The Chelsea Physic Garden is one of London’s most amazing secrets. Nestled between the Chelsea Embankment and Royal Hospital road lies an extraordinary garden founded in 1673. It was originally started as an Apothecaries’ Garden with the purpose of training apprentices in identifying plants. The location, close to the river Thames, created a warmer micro-climate allowing the survival of many non-native plants and allowed plants to thrive during the long British winters. The river played an important role as a transportation route that linked the garden to other open spaces facilitating easy movement of plants and botanists. Read more about the history of the garden here.
Today CPG boasts a unique living collection of around 5,000 different edible, useful, medicinal and historical plants and over 100 different types of trees. It is a peaceful oasis where sublime herbaceous scents and delicate floral bouquets drift in the cool breeze and one can forget, even if just for an afternoon, about the bustling urban sprawl beyond its walls.
CPG’s theme for 2016 is Captivating Scents: fresh, floral, foetid. Throughout the summer they are holding gatherings, talks and events that revolve around fragrance and perfume. The garden team have planted a ‘Scent Trail’ which delves into various different types of plants and the scents they emit – from the sweet to the abhorrent!
Last night I attended an enchanting lecture – A Century of Scents: The incredible stories of 100 perfumes with Lizzie Ostrum. Lizzie (aka. Odette Toilette) is a lifelong fragrance fan and expert and was one of the most charming speakers I have had the pleasure of listening to. The lecture revolved around the history of perfumes beginning in 1891 and ending in the 1960s. We explored, smelled and discussed popular scents from the 20th century whilst being given an engaging and delightful history lesson on how our relationship with scents and the art of perfumery has evolved over the decades. Who knew that in the 1960s natural Patchouli oil was the “anti-perfume” worn by the flower power generation, or that soldiers posted in Paris during WWII would bring back bottles of the much sought-after Bandit by Robert Piguet (1944) for their wives and girlfriends, or that Phul-Nana (launched in 1891) was worn by the most fashionable Gibson Girls of the Victorian era!
Throughout the rest of the summer and autumn CPG are holding Thursday Supper Talks which feature a range of intriguing topics and fascinating speakers all revolving around scent. Dinner and wine are available at the Tangerine Dream Cafe before or after the lecture. I highly recommend the scrumptious savory tart followed by a stroll through the garden before settling in for a captivating lecture!
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