One Summers Eve.....Chelsea Physic Garden

Ok after coming back from Australia, I remained a bit out of it, just kind of gradually getting used to being around myself again, and then my friends. Weird but was kind of enjoying nights in after work, sitting on the deck reading the paper and weirdly enough doing the ironing.

Well, odder things have happened I am sure. Anyway, enough was enough, a week and a half with amazing English summer weather I had to do something and it had to be outdoors. Walking to work and home was not enough, I love the view from Chelsea bridge, but hey there can be too much of a good thing...is that possible!!

Anyway, so I did a Google, firstly on Buckingham Palace (oh dear a whole other story and blog, to come I assure you) and found that the Chelsea Physic (pronounced like the beginning of Physician) Gardens was open till late on Wednesday nights in July and August. Well it happened to be a Wednesday and July, I had no other plans. So what the heck, I went to check out the oldest Botanic Gardens in Europe...1600's.

It was very cool, and amazingly warm. It has banana plants that fruit in winter, so yes, its actually quite warm in that tidy little space in Chelsea, right near Embankment and the famous Gordon Ramsey restaurant (I walked past it on my way to collect my dinner from the most poshest Tesco's I have ever been in, location wise).

It was gorgeous and I just did a wander around, taking in the smells and the beautiful colours. I had an audio guide and found out about the gardens, the original curator being Mr Sloane (aka Sloane Square) himself, about the oldest olive tree, bees and how London has lots of them, the male and female Ginkgo trees, ferns, and best of all the Mandrakes (yes just like in Harry Potter apparently they scream and you will die - old wives tales - if you pull them out of the ground and hear them do so) which were hiding underground, as they do!! It was gorgeous, god I love an English summer.

Some pictures below - Enjoy!