Over the Garden Wall with University of Dundee

Over the Garden Wall

Friday 31 October - Sunday 2 November 2025

Join us for a series of free, garden themed workshops, experiences, talks and displays hosted by the University of Dundee

Discover Over the Garden Wall, a free, interactive weekend of fun hosted by the University of Dundee. Explore the beauty, design, science, and resilience of gardens through the eyes of university researchers!

In connection with our Garden Futures exhibition, and the after-hours celebration Night Garden, expert University of Dundee researchers and staff will guide you on a journey through the green spaces that shape our lives with hands-on activities, talks and workshops. Discover the science behind plants, the history of gardens and urban design, growing traditions and innovation, the benefits of greenspaces and how eco-friendly practices can both soothe you and improve your wellbeing.

Whether you're creating garden-inspired art, or learning about the latest research in crop cultivation, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. This event is perfect for those looking to reconnect with nature, for families, nature lovers and anyone interested in the intersection of design and the natural world.

Displays

A tall building with multiple floors, each containing small houses and lush greenery, resembling a vertical garden.

How Does Your Garden Grow

This companion exhibition to Garden Futures showcases artworks and specimens from the University of Dundee Museums, exploring how gardens can be places of peace, control, creativity, and conflict and why they continue to captivate us.

Talks

Someone holding up two leaflets titled 'Shape your city' against a green backdrop

Stories from a Greener City with Urban ReLeaf

Join us to hear how local voices are helping shape the city’s green future through the Urban ReLeaf project. From citizen science to community-driven design, discover how people across Dundee are using local knowledge and data to build a more sustainable, resilient city for all.

Close-up of vibrant purple flowers with yellow centers, surrounded by buds and green leaves.

Commonwealth Potato Collection

Learn about this remarkable library of over 1,500 potato species from across South America, safeguarded at The James Hutton Institute. From disease resistance to climate resilience, discover how these plants are helping tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges.

Patrick Geddes

Patrick Geddes in Dundee

Explore the life and work of Patrick Geddes, a visionary town planner, botanist, and environmentalist who spent over 30 years in Dundee. This talk looks at his time in the city and the many green space projects he helped imagine and inspire.

Pop-up activities

Close-up of two daffodils with yellow centers and pale petals against a dark background, surrounded by green leaves.

Daffodil Project

Join researchers from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee for fun, hands-on activities exploring how DNA shapes the plants and crops around us.

Aerial view of a vibrant garden with winding paths, colorful flower beds, and two people walking. Trees and a building are in the background.

Create Your Own Herbarium

Drop in and make your own plant specimen using paper and collage, then complete a mini herbarium by exploring the exhibition and drawing what you discover.

Two people in lab coats examine plants in a greenhouse, surrounded by tall green plants and flowers.

Commonwealth Potato

Discover the science behind one of the world’s most important crops in this hands-on pop-up exploring the Commonwealth Potato Collection at the James Hutton Institute. Come explore how spuds could help shape the future of food.

Someone holding up two leaflets titled 'Shape your city' against a green backdrop

Urban ReLeaf

What could your neighbourhood look like in the future? Drop by to share your ideas through a quick survey or by adding your vision to a giant city map. From lush greenspaces to vibrant waterways, your input will help shape the What If… Stories for Grey to Green project.

Workshops

A group of kids dipping paper into water with ink

Garden Power!

Drop in for a fun, hands-on session with scientists from the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute. Enjoy games, experiments, and activities that bring the world of plants to life.

Person sewing purple fabric with a white sewing machine, focusing intently, wearing glasses and a colorful sweater.

Birds of a Feather

Join e-textile designers Sara Nevay and Lucy Robertson to craft and sew pairs of interactive birds using fabric, conductive materials, and simple circuits. When placed together, their eyes will light up!

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Fun Family Flower Making

Join us for a hands-on crafting session where you'll turn everyday recycled materials into beautiful, eco-friendly flowers!

Experiences

flower bed with blue, yellow, orange, and purple flowers

Forest Bathing (Guided)

Join us for a guided forest and garden bathing session where mindfulness meets immersive technology. Surrounded by soothing projections and natural sounds, you’ll be gently guided through sensory practices to help you slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

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Plants Can Dance Live with Brian D'souza

Plants Can Dance is an immersive workshop by Brian d'Souza that explores biosonification—the process of turning the natural signals of plants and fungi into music. Experiment with these living sounds to create unique, nature-driven soundscapes.

Multi-coloured image with different shapes

Soniferous Garden

Create layered garden soundscapes within the museum’s open walls in this interactive drop-in.

A logo with a crest and text saying "University of Dundee"
The events are in partnership with The University of Dundee

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