The Chelsea Physic Gardens have existed on the riverside of the Thames, in Chelsea, since 1673. They are the oldest botanic gardens in London! Not only are the grounds beautiful themselves, they also hold a very rich history of serving medicinal purposes. The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries started the garden to grow medicinal plants, and these 5,000 different species of plants can still be seen there today.
I was lucky to get a membership to the gardens for my Birthday last year, so have spent a lot of time sketching here. Every time I visit I am drawn to another area, whether it be the glasshouses, chilli plants, ponds, propagation house or the fresh ferns which line the whole garden. It's such a unique space and so interesting to learn about the different medicinal properties of the plants - amazing to think back to a time when that was where people would go for treatment!
May - sketching Echinacea flowers.
May - wildflower meadow sketches.
October - glasshouses.
October - sketching by the Chilli plants.
October - painting moments of the gardens.
Visit the garden by visiting the link here.