Fact sheet, Autumn Term 2025 City Gardens and Greenhouses

When 

Tuesdays, 16 September to 18 November, 10am - 5pm.

Where

Various locations, see below. 

Who

Sara Lee Roberts & Kathryn Maple

About 

London's many parks and public gardens effectively make up the world's largest urban forest, with over 8 million trees. None are too small to be inspiring. 

Throughout this course we will immerse ourselves in the centre of our subject, looking at the exquisite plants in the Victorian Greenhouses in Kew Gardens, at the views from atop Primrose Hill, at the lakes and gardens in Regent’s Park and other smaller inner-city parks. We will discover how drawing outside heightens our senses, sharpens our focus, and resets our approach to capturing a sense of place.  

As the parks change season, borders become more exposed, trees are stripped from their outfits, branches are revealed and maintained gardens start to lose shape. The marks we use should reflect this change in energy. Looking closely at the rhythms, shapes, and characters of a composed parkland where structure and design creates order, as well as the wild areas where nature arranges itself, we will challenge our approach to drawing each week.

 In wet weather we will have access to conservatories, greenhouses and indoor gardens. 

Location & timetable 

Occasionally locations/meeting points may need to change so please check your emails the night before classes are due to take place and bring your mobile phone with you on the day so that the administrator can contact you if need be. It is also very important that you arrive punctually (in time for the class to begin at 10am) for each class as the class will usually move away from the meeting point quite quickly at the beginning of the day.