great photos of London, don’t forget to add them to the Visit London Flickr group.

Nootashey shared this lovely picture of spring crocuses, showing spring has arrived at The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

Over the next few months you’ll be able to see crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells at Kew. Find out when to visit with Kew’s spring bulb watch.

We have some top tips for enjoying spring in London. If you’ve seen signs of spring in London, take a picture and share it with the Visit London Flickr group.

Romancing

• Enjoy an evening view of Modern British Sculpture followed by a three-course dinner at Peyton and Byrne’s new restaurant at the Royal Academy. 14 Feb, £35 per person (contact the venue to book)
• Everyman Cinemas are showing two classic romances – Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Casablanca, served with a glass of champagne and a cupcake each. 14 Feb, £40 for two
• Work your way through five courses at Searcys restaurant at the Barbican and you’ll receive a complimentary glass of fizz to wash it down with. 14 Feb (lunch or dinner after 7.30pm), £40 per person
• Crafty couples should head to WWT London Wetlands Centre where you can decorate a bird box together (£12.99) or make your own bird feeder (£2 suggested donation). 12-13 Feb
• Try love potions by Bompas & Parr, learn the cha cha and make a Valentine’s card at Museum of London’s late event. 14 Feb, £6

The best of the rest

• London Roller Girls: An action-packed afternoon of roller derby at Earl’s Court. 12 Feb
• Looking for love? Try Zizzi St Giles which is banning couples for the evening and offering free prosecco, canapés and the chance to meet new people. 14 Feb
• As half-term rolls round, The Southbank Centre’s Imagine festival is packed full of family events – many of which are free. 12-27 Feb
• See Keira Knightley’s return to the London stage in The Children’s Hour. Until 2 Apr
• Warm up at Kew Garden’s celebration of orchids and exotic plants, Tropical Extravaganza. Until 6 Mar

Liberty
For the ultimate fabric shopping experience, head to Liberty and swoon over the lovely Liberty print cotton in this stunning department store. Look out for the special collection of fabric created for the V&A Quilts exhibition which is sold by the metre, as well as in smaller pieces just for patchworking which are charmingly known as fat quarters!

The Cloth Shop
The Cloth Shop is a Notting Hill fabric boutique and a rabbit warren of beautiful cloth. Check out the back room which is full of yummy designer remnants and Savile Row leftovers.

The Cloth House
The area round Berwick Street is home to lots of fabric shops, including the two shops which make up The Cloth House. One shop offers basics like cottons, suiting and ticking, the other sells luxuries – velvets, jersey and embellished fabric. You’ll also love nearby Boroviks, The Berwick Street Cloth Shop and Soho Silks which are great if you’re making something for a special occasion.

Creative Quilting
If you’re off to see the tapestries at Hampton Court Palace and the textiles at The Royal School of Needlework, you’re just round the corner from Creative Quilting who stock over 1,000 different quilting fabrics, including festive fabrics for special occasions.

Tikki Patchwork
Tikki Patchwork is stuffed with colourful fabric that’s perfect for patchworking and making pretty gifts. Tikki Patchwork is close to Kew Gardens and they’ve clearly been inspired by the exotic flowers and the beauty of nature when choosing their lovely cotton prints.

M Rosenberg & Son
OK, this isn’t a shop, but once a month, M Rosenberg & Son take over Hays Village Hall in Bromley and fill it with huge rolls of lovely fabric. As well as the basics, you’ll find astonishing bold Italian print cottons and other unusual stuff that isn’t on their website. A family business, M Rosenberg & Son have been selling fabric since 1946 and it’s now the son and grandson! www.mrosenbergandson.com

MacCulloch & Wallis
The ultimate haberdashery, MacCulloch & Wallis have three floors stocking everything you need to whip up the perfect couture outfit – the thread, fabric, zips and trim. You can even pick up a hat block and sinamay in every colour of the rainbow to make a matching hat.

Goldhawk Road
There’s loads of fabric shops in Goldhawk Road which sell all sorts of fabric from all over the world. One of our favourites is Classic Textiles which offers good quality silk, crepe de chine and suiting. A-One Fabric and the stalls in Shepherd’s Bush Market also stock a good range.

Cath Kidston
Did you know you can buy Cath Kidston fabric by the metre so you can make anything you like? We love the London street scene cotton fabric and the oil cloth in pretty spots and florals.

Joel & Son Fabrics
Joel & Son have an enormous shop near Edgware Road and have been selling everything from printed cottons to embroidered chiffon for over 30 years. If you can’t find it here, you’ll have to weave it yourself!

Did we miss out your favourite places to buy fabric in London?

