Chelsea Insider Low - Cadogan

39 | THINGS TO DO | Green spacesGarden partyYou don't have to look too hard to finda calm, green space to transport youfrom all the bustle of the King's Road.Here are our pick of some of the area'sgreatest gardensRoyal Hospital – South Groundsand Ranelagh GardensRanelagh Gardens opened in 1742 andwere designed as pleasure gardens, apopular attraction of the time. A Chinesehouse was built and a huge rotundastaging classical music concerts provideda grand centrepiece. A young Mozartperformed there in 1764. However, by1805 the site had deteriorated and wasclosed.The Royal Hospital acquired the gardensand a summer house was built forthe pensioners there in 1834. JohnGibson, the designer of Battersea Park,redesigned the gardens in 1860, alongwith the South Grounds – famous as thesite of the Chelsea Flower Show, whichRanelagh Gardenstakes place in May. Other events andfairs are also held there.The grounds include sports areas forfootball, tennis and netball (see Sports).Opening times: April 1-30 10am-7.30pm, May 1-August 31 10am-8.30pm, September 1-30 10am-7pm,October 1-30 10am-5pm, November 1-March 31 10am-4.30pm, open from2pm on all Sundays.Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal HospitalRoad, SW3 4SR. T: 020 7881 5200(Switchboard, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)www.chelsea-pensioners.co.ukOpen Garden Squares WeekendOpen Garden Squares Weekend is a rarechance to see some of the hidden gemsof Chelsea, with gardens not normallyopen to the public welcoming visitors.The Royal Borough of Kensington andChelsea is one of the biggest contributorsand around 80 gardens in the areatook part last year, including MarkhamSquare and Paultons Square.The event will take place on June 9-10in 2012.www.opensquares.orgChelsea CommonChelsea Common used to be around 30acres, but as Chelsea developed, buildingsand roads encroached on the land,and this pretty garden is the last remainingpiece.Cale Street, SW3Chelsea EmbankmentThere are several small, pleasant gardensnear the Thames, including theChelsea Embankment Gardens outsideChelsea Old Church and the St ThomasMore Gardens, which feature a statue ofMore. The gardens were created after SirJoseph Bazalgette built the Thamesembankmentbetween 1869 and 1874.Chelsea Embankment, SW3Chelsea Physic GardenThis is a different kind of garden – onethat’s not only beautiful, but useful.There are more than 4,800 kinds ofplants in the four-acre space, and thereis an emphasis on those that have apractical purpose.There are plants that are used in medicine– both in pharmaceutical treatmentsand in cultures throughout the world –perfumery, aromatherapy and rare vegetables.Collections are grouped aroundlittle signs marking uses like ‘dermatology’and ‘parasitology’, and there areearthy-smelling glasshouses of ferns andmore exotic plants.The garden was founded by theSociety of Apothecaries in 1673 andleased to them for £5 a year in perpetuityfrom 1722 by Sir Hans Sloane – on thecondition it stayed a physic garden. Thesum is still paid to his heirs at Cadoganby the charity that runs Chelsea PhysicGarden today. Sir Hans himself is immortalisedin a statue in the grounds.It is like a living museum, and there isa walk showing the work of differentpeople associated with its history, includingPhilip Miller, William Hudson, SirJoseph Banks and William Forsyth. TheGrade II*-listed pond rock garden, createdfrom stones from the Tower ofLondon, Icelandic lava, fused bricks andflint, was completed in 1773.The garden has a wide-ranging eventsprogramme, from workshops in beekeepingto photography and makingcosmetics. There is a café (see Eatingsection) and the garden welcomes peoplewith disabilities (telephone in advancefor details about access).Adults and senior citizens £9;students, unemployed and children (five-15 years) £6; Friends of the Garden andcompanions of disabled visitors areadmitted free. Assistance dogs only.Maximum of two children allowed peraccompanying adult.Opening times: April 1-October 31,Tuesday-Friday 12pm-5pm, Sundaysand bank holidays 12pm-6pm, lastadmission 30 minutes before closing.66 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HST: 020 7349 6458www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk