The Apothcaries' Garden at Chelsea was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673, and renamed the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1875. The Society was itself founded by Royal Charter in 1617 as a trade association for those whom today we would call pharmacists. Apothecaries, as well as dispensing medicine, were involved in the gathering and processing of medicinal plants. It was important, therefore, that they had somewhere to study and grow the plants they would one day prepare.
In 1673 they found the perfect site in Chelsea. Not only did they have a four acre area in which to grow plants, the Apothecaries also had access to the river. This meant that they could build a boathouse for the barge that they used both for ceremonial occasions and field trips. The fact that it was south facing and enjoyed its own gentle microclimate must also have influenced their decision. Thus was founded the Chelsea Physic Garden.
One of the first Curators was John Watts, and it was he who in 1682 devised the seed exchange programme with other leading botanists, an exchange which still goes on today. Possibly the most celebrated of all these transactions was the sending of the first long-strand cotton seeds to the British Colony of Georgia in 1733, laying the foundation of the American cotton industry.
In 1712 Charles Cheyne sold his estate to Dr Hans Sloane, the noted physician and collector whose extensive assortment of curiosities would one day be left to the nation as the basis of the British Museum. Sloane, himself, had studied at the Physic Garden in his youth, and became concerned when he saw the Apothecaries' difficulties in maintaining their tenure. In 1722 he guaranteed them a permanent lease for the fixed amount of five pounds per year, an arrangement which is still ongoing.
That same year he appointed the renowned botanist, Philip Miller, Gardener. Miller raised the reputation of the Garden to the extent that it became world famous. He continued with the seed exchange and is credited with the introduction of many new plants into the UK, cultivated for the first time at Chelsea.
One such student was Joseph Banks, naturalist and explorer, who later brought back to Chelsea the ballast of Icelandic lava that was used on his ship, the St Lawrence. This helped build the famous rock garden, first of its kind in Europe, that was completed in 1773. Many of the plant specimens collected on his voyage of discovery with James Cook on the Endeavour were also donated to the Physic Garden.
When Botany was dropped from the medical curriculum at the end of the 19th century, the Society of Apothecaries gave up the running of the Garden and the lease was taken up by the City Parochial Foundation. It was still a resource for scientific research, but not in the same way of old. In 1983 it became a registered charity, opening its gates up to the public for the first time.
But there's always a silver lining, and in this instance it was the opening up of the Garden to the general public. So if you want to tread in the footsteps of Phillip Miller, or see what Joseph Banks used to steady his ship, then a fascinating day out awaits you.
In 1673 they found the perfect site in Chelsea. Not only did they have a four acre area in which to grow plants, the Apothecaries also had access to the river. This meant that they could build a boathouse for the barge that they used both for ceremonial occasions and field trips. The fact that it was south facing and enjoyed its own gentle microclimate must also have influenced their decision. Thus was founded the Chelsea Physic Garden.
One of the first Curators was John Watts, and it was he who in 1682 devised the seed exchange programme with other leading botanists, an exchange which still goes on today. Possibly the most celebrated of all these transactions was the sending of the first long-strand cotton seeds to the British Colony of Georgia in 1733, laying the foundation of the American cotton industry.
In 1712 Charles Cheyne sold his estate to Dr Hans Sloane, the noted physician and collector whose extensive assortment of curiosities would one day be left to the nation as the basis of the British Museum. Sloane, himself, had studied at the Physic Garden in his youth, and became concerned when he saw the Apothecaries' difficulties in maintaining their tenure. In 1722 he guaranteed them a permanent lease for the fixed amount of five pounds per year, an arrangement which is still ongoing.
That same year he appointed the renowned botanist, Philip Miller, Gardener. Miller raised the reputation of the Garden to the extent that it became world famous. He continued with the seed exchange and is credited with the introduction of many new plants into the UK, cultivated for the first time at Chelsea.
One such student was Joseph Banks, naturalist and explorer, who later brought back to Chelsea the ballast of Icelandic lava that was used on his ship, the St Lawrence. This helped build the famous rock garden, first of its kind in Europe, that was completed in 1773. Many of the plant specimens collected on his voyage of discovery with James Cook on the Endeavour were also donated to the Physic Garden.
When Botany was dropped from the medical curriculum at the end of the 19th century, the Society of Apothecaries gave up the running of the Garden and the lease was taken up by the City Parochial Foundation. It was still a resource for scientific research, but not in the same way of old. In 1983 it became a registered charity, opening its gates up to the public for the first time.
But there's always a silver lining, and in this instance it was the opening up of the Garden to the general public. So if you want to tread in the footsteps of Phillip Miller, or see what Joseph Banks used to steady his ship, then a fascinating day out awaits you.
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