Here are a few of our top picks:

1. Striking Your Own Chord: Journeys into Musical Plagiarism
Why do people plagiarise music? George Harrison was once found guilty of “unconscious plagiarism” in a law suit which cost him a million dollars. In this free lecture for adults, neuroscientists and musicologists explain why plagiarism is pretty likely to happen and give you the chance to try out karaoke pods to find out how unique your music writing skills are.
7-9pm, 17 March at the Science Museum. Free

2. Subterranean Tours
Paying £5 to crawl down an abandoned tunnel might not be your idea of fun, but it will be worth it when you get to the other end and find yourself in the former Grand Entrance Hall of the Brunel Museum. This subterranean amphitheatre has been inaccessible for 140 years and is now open for you to explore.
Afternoons 13-21 March, don’t wear your favourite trousers.

3. Behind the Scenes Tour – Kew’s Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives
This is a real treat – take a sneaky peak at the secrets of The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew! Kew have collected 7 million herbarium specimens and 200,000 artworks during their 250 years and the collections are usually only available to view by horticulturalists and historians. Tours are free but you need to book in advance.
16 March www.kew.org

4. Geek C’est Chic: Fashion in Science and Science in Fashion
Forget leggings, jeggings and treggings, the hottest garment you could possibly be seen in during National Science and Engineering Week is your lab coat. At Geek C’est Chic, London fashion designers will be redesigning the lab coat for the modern scientist. This simple protective garment will be transformed, not just in fashion terms, but using the latest nanotechnology and “smart” materials.
7.30pm on the 19 March at the Bethnal Green Men’s Working Club. Free.

5. Geek Pop presents … The Science Sessions
One of the best nerdy parties in London, the Geek Pop science night promises science songs from Helen Arney, Spirit of Play singing about quantum physics, and rock god Dr Stu and the Neutron Stars.
7.30pm on 18 March at The Miller. Tickets just £2 from www.geekpop.co.uk

National Science and Engineering Week runs from 12 to 21 March 2010. Find out more information about the events mentioned and check out everything else going on in London at www.britishscienceassociation.org

Last Friday’s talk celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. The theme was the inspiration of nature.

The speakers were designer Celia Birtwell, naturalist Richard Mabey, journalist Anna Pavord and David Mabberley, the keeper of Kew’s Herbarium. (When there are portraits of Michelangelo, Holbein and Inigo Jones watching from the walls of the lecture theatre, you need an impressive line up like this!)

Acclaimed designer Celia Birtwell was top of the bill. Celebrated for her hand-drawn floral print fabric, Celia revealed she created one of her famous prints while sketching at the V&A. Celia talked us through many of her famous designs, sharing the inspiration behind each piece.

(If you’re wishing you had a designer budget to buy Celia’s work, she’s recently designed a purse-friendly new cover for Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights!)

Richard Mabey spoke about the devastation caused by the big storm of 1987. Kew lost many rare trees, but unexpectedly the damage wasn’t all bad, as it gave the scientists access to the roots and their underground world for the first time.

Anna Pavord described the wild landscapes of Kazakhstan, Scotland and Cumbria. Anna’s eloquent thoughts about nature provided an enjoyable take on the way the natural world can inspire the written word.

The Herbarium at Kew contains more than 7 million plant specimens and many paintings of plants. The drawings are stored by species so you’ll find all the cabbage paintings together. David Mabberley spoke about the illustration side of the collection and the way it inspires Kew’s conservation work.

Did you know that the illustration of plants dates back to antiquity? That repeatedly drawing a plant from previous drawings over centuries creates a sort of Chinese whispers effect of changing and simplifying the information? David also told the audience a story about a drawing of a mythical Barnacle Goose Tree from the 1500s which convinced a few people that geese grow on trees.

All that in just over an hour! You can book a ticket to a Friday night talk for £8 (£6 concessions) and it’s worth every penny. At the end, there’s usually a chance for you to ask questions and get books signed.

Find out what’s coming up at the V&A’s Friday Talks here. Your favourite designers might be up next!

I tend to think of Kew Gardens as a place best visited in spring when hundreds of daffodils and crocuses fill the lawns.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I visited on a distinctly autumnal day – windy, a little on the cold side, and cloudy skies (though the sun did manage to break through a few times).

Although many of the flowers aren’t in bloom at this time of year, there’s still plenty of colour on the trees, as their leaves turn red, gold and orange. The ground was littered with acorns and it seemed the resident squirrels couldn’t believe their luck as they scampered about collecting them.

There was no shortage of wildlife as we saw several flocks of Canadian Geese wandering around the park, plus swans and their signets on the lake, and a few ducks too.

Up on the impressive Xstrasa Treetop Walkway, we came close to some pretty decent looking conkers – the kind that I could never quite reach as a child. In all honesty, I was still too short to get them, but a taller person might just manage!

Check out our Tips for Autumn