Abbots Langley Gardening Society
Talk on The Chelsea Physics Garden
by
Mike Watts
October 2009
This month`s meeting was a talk and slide show
about the history of the Chelsea Physic Garden. It was given by
Mike Watts, who among other things, is a guide at the garden, and
lectures for the National Trust. The garden dates from 1673 and
is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain. At that time botany
was part of medicine, plants can either kill or cure. Apothecaries
would train apprentices in the use of plants and when the green
house was built, it was possible to keep plants from all round the
world to be used in research and to provide a wider range of cures
for different illnesses. People stole plants so the garden was enclosed
with a high wall. It is still known as the Secret Garden because
it is not visible to the passer by. It has been open to the public
since 1983.
There are many Historical beds dedicated to previous
gardeners.
Today there is a Curator who lives in the house,
five gardeners, two students and many volunteers. It is run as a
charity, they have open days, let out the lecture rooms, a shop
a café and hold wedding receptions in the grounds. They also
have thousands of school children visiting.
There is a bed dedicated to poisonous plants, one
for aromatherapy and one for perfume, another for plants that were
used in the dyeing industry. Today about half of all medicine is
plant based. The garden was on the banks of the Thames until the
Embankment was built, and a barge would transport the Apothecaries
around London. The main gate, which leads off the Embankment, is
only opened for two reasons. Either if Royalty visits, and the red
carpet is laid down, or for the delivery of manure!
The Gardening Society holds monthly meetings
on the third Thursday of the month in the Manor House Sports and
Social Centre at 8 pm. There is a bar and raffle, visitors welcome
£1.00.In November we will have a talk on plant propagation
and in December a demonstration on wood-turning.