Open Garden Squares Weekend 2018

We're not short of green spaces in London town – we have more than any other European capital. But some gardens are kept under lock and key – most of the time. Seize your chance this June to explore London's secret gardens as part of Open Garden Squares Weekend 2018, organised by the London Parks and Gardens Trust.

For one weekend only, more than 200 gardens will be unlocked for Londoners to snoop around. Spanning 27 boroughs, the gardens take in all sorts of spaces, from traditional garden squares and roof terraces to allotments and historic gardens of London's schools, shops and cafes.

Check out the River Cafe garden on the banks of the Thames at Hammersmith, where herbs, salads and edible flowers inspire and infuse the restaurant's world-class menu. Or head up to the edge of Regent's Park to The Royal College of Physicians medicinal garden where around 1,000 species of plant aid scientists with their research on a daily basis. Each of the plants has a healing or health-promoting property – including local anesthetics, treatments for swine flu, leukaemia, diabetes and cancers.

For Open Garden Squares Weekend 2018, New South London Gallery's permanent garden, created by the Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco and the horticulturalists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, will be open to the public for the first time, as will two rural retreats nestled behind the Globe Theatre. The rose-lined garden at 10 Downing Street will once again open its gates to a limited number of visitors following a ballot – ballot entry can be found here.

Throughout the weekend, many participating gardens will host free talks, walks, activities, workshops and cycle rides - our highlights from this year's schedule are:

• The Coutts & Co Skyline Garden - join an exclusive tour of the rooftop kitchen garden at Coutts & Co. Created by executive chef Peter Fiori, this one-of-a-kind rooftop space is home to over 9,000 organic plants including vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers.
• Barbican Station Pop up Garden - Take a tour of the first community garden on the Underground, situated on a 100-metre-long disused platform.
• The greenroofs of the City - Get in the spirit of summer by visiting three rooftop gardens and learn about biodiversity and sky-top plantings of wild flowers above the polluted city streets.
• Blooms, bomb sites and burial grounds - Explore secret gardens, bomb sites of the Blitz and hidden green corners of our urban metropolis. You will also learn key facts and figures about the Great Fire of 1666 and the Burial Act of 1855!

For a comprehensive overview of open gardens, please click here.

Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis, except Coutts & Co which is allocated via ballot. Tickets go on sale on 8 May at 12 noon and close on 6 June at 12 noon. The Coutts & Co ballot opens on the 23 April and closes on the 17 May. To find out more, enter the ballot and / or book tickets visit opensquares.org. There is a £3 charge per head on top of the standard ticket price to reserve a place.