Sculpt at Kew

As summer melds into autumn, amble through the picturesque gardens whilst admiring the contemporary sculptures situated amongst the foliage. If you’re an admirer of the art of sculpture and of gardens, like us at The Amazing Blog, Sculpt at Kew marries the two perfectly. It forms the ideal combination, as you can marvel at the man-made beauty in a beautiful natural setting. The exhibition runs from September 18th – October 15th and is held at the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The stunning gardens are the perfect backdrop to over 30 renowned British and international artists’ work. This innovative exhibition features sculptures in an array of materials from bronze, ceramics, glass to woodwork. There is something for everyone, whether you’re partial to figurative, abstract or modern works of art, and if one happens to take your fancy you can even purchase the sculptures on show. The sculptures range in prices, so there is one for every budget. Carefully curated with a contemporary approach, you are sure to see a diverse variety of work, but all sharing quality, tradition, heritage and integrity in the work. The artists were all chosen with their craft skills in mind, so you are bound to see a high calibre of sculptures.

For a pleasant stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens amidst stunning sculptures, purchase a ticket here for £14 for an adult and £2.50 for children aged 4-16.

Kew the Music at Kew Gardens

Summer is in full swing and with it a plethora of music concerts and festivals. Here at The Amazing Blog we can’t wait to head down to one of our favourites, Kew the Music at Kew Gardens, this weekend.

Kew the Music, a series of festival style concerts, returns for its sixth year with a truly fantastic line up of artists.

Tonight Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra hit the stage, promising another crowd pleasing show. Jools has been touring with his veritable musical army, the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra for more than 20 years and once again he will be joined by regular guest vocalists Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Mabel Ray.

Saturday UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey take to the stage. UB40 are undoubtedly Britain’s most popular reggae artists and have clocked up more than 70 million record sales worldwide with songs like Kingston Town, Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe (recorded with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders), Rat In The Kitchen and Can’t Help Falling In Love. The bands initial line up lasted 30 years from the bands formation in 1978 until front-man Ali Campbell’s departure in 2008. Two other founding members of UB40 also left the band and have since formed UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey - back together at last.

Finally, legendary band The Specials close the 2015 Kew the Music festival on Sunday. Known for their unique up beat blend of two-tone and ska, they are guaranteed to have the Kew the Music audience on their feet and singing along to songs such as Too Much Too Young and Ghost Town.

Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drink, or to sample from the line-up of artisan bars and food stalls on site. For the very first time these concerts are a collaboration between Kew Gardens, Kilimanjaro Live Ltd and Raymond Gubbay Ltd. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have been presenting summer concerts for 33 years.

Tickets start from £41.50 and can be purchased from the 24 hour ticket hotline: 0844 871 8803 or online.

Kew Diffusers and Candles

As one of London’s lushest settings (and a personal favourite destination to spend summer weekends), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are a not so Secret Garden and one of the world’s leading botanic gardens. Luckily for us,  we can now capture our lazy walks around Kews beautiful gardens thanks to these Luxury diffusers and candles which have been created by Kews's botanical team to recreate the natural and exotic scents of the garden for people to enjoy in their homes.

With a whole host of authentic scents including Orange Blossom, Sweet Pea, Lemongrass and Watermelon the diffusers  are able to fragrance your home for up to 12 weeks. Simply open the bottle, insert the wooden wicks and the scented oil will slowly evaporate into the atmosphere to give a natural, lasting scent. Alternatively, try one of their naturally derived, pure soya wax candles which have Royal Botanic Gardens approval and allow for up 60 hours of fragrance. All of the candles are hand-poured into a recycled glass holder decorated in a Kew Gardens Jacquard Pattern, so would make a great housewarming gift. Alternatively, pair them with one of the diffusers to create your very own personalised aroma for your home.

The Diffusers and Candles are available to buy online here. Luxury Kew Diffusers - £19.50 Luxury Kew Scented Candles- £12.75