Garden Museum: for botany enthusiasts

After 18 months of restoration and expansion, the Garden Museum has reopened its doors.

Here's why you should visit this exceptional museum.

Garden Museum: article summary

Garden Museum: a historic building

A church has stood on this site since 1062. Initially built of wood, it was rebuilt in stone from the end of the 11th century and reached its peak of importance and splendor in the 12th century.

At the time, it was the church of the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, called Lambeth Palace.

St Mary's Tower (built in 1377) is on the right, next to Lambeth Palace's red-brick Morton Tower, built in 1490.

A family botanical collection

In 1638, plant hunter John Tradescant the Elder was buried here. Considered the first great gardener, he traveled the world collecting seeds and bulbs (as well as other strange curiosities). which he then kept in his "ark" in Lambeth.

This green gene must have been passed on to his son, John Tradescant the Younger. He continued to add to their family collection and succeeded his father as head gardener to Charles Iᵉʳ.

Garden Museum: a second life in the 70s

In 1977, St Mary's was abandoned, dilapidated and threatened with demolition. However, Rosemary Nicholson saved the building by proposing the idea of a garden museum and incorporating all the elements of the original design. of the church into the new space.

As admirable as this project was, the museum wasn't quite fit for purpose.

An essential renovation

The interior space has been redesigned and fitted with adequate lighting and heating. Previously, the building was so cold that they were unable to host events. nor invite school groups between October and April.

Even the museum's director, Christopher Woodward, admitted that the staff had gone home in early winter because of the extreme cold.

Now it offers everything you need, but can also show more of the collection. Today, he offers around 1,000 items, whereas in the past, it could only display 140.

They've also built a chic new café around a garden courtyard that's quite charming.

Garden Museum: the various exhibits

Divided into sections, you are first guided through a history of gardening, from tools to pesticides and design.

Items such as a 16th-century watering can and a glass cucumber machine, invented by George Stephenson to keep his precious cucumbers lined up, can be found on site.

Exhibitions were held throughout the country during the Second World War to promote the cultivation of vegetables for food. Here you can find many posters about this period.

It wouldn't be the Garden Museum if it didn't feature at least one garden gnome. The Garden Museum has gnomes dating from the early 1900s to the present day.

Garden gnomes first appeared in Britain in large country houses from the 1850s onwards.

Discover the arch: a real little curiosity

L'Arche de Tradescant features a collection of both natural and man-made objects. This strange museum of curiosities has become the foundation of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum.

Now, 300 years later, some of these objects are back in a specially designed room at the Garden Museum.

This little treasure contains an eclectic mix of things. You can see a cast of a Dodo head, discovered by Europeans in Mauritius in 1598.

Tradescant brought a bird back to England and its arch, commenting in his diary that it was "too big to fly".

Garden Museum: enjoy a view of the tower

The tower dates back to 1377. It is open to the public, but only small groups are allowed at a time, and you must be accompanied by a member of staff.

You pass through a small doorway and climb a spiral staircase. Then, 131 narrow stone steps later, you get a superb view from the top of the tower.

A must-see when spending an afternoon at the Garden Museum.

What are the opening hours?

You can visit the Garden Museum:

• Every day from 10:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

How much does admission cost?

Admission costs :

• 10 £ for adults

The Garden Museum is the place to be if you love curiosities and gardening. Here you can learn more about botany and gardening. reinforce your knowledge of the subject.

What to do in London in 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, a week?

Whatever the length of your stay, I invite you to download my special London guide.

It's free and in PDF format.

All you have to do is tell me below which e-mail address you'd like to receive it at.

EDIT: you can't enter your email?

Take the quiz at the top of this article and you'll be able to register your email address to receive the special London guide!