On my recent trip to the UK, I discovered London's secret garden, thanks to a local friend, Joanna. Surrounded by high walls, the Chelsea Physic Garden is a 3.8-acre plot in the heart of London so you would have no idea of the oasis within.
It was first cultivated in 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries of London so their apprentices could learn to grow medicinal plants and study their uses. The site was chosen because it was on the River Thames so they had access to the river for plant-collecting expeditions.
Sir Hans Sloane was a medical student in the late 17th century who studied at the garden. In 1712, he bought the Manor of Chelsea and took over the freehold of the garden. He granted the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries a lease on the land for a rent of £5 a year in perpetuity, on the condition that “it be forever...maintained as a physic garden”. Thanks to Sloane's generosity and foresight, the garden still exists today in busy London.
Here we see the sunny yellow flowers of Calendula which is used for healing wounds, the soft purple buds of Red Clover for reducing menopausal hot flushes and the strong bamboo-like Horsetail used for strengthening veins and a rich source of silica for hair and nails. All types of plants with medicinal or edible uses are grown here, including a modern addition of superfood plants such as quinoa, pomegranate and blueberries!
Don't miss the very old Ginkgo tree which was the first tree to regrow after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in USSR due to its highly prized antioxidant properties.
On a beautiful June summer's day with women in broad-brimmed hats studying the beds of plants, children waddling across the lawn and a man snoozing in the sun with a panama hat across his face, the scene is typically English. Definitely a London highlight for any visitor!
