Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a beautiful English garden for a free outdoor festival to celebrate St George's Day 2012.
Taking place on Saturday 21st April, two days before England's saint's day, the event will feature a top line-up of live music and theatrical performances.
The Greater London Authority has teamed up with award-winning horticulturalist Sarah Eberle to create the central London oasis that will see the square-a-bloom for one day only.
Raised beds will form a magical, tranquil 3D experience around the fountains and there will be pop-up gardening installations, including Pimping Your Pavement and Mobile Gardeners.
Grow Your Own exhibits for the urban green-fingered will also be on display from the Capital Growth Programme. Thames Water is sponsoring a "Beat the Ban" drought tolerant garden provided by the London Wildlife Trust and Flowers for All will be exhibiting their English-related floral installations and top tip workshops.
Visitors to Trafalgar Square are also invited to enjoy their very own Breathe Happy moment at the Febreze Fresh Haven as part of the P&G Capital Clean Up.
Complete with ornamental music bandstand, the event will feature performances by some up and coming musicians, including Rhythm of London Busking Underground winners Ze Trio and The Lorelles, and last year's overall winner the Robbie Boyd Band, who helped launch this year's street music competition Gigs-Big Busk (www.molpresents.com/gigs) and will release the single 'I won't let you go' on St George's Day.
Also performing will be Battersea Beat Box Academy and Big Phat Brass and the celebrations will pay homage to some favourite English music hall classics courtesy of the Brick Lane Music Hall.
A colourfully patriotic line-up will include roaming entertainers, English rose making origami, face painting and a garden treasure trail for children, plus horticultural talks from those in the know so visitors can learn how to bring greenery and fine flora into their homes and gardens.
For more information on the event, or to be the first to know about the other free events taking place to celebrate this special year, sign up or follow us at www.molpresents.com / www.facebook.com/mayoroflondonpresents / www.twitter.com/molpresents.
PROGRAMME DETAILS
Event: St George's Day Outdoor Festival Location: Trafalgar Square Date: Saturday 21 April Time: 12:00pm-6:00pm
Entry: FREE – all welcome Tube: Charing Cross / Leicester Square Information: www.molpresents.com/stgeorges Notes to editors The St George's Day outdoor festival is one of many highlights in this year's huge programme of free events and celebrations, which across the capital will add to the excitement for 2012.
Other events include Secrets, with artists and performers transforming hidden and lesser known locations; Showtime, London's largest ever outdoor arts festival in high streets, parks and open spaces around the capital; and BT London Live, bringing live action from the Games, as well as sporting activities and entertainment to Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square.
For more information sign up or follow us at www.molpresents.com / www.facebook.com/mayoroflondonpresents / www.twitter.com/molpresents.
For St George's Day 2012 the GLA has joined forces with production company Sevens7 to transform Trafalgar Square into the free outdoor festival.
Gigs – Big Busk takes place this summer and will be the biggest street music festival ever seen in the capital. The competition is open to musical Londoners between the ages of 11 and 25, whatever your musical style from classical to country and beatbox to ballads.
Soloists, duos and groups of up to 20 members are all welcome, and you can play any instruments you like as long as they are portable and can use a dry battery amp if you need one.
Prizes include: a sought-after licence to busk on London Underground, courtesy of Transport for London and their busking scheme, for the winner of the Soloists and Duos category; studio time to record an EP; music equipment and instruments; performance training; opportunities to play at great London venues; industry information, advice and support from professional musical bodies.
Supporters include Roland, British Music Experience, Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, Musicians' Union and TfL. Performers should apply as soon as possible, or by 1 June at the latest.
More details can be found at www.molpresents.com/gigs
Working with the London Wildlife Trust, Thames Water is pleased to feature a demonstration English drought garden to highlight issues of water use and support to wildlife during the drought conditions and temporary use bans facing the UK, especially in the South East.
The demonstration garden will represent a small garden, or area within an urban garden, where one can enjoy the afternoon sun, while being mindful of drought and water issues, as well as providing habitat opportunities and wildlife assistance during periods of water shortage.
It is a interpretation of what might become a more typical English garden in the future, given the impacts of climate change, and will show how containers of herbs enable a greening of hard landscaping on areas such as decks using drought tolerant plants.
Water collecting and recycling devices and linings for terracotta pots will demonstrate water-saving techniques along with the benefits of mulching for soil moisture retention.
Finally the garden also raises the issue of drainage and the importance of permeable surfaces to enable the absorption of rainwater during periods of heavy rain, taking the strain away from the storm water system. Capital Growth is currently running the 'Grow for Gold competition' which is offering winning entries a fantastic range of prizes from tools, seeds and vouchers through to free training.
For more information go to www.capitalgrowth.org The Febreze Fresh Haven is a sensuous garden provided by P&G as part of the P&G Capital Clean Up www.pgcapitalcleanup.com