Grow Wilder

Grow Wilder Avon Wildlife Trust's urban nature hub and wildflower nursery. Growing, learning, events, courses, workshops, and room hire. Find out more: www.growwilder.co.uk

Monday to Friday: 9am-5pm, Saturdays: 10am to 4pm. Avon Wildlife Trust offers a range of opportunities to get involved from site hire, events, corporate groups and volunteering.

13/06/2026

What an inspiring, nature filled day at the ! Actions for nature, pollinator chat, wild patch celebrations, music, talks, wonderful people and chat.

Come see Avon Wildkife Trust to.orrow as well and say hello! Not to be missed 💚

🌳 Species of the week: Wood Sedge 🌳Wood Sedge is a pretty plant found in damp woodland and riverbanks 💦 Growing even in ...
12/06/2026

🌳 Species of the week: Wood Sedge 🌳

Wood Sedge is a pretty plant found in damp woodland and riverbanks 💦 Growing even in deep shade, it has a clump forming habit providing beautiful grass-like structure and ground cover in places where other plants may struggle to thrive. The leaves are evergreen, appearing green and glossy all year round. In the summer ☀️ yellow arching stems can be seen bearing pretty seedheads.

As well as providing vital year round cover for insects 🪲 and amphibians such as frogs and newts to breed, hunt, hibernate and shelter 🐸 Wood Sedge is also the host plant for a variety of woodland moth and butterfly species 🦋 This includes the pretty Dotted Fan and Silver Hook moths, both of which are quite rare in the UK. More commonly found species include the Goldspot moth and Ringlet butterfly whose larvae feed on the leaves of the plant before turning into their beautiful adult forms. 👀 Both have been seen around Bristol, so keep your eyes peeled!

➡️ Visit the wildflower nursery to purchase or find out more.

Will we see you at the Wild Weekend at Millennium Square, Bristol? 🎉Across the weekend, expect free family-friendly natu...
11/06/2026

Will we see you at the Wild Weekend at Millennium Square, Bristol? 🎉

Across the weekend, expect free family-friendly nature activities, exhibitor stalls, wildlife film screenings, workshops, performances, live music 🎵 and parades, down by Bristol’s harbourside.

We’ll have a stall with wildflowers for sale 🪴🌼🌱 and we are giving a few talks in the ‘How-To’ tent. It’s the final weekend of the Festival of Nature, see you there!

Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 June, from 10am
https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/

09/06/2026

Over the past few weeks, Grow Wilder has been buzzing with learning, celebration and connection 🐝

💍 Two weddings celebrated surrounded by nature
🎉 Children's and adult birthday parties
🌳 Events and workshops learning about nature, orchards, pest control, herbs, first aid, Grow Leaders and more
🌻 Wild Workdays, Team away days and meetings
🎨 Creative workshops
💚 Volunteering
🦋 Youth team

Grow Wilder is a place where people come together to learn new skills, connect with others and deepen their relationship with nature. If you're looking for a unique venue for your next event, Grow Wilder offers an inspiring setting to learn, celebrate and connect with nature.

➡️ Get in touch about venue hire

Spring has certainly got the memo at Grow Wilder! 🌱🌼As plants, grasses and wildflowers grow and grow, our Wednesday volu...
07/06/2026

Spring has certainly got the memo at Grow Wilder! 🌱🌼

As plants, grasses and wildflowers grow and grow, our Wednesday volunteers have been hard at work keeping paths clear and accessible for everyone to enjoy. Their efforts help us balance a thriving landscape for wildlife with a welcoming space for people.

Thank you for your time, hard work and dedication 💚you make a real difference every week.

Join the Avon Wildlife Trust team at Grow Wilder, to welcome in your weekend with inspiration, food, and connection from...
06/06/2026

Join the Avon Wildlife Trust team at Grow Wilder, to welcome in your weekend with inspiration, food, and connection from our (hopefully) sunny outdoor kitchen 🌻

This free is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Grow Wilder and hear our plans for the future 🦋 It’s also a perfect time to visit as the site will be in full bloom for the summer.

