Revisit to Fulham Palace and Its Gardens!

2010 Visit to the Fulham Palace Herb Garden!

This was the information on the sign for the herb garden:

"The walled garden at Fulham Palace was enclosed in the 1760's to form a kitchen garden.  The gateway and entrance wall are Tudor.  The glasshouse for grapes (vinery) and garden buildings (bothies) existed by 1825 and the knot garden of box hedges was laid out in the 1830's.  It was planted with herbs in this century (20th century).  The wisteria pergola is at least a hundred years old."

I always try when I go to England to come with some new herb gardens that I haven't seen before.  September is a beautiful month to visit England.  It has warmed up and the gardens of every sort are blooming at full intensity.  The herb garden when we first visited in 2010 was in a state of flux.  The gardens were overgrown.  Although there were beautiful specimen bay trees, one golden and one green, the rest of the herb garden needed some TLC.  I made sure that I could go back to a new herb garden at Fulham Palace on my visit in May 2014.

One Beautiful Golden Bay Tree

So I not only returned to Fulham Palace, but discovered one of the many allotments in London on the road to Fulham Palace.

Allotments Are On Part of the Original 36 Acres of Fulham Palace

Allotments Are An Important Part of Gardening in England

East Courtyard at Fulham Palace

The Wisteria Blooming

The Knot Garden Was Replanted With Box in its Original 1830 Layout

The Glasshouses Rebuilt Along A Wall

Lavender Blooming

Scented Geraniums Blooming As Well

The Replanted Knot Garden

The Tudor Wall Entrance Drawing You Into the Knot Garden!

Fulham Palace has been called a Hampton Court Palace in miniature because of its Tudor structures.  The bishops of London have called it home for over 1,000 years.  The present Bishop is living in more modest quarters in the city. The Tudor wall enclosing the two acre garden was constructed between 1764 and 1766.  The glasshouses were reconstructed in 2010-12 as close to the original as possible through archaeological research.

The knot garden was planted with box hedges and designed for Bishop Blomfield in the 1830's.  In 1915, it was planted with irises and roses.  In the 1980's the Hammersmith and Fulham Council filled it with herbs.  It was replanted in 2011 using herbaceous perennials in the knots to coincide with the colors of the coat of arms of the Bishop, blue, red and yellow.  It is a very tranquil garden.  Only some herbs in the knots and no bay trees in sight.  Their root structures alone were taking up space.  Hopefully they were moved to another part of the garden.  I will just have to go back to do further research!

Henry Compton was one of the botanising Bishops who gave the Palace's gardens more important trees and shrubs than any other bishop.  When he died his collection was dispersed, but some trees still remain on the grounds.  I am anxious to go back next time and not only track down the bay trees and also view the almost 60 rare trees located on the grounds.  There is also a lovely small cafe and terrace to enjoy your meal outside if it isn't raining.  I battled a sudden downpour during my visit, but if you aren't using your umbrella in London, you are very, very lucky!  Lots of families with children come and enjoy the expansive lawn to play.  It is a beautiful Palace and gardens not to be missed.

Well, we have had a January day here in the 'Burgh.  It is 21 degrees at the moment!  The forecast is for 60 by Wednesday, no fooling!  Hope you have had a wonderful Saturday.  One more post to go for my 2014 trip.  Then we should be out in the gardens getting plants cut back!  Talk to you later.