Chelsea Physic Garden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chelsea Physic Garden
Chelsea Physic Garden, London
Location	Chelsea, London
Area	3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Created	1673 (1673)
Founder	Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
Species	5,000

The Chelsea Physic Garden is a very old and special garden in London, England. It was started in 1673 by a group called the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. These "apothecaries" were like early pharmacists and doctors. Their main goal was to grow plants that could be used as medicines.

This amazing garden is about four acres big. It's one of the oldest botanical gardens in Britain. A botanical garden is a place where scientists study plants. The word "physic" in its name means the science of healing.

Inside, you'll find some really cool plants! It has the oldest rock garden in Europe. This garden is home to plants from mountains (called alpine plants) and warm places like the Mediterranean. You can also see the biggest olive tree in Britain growing there! It's kept warm by the garden's tall brick walls. There's even a grapefruit tree growing outside, which is super rare for such a northern place!

For a long time, only the Apothecaries used the garden. But in 1983, it became a charity. This meant it was opened to everyone for the very first time. The garden is also part of the the London Museums of Health & Medicine. It's a very important historical site, listed as Grade I by English Heritage.

History of the Garden

The garden in summer 2006

The garden with the house visible in the background

The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries first set up the garden on land they leased. This land was part of Sir John Danvers' large garden in Chelsea, London. His house, called Danvers House, was next to the old home of Sir Thomas More. Danvers House was later taken down in 1696 to make way for a street.

Sir Hans Sloane's Gift

In 1713, a famous doctor named Sir Hans Sloane bought the land next to the garden. It was about four acres. In 1722, he leased this land to the Society of Apothecaries. He charged them a very small amount, just £5 a year, forever! But he had one condition. The garden had to send 50 good plant samples to the Royal Society every year. This was a total of 2,000 plants.

A Golden Age for Plants

This gift started a "golden age" for the Chelsea Physic Garden. This was under the leadership of Philip Miller, who was in charge from 1722 to 1770. During this time, it became the most plant-filled botanical garden in the world.

The garden also started a special seed-exchange program. This began after a visit in 1682 from a Dutch botanist named Paul Hermann. This program still runs today! One of its most famous achievements was bringing cotton plants to the colony of Georgia in America. More recently, it helped spread the Madagascar periwinkle plant around the world. This plant is used in some medicines.

Important Plant Records

In 1730, Isaac Rand wrote a short book about the garden's plants. It was called Index plantarum officinalium. Also, a talented artist named Elizabeth Blackwell drew many of the pictures for her book, A Curious Herbal (1737–1739), using plants from the Chelsea Physic Garden.

Later, in 1781, the Royal Society gave its collection of plant samples to the British Museum. These samples were later moved to the Natural History Museum.

Growing the Collection

Sir Joseph Banks worked closely with the head gardener, John Fairbairn. This was between 1780 and 1814. Fairbairn was very good at growing and caring for plants from all over the world.

Changes to the Garden Size

Over the years, parts of the garden have been lost. Some land was used for building the Chelsea Embankment along the River Thames in 1874. Another strip was taken to make Royal Hospital Road wider. What's left today is a 3.5-acre patch right in the middle of London.

Opening to the Public

In 1899, the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities took over running the garden. For most of the 1900s, it was used for scientific research. It was not open to the public during this time.

Finally, in 1983, the garden became a charity. A private group of trustees started managing it. A few years later, in 1987, it was opened to the general public for the first time.

Current Garden Features

As of 2017, the garden has about 5,000 different plants! These plants are grouped into special areas, such as:

• The Garden of Medicinal Plants: This area has plants used for healing.
• The Pharmaceutical Garden: Here, plants are arranged by the sickness they help treat.
• The Garden of World Medicine: This section shows medicinal plants used by different cultures around the world.
• The Garden of Edible and Useful Plants: This area features plants we can eat or use for other things.
• The World Woodland Garden: A peaceful area with trees and plants from woodlands around the globe.

Associated People

Ensign of the garden

See also

In Spanish: Jardín medicinal de Chelsea para niños