We will also be celebrating the current 'graduates' of our flagship Grow Leader course 🎉 A perfect opportunity to learn more about this 19-week course covering agroecological skills, personal growth and community leadership ⭐

⏲️ Friday 26 June, 4-7pm
🍅 Vegetarian and vegan food will be provided
📍 Grow Wilder, BS16 1EL

Book now, open to all!
https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2026-06-26-grow-wilder-summer-celebration

05/06/2026

🐐 Species of the week: Goatsbeard 🐐

Goatsbeard is a biennial or short-lived perennial found growing in hay meadows and verges 🌻 Its sunny yellow flowers open very early in the morning before closing at midday, gaining it the nick name ‘Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon’ or ‘Twelve-o’clocks’ in Somerset 💤 This early flowering time makes it an excellent plant for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies looking for their breakfast before the other wildflowers start to wake up 🐝🦋

As a member of the daisy family, the flowerheads are ‘composite’ meaning they are made up of many small flowers, creating an abundance of nectar and pollen available for our insects. Following the flowers, large puffy seed heads form, appearing like a larger, fluffier version of a dandelion seed head. These are excellent for seed eating birds 🐦 such as sparrows and finches who will happily snack on them in the later summer months.

The roots and young shoots are also edible for humans and have a lovely sweet flavour, similar to parsnips. It is a commonly eaten vegetable in other parts of the world including Crete.

➡️ Visit the wildflower nursery to purchase or find out more.

Got any plans for Saturday? Come and visit Grow Wilder! 🪴💦The wildflower nursery is full of plug plants for gardens, bo...
03/06/2026

Got any plans for Saturday? Come and visit Grow Wilder! 🪴💦

The wildflower nursery is full of plug plants for gardens, borders, mini meadows, large meadows, ponds, mini ponds and bog gardens. Inspiration guaranteed!

Planting wildflowers is a powerful action for nature that makes a difference 🐝

➡️ Explore Grow Wilder this Saturday! Open 10am-4pm.
Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. 181 Frenchay Park Rd, Bristol, BS16 1EL.

1,179 species recorded at Grow Wilder 💥That’s based on (and thanks to!) nearly 5,000 observations on our small urban sit...
02/06/2026

1,179 species recorded at Grow Wilder 💥

That’s based on (and thanks to!) nearly 5,000 observations on our small urban site!

A new species sighting is the tumbling flower beetle 🪲 A tiny and fascinating beetle, mostly found on wild carrot and daisy-family flowers 🌼 When disturbed, they often ‘tumble’ or drop off flowers rather than flying away, hence their name!

These observations and recordings help build a better picture of nature’s recovery with data. By recording wildlife, we can directly see the positive impact that wildlife gardening, habitat creation and careful land management is having on site at Grow Wilder.

And anyone can get involved with citizen science at Grow Wilder or where you live 💫 Every record helps us better understand the nature around us, notice changes over time, and contribute to its protection and decision-making in regards to land management.

➡️ There is a wildlife monitoring group at Grow Wilder every Saturday – let us know if you’d like to help build a clearer picture of local biodiversity, have a go at ID and see how all spaces can support an amazing variety of wildlife. Email [email protected] for more info.

The Grow Leader course is a journey in agroecological skills, personal growth & community leadership. The course combine...
01/06/2026

The Grow Leader course is a journey in agroecological skills, personal growth & community leadership. The course combines taught sessions and practical workdays, allowing time for integration and witnessing the seasonal changes on the land. https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/grow-leader-course

🦋 Ecological and horticultural skills
Introducing topics such as soil health, seed saving, composting, and using ecological monitoring skills to inform practical decisions.

🌻 Action and application
Plan & present a small scale community project idea that reflects your course learning & future goals.

➡️ Grow Leader is a flagship course by Avon Wildlife Trust. Applications for the next Grow Leader course (staring August) are now open

If you are interested to meet a member of staff to find out more about the Grow Leader course join us for our Summer Celebration https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2026-06-26-grow-wilder-summer-celebration

Address

181 Frenchay Park Road
Bristol
BS161EL

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Grow Wilder posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category