Beyond the tumult of London streets lies a green and peaceful world: a network of secret gardens and squares, many secluded behind walls and locked gates.
On June 12–13, 2010, dozens of private gardens in London will go on display for the weekend. Tourists can sample the best of English garden design. Even longtime Londoners may discover gardens they didn’t know existed.
Open Garden Squares Weekend is organized by the nonprofit London Parks & Gardens Trust. More than 190 gardens took part in 2009, and just as many are expected in 2010. Many will welcome visitors with guided tours, special exhibits, plants for sale, children’s activities, refreshments, and music.
Historic, Aesthetic, and Environmental Importance of London Gardens
London is famous for its garden squares, many of them built in the Georgian and Victorian eras. The London Squares Act of 1931 helped protect the historic green spaces. Still, in the twentieth century many were destroyed during wartime or paved over for urban development.
Recent years have seen growing awareness of the value of gardens in London. They provide an oasis of calm and beauty in the city, enhancing the quality of urban life. Efforts are underway to conserve and improve them.
Urban gardens are important to biodiversity. Their towering trees and dense shrubbery create a protective habitat for birds, butterflies, and small mammals. A number of London gardens were created to encourage biodiversity or have set aside areas for sustainable wildlife management.
Participating Gardens Reflect Diverse Garden Styles
Gardens open during the weekend reflect a broad spectrum of London garden design. Many are of historical, community, or environmental significance. A small sample of the gardens participating in 2010:
- Chelsea Physic Garden, Chelsea. London’s oldest botanical garden is hidden behind high walls near the River Thames.
- Queen’s Gate Gardens, South Kensington. This garden largely retains its original Victorian layout, with old mulberry and catalpa trees and a carpeting of spring flowers.
- Bedford Square, Bloomsbury. Built in the late 1700s, Bedford Square is the best and most complete Georgian square in London.
- Fann Street Wildlife Garden, City of London. Heavily bombed during World War II, the garden has been renovated with native plant species, a wildflower meadow, a bee- and butterfly-friendly cottage garden, bird feeders, and nest boxes.
- Maughan Library and ISC Garden, City of London. The design features “green rooms” using hornbeam, lime, and yew, with an emphasis on shades of green rather than color planting.
- Park Square, Marylebone. One London’s largest private squares, it is dominated by plane trees planted in 1817 to commemorate the allied victory at Waterloo.
- Royal College of Physicians’ Medicinal Garden, Marylebone. Here are nearly 1,000 different plants used in ancient and modern medicine around the world.
- Culpeper Community Garden, Islington. This community project has 46 plots tended by local residents, with ponds and a wildlife area.
- Whitgift School, Croydon. In 1588 the estate was home to Lord Howard of Effingham, the Lord High Admiral of the fleet sent against the Armada. It has a Tudor-style garden with a maze, a formal Japanese garden, a quadrangle with peacocks and cranes, and a rose garden.
- Belgrave Square, Belgravia. This private garden has been restored to its 1867 layout. Large plane trees date from the original plantings.
- Ismaili Centre Roof Garden, Brompton. This unusual garden reflects Islamic style in the sight and sound of running water, the play of light and shade, and the array of plantings.
- St. George’s Fields, Bayswater. The ziggurat pyramid-style buildings incorporate five levels of balconies, each with hanging gardens. Winding paths lead to peaceful courtyards with rare plants and fish ponds.
Planning a Visit to Open Garden Squares Weekend
Tickets go on sale in May on the Open Garden Squares website. They may also be purchased at many of the gardens during the weekend, at a higher price. One ticket allows entry to all participating gardens.
The website offers an interactive tool for selecting gardens to visit. Each garden’s listing notes its location, its opening hours during the weekend, and the availability of special activities and displays.
Travelers planning to visit London in June should book accommodation early, as London hotels fill up quickly that month. Hotels in Bloomsbury, Belgravia, and Kensington are convenient to many of the gardens.
