THE CHELSEA FRINGE — the alternative garden festival — has expanded to cities all around the world. But you don’t have to travel to the Isle of Mull in Scotland, let alone to Australia for it, because this year 2017 the Fringe is again sprouting in northeast London.

Lauriston School at Hackney E9 7J will open its lovely gardens, and chicken-run orchard, for an event on Saturday 20 May 2017 from 2pm, with the theme of gigantism.

Visitors will be invited to plant a giant-sunflower seed, help to build a hazel bed for huge pumpkins, take part in a print workshop or contribute their own leaf or flower to a giant artwork, as part of activities suitable for children and those of us who never quite grew up.

A short 76 bus ride away from Hackney the bond between gardener and dog will be celebrated. On Sunday 21 May 2017 at 1pm the award-winning garden of the Inner Temple, an ancient area usually decorated with barristers in cloaks and wigs and tourists with parkas and Dan Brown books, will host the Inner Temple Dog Show when dogs and owners compete for prizes in the best floral outfit contest.

Hamish Scott 180417

* Lauriston School, above, 55 Rutland Road, Hackney E9 7JS (020 8985 6331); Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green E2 6HG (020 7739 9001) 

* Backstory: Chelsea flowers out East; Bloomin’ pop-ups could cover Hackney

* All pictures on this page © David.Altheer [at] gmail.com,  for sale for reproduction

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