Blooming London

Before I lived in London, I was the kind of London had more to do with it than I did. mess it up or miss a bloom. In fact, I person who couldn’t even keep a house- London and much of the UK has the knew gardening was a big deal in the UK plant alive. en in London, after an en- advantage of sitting at the receiving end of when I asked a male, twenty-something tire adult life of apartment living, I found the Gulf Stream, a huge Atlantic Ocean colleague what he was doing one May myself as the keeper of a small garden in current that brings warm, moist Caribbean weekend and he replied: “I’m going to the back of our 19th century terrace house waters across the Atlantic to the shores of work on my garden.” in Battersea, and a funny thing happened: the British Isles. e UK’s northerly lati- Dipping your toe into garden appreci- things grew. My strawberries fattened into tude also takes the edge off the searing ation in London is easy. Almost 50 per- November, jasmine lingered in January, light and heat of the sun that ruins many a cent of London is considered ‘green tulips popped in February and tendrils of garden – or mispositioned houseplant – in space’, and this year the city will become passion flower laced across our back fence more southerly climes. In short, London is the first-ever National Park City in the in the summertime, planted by some a forgiving place to be a gardener and to world. London National Park City is a dweller before me. I wanted to take full enjoy gardens, a place I came to think of as grassroots project that advocates for half credit for this bounty, but I had a feeling gardening for dummies. You almost can’t of the city area to consist of green and

“ London is a forgiving place to be a gardener and to enjoy gardens; you almost can’t mess it up or miss a bloom.”

www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 9 blue spaces, through waterways and parks. Also, did you know that London already has eight million trees? at’s one tree per capita! Hovering under that canopy of green, here is a taste of London’s garden delights:

Kew Gardens It’s difficult not to start with the phrase “crown jewel” when beginning to describe all the wonder that is Kew Gardens (www.kew.org). Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage site and contains the largest col- lection of living plants in the world, more than 30,000. I could probably stop there but there’s so much more to relish. roughout the grounds, plants and flow- ers are arranged inside and around more than two dozen glass plant houses and or- namental buildings that allow for all-season climates and ideal growing all year. Kew is also home to an expansive that contains thousands of trees, with five trees – called the Five Lions – that date from the Garden in Regent’s Park. With 12,000 Mexican orange blossom and jonquil early days of the garden in 1762. And don’t roses and 85 varieties, it contains the largest (daffodils). miss the monkey puzzle tree near the or- collection of roses in the city. e garden is For those with a penchant for the myste- angery. e monkey puzzle is an endan- also home to National Collection status rious, Cemetery (www.abney- gered species native to South America that borders (yes, even borders have such a sta- park.org) in is one of the is known as a “living fossil” because of its tus!) with delphinium, begonia and “magnificent seven” garden cemeteries of hardiness. Kew organises regular events for Mediterranean variety plantings. Also part London. It was first planned as a parkland visitors so no visit will ever be the same. of e Royal Parks are the exquisite gardens in the early 18th century by Lady Mary of and Hyde Park, as Abney and Dr. , a well-known theologian and author of the Christmas Queen Mary’s Garden well as St James’s Park with its famous Buckingham Palace flower beds and peli- hymn Joy to the World (as well as an ances- Regent’s Park cans who have been in residence for 400 tor to this article’s author!). Abney Park is e Royal Parks charity years. Further out from the centre of the first arboretum in Europe to be com- www.royalparks.org.uk comprises eight park London is the rolling meadows of Bushy bined with a cemetery and its carefully properties across London, which includes and Richmond parks, home to herds planned landscape of trees and plantings the epitome of rose gardens: Queen Mary’s of deer. was one of the most impressive of its day. e nursery that maintained it closed in the middle of the 19th century and since Off the beaten garden path then the cemetery has been consumed by When you’ve had your fill of London’s nature, leaving a haunting outline of its more famous gardens, save time for a few former beauty. e sense of abundant life curiosities that draw much less of a crowd – juxtaposed with eternal rest makes for a which is what makes them so sublime. bewitching visit. Bonnington Square Garden (www.bonning- Springtime is upon us so now is the time tonsquaregarden.org.uk) in Vauxhall was es- to plan your garden tour of London. e tablished in a housing community built in blooms are waiting! the 1870s for railway workers, which was eventually threatened with demolition in the 1980s. e current pleasure garden was born from a massive community effort to Melissa Romo transform a wasteland of common area into is an American a blooming green space. What grows there businesswoman, writer and author of now has been described as an oasis in the a historical novel about identity and heart of the city, as a friend of mine and nationhood entitled Blue-Eyed Son. She former resident explained, it’s “a tiny piece lived in London from 2013 to 2017 of serenity within the sound of the Division and now resides with her family in Bell and the thok of leather on willow from New York, happily tending to blooms e Oval”. In its confines you will enjoy in her urban patio. such blooms as lavender, hellebore,

10 FOCUS The Magazine March/April 2019 www.focus-info.org