Detail of the picnic rug laid out with tasty treats

Last week I visited a life size knitted garden at the artsdepot in Finchley, North London. Blooming Marvellous, as it's known, certainly lives up to its name. It’s brilliant, bright, quirky, extremely colourful, utterly delightful and great fun to visit. Hurry if you want to visit as it is only on display until Thursday 4^th September 2014. 

If you're planning to visit I have included some practical information at the bottom of the page.

Blooming Marvellous is a community knitted garden project which started in Bournemouth.

Pauline Stanley is the project organiser and the garden has been lovingly created by over 2,000 volunteers aged 2 – 99. 

Here there is everything you expect to find in a garden from flowers, a vegetable patch, a garden shed and a pond to the birds and the bees. Everything has been beautifully and carefully knitted or crocheted down to the minutest detail. It's one of those things the more you look the more detail you see and if you get the opportunity I would certainly recommened a visit.

I've posted some photos which I hope will make you smile - enjoy!

The vegetable patch with its scarecrow

 Muddy footprints - love the detail

 Cute birds with their nesting boxes

 Vegetable patch - detail

 The Green Man

 There's even a pond complete with garden gnome

 Loved the hens with their egg box

 Brightly coloured scarecrow

 Bee hive and swarm of bees

 There's even a tree

 Garden Shed

The picnic rug full of goodies was one of my favourite

If the exhibition has inspired you, the artsdepot is also running some knitting workshops on selected Saturdays during August 2014, suitable for ages 12+ and with a request for a £5 donation per person.

There is also the oportunity to have your knitted creations included in the display as they are asking for knitted contribitions to add to the display.

Practical Information 

Address:  arts depot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London, N12 0GA. (NB the exhibition is in the Althorp Gallery located on the 1st floor of the building)

Nearest Tube Stations:  West Finchley or Woodside Park and then a 20 minute walk from either of these stations. Also from Finchley Central there is a 25 minute walk or take bus numbers 82, 125 or 460 from Ballards Lane near the station to North Finchley. All the tube stations are in Travelcard Zone 4 and are on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line. Alternatively the North Finchley Bus Station is within the Tally Ho Complex with many local bus routes run through the centre or stopping nearby. Please check here on the art depot website for more details.

Opening Hours:  Daily 10am - 4pm except Sunday 24th, Monday 25th and Sunday 31st August. Only until Thursday 4th September 2014

Price:   Free

The art depot cafe is open daily during the exhibition from 10am to 4pm and for performances

The arts depot also offers a fantastic programme of various events including dance, music, theatre, comedy and courses for children and adults. Last year they had a fabulous Lego exhibtion called Brick City which I visited and you can read more about it in my blog.

Website: arts depot

There's also more information available on the Blooming Marvellous website.

If you enjoyed this you might like to check out my earlier blogs about the delightful knitted figures for the 2012 Olympic and Paralypic Games and the Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee at Saltburn by the Sea.

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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