The Garden Museum
The UK is a nation that doesn’t just embrace all manner of quirky, it outright celebrates it. As a pastime, gardening falls pretty low on the quirkiness scale. Dedicating an entire museum to it — within a medieval church, no less! — is most definitely a quintessentially British thing to do.
Established in the 70s as the world’s first museum dedicated to the history of gardening, the endeavour also rescued St. Mary-at-Lambeth which had been recently deconsecrated and scheduled for demolition. Renovations in 2015-17 both modernised the site and enabled access to previously closed off areas, like the medieval tower with stunning views that reward anyone fit enough to climb the 131 very steep steps to the top.
As for the museum itself, it comprehensively caters to every which way you could possibly imagine getting involved with a garden. From planning to pruning to simply sitting back to enjoy the view, there’s sure to be something in the display cases that might catch your fancy. Allotment fees from the 1940s and tributes to Ground Force are just a few of the more recent historical artefacts you’ll find carefully preserved alongside the church’s gothic stained glass windows and arches.
Smaller rooms within the space host temporary shows and contemporary art. Garden-themed, of course. Lots of the exhibits are interactive, there’s a separate indoor play area for the kids, and a much spookier room where you can peer down into the entrance to the catacombs, where 30+ coffins remain. This mash-up of contemporary art amongst all things gothic and gardening extends out into the open air terrace that provides an oasis of calm for coffee, cake and a scavenger hunt for the tomb of Captain William Bligh.
Whether you live in a flat barely big enough for a fern or a semi-detached with a forty foot stretch of potential, if you’ve got a green thumb (or just like quirky museums) then this is one museum not to miss.
The Garden Museum is a ticketed venue, located a short ten minute walk from Vauxhall, Westminster and Lambeth North Tube stations.
Visit gardenmuseum.org.uk or follow @GardenMuseum on Instagram for more information, and to plan your visit.