As London’s oldest botanical garden, the Chelsea Physic Garden blossoms with stories. The public space is home to over 4,500 medicinal, edible, and useful plants from around the world. And you’ll find many of them in historic glasshouses and themed exhibits. What made the garden we know and love today? Here’s a stroll through its timeline of key events.
Sowing the seeds
On 9th October 1673, the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London leased land for 61 years from Charles Cheyne to build a garden. They erected a wall, a greenhouse (heated by a stove) and established multiple programmes for plant life, including an international seed exchange programme (which continues today) and importing international trees.
Growing for good
In 1718, Sir Hans Sloane proposed gifting this land to the Apothecaries. By 1722, the garden was protected for future generations provided it was maintained and grew “good and useful plants”. Fruits, such as pineapples from tropical climates, were grown in the heated greenhouse, and a first-of-its-kind pond rockery was created.
Planting a legacy
By the turn of the 19th century, Chelsea Physic Garden had 3,500 medical students and was also used for agricultural research. In 1987, the garden opened to the public for the first time, and well, the rest is history. Today it sees visitors from all over the world come to discover four acres of verdant green space. They enjoy exploring historic greenhouses, learning about plants, or simply relaxing in one of the most tranquil spots in London.
