Garden Museum is located right at the entrance to Lambeth Bridge. This touching, sad and useful places for tourists.

The museum is housed in the former church of Saint Mary. The Church, which for centuries was almost part of the Lambeth Palace (residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), located nearby, in the second half of the XX century came to bear. She suffered during the war and was abandoned. It would be demolished and together with its beautiful tower, if in 1976, Rosemary and John Nicholson did not come here to explore the church cemetery.

This ordinary couple wanted to see the tomb of a royal gardener John John said. Rosemary grieved because of the type of boarded-up church that went to the reception to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He said - this is the place you need to Waterloo Station, but if Rosemary figure out what to do with the church, let him try to reverse the decision of the authorities.

Rosemary came up: to turn the church and cemetery in the world's first museum of the history of gardening. A simple housewife showed talent as an organizer - when in 1977 she founded the Foundation Tradescant among his patrons were the Queen Mother and Prince Charles. In 1981, the museum opened the first exhibition.

The museum is small, even going to expand. Its main gallery is located in the former nave. Here are exhibited garden tools of all ages (from the Neolithic to the guns Victorian cucumber straightener), prints, photographs, books on gardening.

The stained glass windows visible monogram John said. Royal gardeners XVII century John said (both named John) done a lot for the development of horticulture in England. It is in their honor Carl Linnaeus named the well-known plant Tradescantia. Both are buried here along with family members. Tombstone strikes - on it are carved coat of arms, the seven-headed dragon, skull, the ruins of the pyramids. The epitaph on the top of the tomb - Attribution other Tradescant John Aubrey. The verse says, when angel blew his trumpet, John said rise up to make this garden paradise.

A small memorial garden there really has. It has developed the Marquis of Salisbury, include only those plants that are associated with the names John said. Here - the tomb of Vice Admiral William Bligh, captain of the rebel ship "Bounty". The inscription on the monument Bligh recalls it, he brought breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies.

The museum cafe you can eat outdoors. Vegetarian (sometimes vegan) menu every day new, soups, cakes, casseroles, salads, herbs and spices are used with a small museum garden, the tea is served freshly made pastries. The perfect place to relax and recover from the tourist bustle.