London is buzzing with excitement about the upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but their love is not the only thing blooming! Spring has sprung, so here are four fun ways to celebrate the season.
One of the hottest tickets is always the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, the most prestigious flower show in the world (psst: the Queen attends every year) where the best florists and garden designers delight with colorful, fragrant and stunning displays. The Dorchester has taken the experience to another level, creating an exclusive package that includes a floral-themed champagne breakfast, tickets to the RHS Chelsea flower show and Afternoon Tea—where everything from the pastries to the drinks are floral-infused. Insta-cool: the hotel’s Florist Phil Hammond will create a floral Instagram installation in the hotel.
Bookings are available through May 16, but the event runs the entirety of May.
For something a bit more invigorating, zoom past London’s iconic sights on Zip Now, the fastest city center zip wire in the world. Back for a second summer, this 225-meter (nearly 800-foot) zip line starts ten stories above the ground, starting in Archbishop’s Park near Waterloo, London. Only available for 16 weeks, Zip Now London starts on May 22 and runs through September 9.
Shhh! London’s secret and private garden spaces allow public access for one weekend in June. Over 200 green spaces, from sculpted skip gardens to private garden squares (think: Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts jumping the gates in the movie Notting Hill), offer open access during Open Squares. There’s green to enjoy everywhere—even a new series of rooftop gardens with beekeepers and children’s activities. June 9-10; online booking is essential.
Edible flowers: Master baker Dominique Ansel has launched his first Afternoon Tea at his Belgravia bakery. For the launch, the Michelin-starred pastry chef has created a "Seed to Flower" theme; highlights include a brown butter financier with strawberry jam, rose ganache and rose petals, savory treats and pretty petal-adorned pastries that look like they’ve just been picked from the garden.
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