Events at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens - 2018
Plant Finders Plant Fair
Sunday 1st July 2018
NEW FOR 2018
Rare plants as well as craft stalls. Sunday 1st July , 10am to 3pm. Only £7.00 admission which includes entry to the Subtropical Gardens 10am to 5pm (adult normally £12.50). In association with Plant Heritage
Show of Hands - Tickets now on sale
7th July 2018
Show of Hands & Friends Featuring line up to be announced and Show of Hands Saturday 7th July 2018, Gardens open from 10am, entry to the concert area from 1.30pm, Music starts from 3pm, Concert finishes 9.00pm.
Your “Show of Hands” ticket gives you access to the Gardens and also the Swannery & Children’s Farm for the whole weekend. Please show your concert wrist band.
Plant Bonanza
Wednesday 25th July 10am to 1pm
A tour of the Subtropical Gardens with famous plantsman, broadcaster & author Roy LancasterVMH and your very own curator Stephen Griffith.
Tickets £20 per person, includes welcome tea and cake.
There are only 30 tickets for this event, so book earlier to avoid disappoint. For tickets please call 01305 871130.
RHS 'Hydrangea Day'
Wednesday 8th August 2018
Abbotsbury Gardens will host the RHS ‘Hydrangea Day’ on 8th August 2018. Meet the RHS plant trials members, visit the Hydrangea trial, Demos and talks on Hydrangea cultivation and propagation, plant sales. Normal ticket entrance applies.
Outdoor Theatre - "The Winters Tale"
Wednesday 8th August 2018
7:00pm – 10:00pm. Doors open at 6.00pm. Bring your own seat and a picnic.
The Festival Players Theatre Company is a professional theatre company delivering the best in open-air Shakespeare, committed to presenting the very best in touring theatre.
Written by Shakespeare in his later years, The Winter’s Tale is an intriguing mix of drama and comedy.
Sparked by an obsessive envy of a perceived relationship between his Queen and his oldest friend, Leontes, King of Sicilia, sets in motion a train of events which affect two kingdoms and two generations; there is jealousy and joy, revenge and romance, loss and discovery, remorse and revelry, and an amazing revelation.
The Enchanted Illuminations
Wednesday 17th October – Charity Preview evening
Special guest to be confirmed
Thursday 18th – Tuesday 23rd October & Sunday 28th October, dusk until 8:30pm
Come and see the Gardens in a different light. A large section of the gardens will be lit with a wonderful array of colour. Book online and save 20% off standard admission charges. A standard garden ticket allows access during the day and also covers the Enchanted Illuminations event if visited on the same day. Normal admission applies, except to the 4 Halloween family fright nights when a different charge applies. No extra charge for Season Ticket holders. The Restaurant will be open from 10am to 8pm, Kitchen from 10am to 3pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm throughout the event.
For ticket information Tel: 01305 871130 or 871387
For restaurant information Tel: 01305 871732
The Enchanted Illuminations Halloween Family Fright Nights
Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th October 4:30pm until 9:00pm
Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th October, 4:30pm until 9:00pm. Free face painting (scary faces), fancy dress encouraged. Come and meet the Bugs and stay for the Bug show. And do not miss scary wounds, Surgery. Why not join the fun by dressing up and prepare yourself to be both ‘tricked and treated!’
TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR OR BOOK NOW AND SAVE 20% (IF BOOKED IN ADVANCE).
No extra charge for Season Ticket holders. The Restaurant will be open from 10am to 8pm, Kitchen from 10am to 3pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm throughout the event.
For ticket information Tel: 01305 871130 or 871387
For restaurant information Tel: 01305 871732.
PLEASE NOTE A DIFFERENT CHARGE APPLIES
Spring is here
Mid February – end of April Magnolia, Camellia and Spring Colour No extra charge for Season Ticket holders.
Willow Pheasant Workshop with Jo Sadler -
12th November 2018
Local willow sculptor Jo Sadler is hosting two willow workshops at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in 2018. In this workshop, you can learn how to create your own willow pheasant. £75 per person, with all materials and tuition included, so just book and come along! You can book by contacting Jo direct at jojo.sadler@hotmail.co.uk, or find out more on the workshop page of her website.
Timetable of events
Food Fair in association with Dorset Food & Drink
Saturday 31st March 2018, 10am – 4pm
Come and celebrate Easter with us at the First Dorset Food Fair of the Year
Discover over 25 stands showcasing distinctively Dorset’s produce while exploring the stunning Spring colour of the Subtropical Gardens.
Alongside the food stalls there will be cooking demonstrations, including a demo from Russell Brown, Nick Holt and a fun crab cracking demo
Entry £5 per adult, under 16s Free
Includes entry to the Subtropical Gardens (adult normally £12.50)
Willow Hare Workshop with Jo Sadler -
23rd April 2018
Local willow sculptor Jo Sadler is hosting two willow workshops at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in 2018. In this workshop, you can learn how to create your own willow hare. £75 per person, with all materials and tuition included, so just book and come along! You can book by contacting Jo direct at jojo.sadler@hotmail.co.uk, or find out more on the workshop page of her website.
View a PDF version of this map (~400KB)
Three superb attractions (The Swannery, Subtropical Gardens and Children’s Farm) are all located within a mile of each other around the village. Abbotsbury is full of quirky shops, galleries, tearooms and interesting nooks to explore. Afterwards pop down to the Beach Café for a pot of tea. To find out more about Abbotsbury, visit the Abbotsbury Village website.