Last Chance to Adopt Plants from the Barbican Conservatory Before It Closes for Major Renovation

The Barbican Conservatory, London's second-largest greenhouse after Kew Gardens and home to around 2,000 plant species, is preparing to close for a sweeping overhaul as part of the £240 million 'Barbican Renewal' project, with the doors shut until June 2029. To ensure the collection lives on, the Barbican has been running a public plant adoption programme since August in partnership with Wayward Plants, a plant-reuse initiative. Visitors have been able to take cuttings from the Conservatory's temperate and arid plant collection, including monstera, ficus and tradescantia — many of them originally planted in the 1980s. On November 29, Young Barbican members will have their own dedicated adoption event. The final public event is set for December 2, with applications having opened on October 29. The renovation, carried out by architects Allies and Morrison, engineers Buro Happold and landscape studio Harris Bugg Studio, will replace ageing waterproofing, heating, glazing and irrigation systems. It will also widen paths, install a new lift and significantly improve accessibility — currently only around 30 percent of the Conservatory is fully step-free. Crucially, the upgraded space will be able to open daily, rather than just a few times a month as at present. A new planting scheme will blend returning specimens with carefully chosen new plants. Marta Lowcewicz, Barbican Head Gardener, who has worked in the Conservatory for sixteen years, said it means a great deal that so many plants will continue to thrive in people's homes. Places for the December 2 event can be booked via the Barbican website.