Well, as departure is imminent I thought I’d make a London trip recap of some of the green spaces I managed to visit during my short stay.
- Potters Fields Parks
Potters Fields Park is a green open space by the Thames next to Tower Bridge. The current layout is influenced by renowned Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf, who’s known for his use of herbaceous perennials and grasses. Potters Fields Park was the first London park to introduce ‘prairie planting’ – a landscaping style that relies on sweeping grasses usually seen in the tallgrass prairies of central and eastern North America. Alongside the wild planting of ‘Culvers Root’ and ‘Lambs Ear’ the beds provide a visually arresting display throughout the year.There are over 50 plant species in the Park.
2. The Artist’s Garden.
The Artist’s garden is an art installation in central London, which has transformed a 1400sqm hidden and neglected public roof terrace above Temple tube station. The artist behind the Artist’s garden, Lakwena Maciver, wants it to be known as ‘oasis of coloured calm’ and a ‘Vision of paradise’. The site has been largely unused since its current structure was built in 1870 as part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s feat of engineering which saved London from the ‘Great Stink’ and cholera through the creation of the Embankment to house the city’s waste system and the new underground train system. It is thought to be on the site of the seventeenth century garden of Lord and Lady Arundel, who collected England’s first great classical sculpture collection. It will remain open to the public for free, from dawn to dusk until the end of summer 2022
3. Chelsea Barracks Sculpture trail.
The Chelsea Barracks sculpture trail was launched in May, 2022. It has been curated by Marshall Murray, a company specialising in finding the perfect piece of art for a specific place. Here they have compiled art that “both reflect and complement the aesthetic of their surroundings. We seek to change the way people engage with space, rather than seeing art solely as ornament”. Am not sure how long this current trail will be in place so if able to, visit soon. This is high class public art.
4. Middle Temple Gardens
These gardens are located in the Temple area of central London. Their history stretches WAY back. Charles Dickens dedicated a fine little poem to the central Temple Fountain. The Knights Templar, a medieval order, known for their role in the Crusades and as one of the Middle Ages’ most powerful and wealthy religious orders, lived, prayed and worked here from about 1185 up until their dissolution in 1312. References to initially orchards, later gardens goes back hundreds of years. t’s now the HQ of the legal profession. Member of the public are invited to use the Middle Temple Gardens between 12-3pm, from May to September.
