Hi all--

I'm heading to London again, this time with my mother (my 4th trip, her first).

She loves flowers and gardens..I neevr really paid much attention to any of that on my previous trips (i always traveled alone, and spent the day leisurely sight seeing and going to theatre at night.)

Anyone have any reccomendations of pretty gardens to walk through? (and maybe a restaurant with an outdoor garden for seating?)

many thanks--

Kew, Kew and Kew, of course.

Queen Mary's rose garden at Regent's Park.

Chelsea Physic Garden.

The Museum of Garden History in Lambeth.

And try the National Gardens Scheme www.ngs.org - gardens large and small open to the public for charity.

I should have specified:
www.kewgardens.org

I'd also recommend Kew, just a short tube ride from central London. If you are going before January 2006, there is a Chihuly exhibit going on, I saw a similar exhibit in Chicago and it was fabulous

http://www.kew.org/chihuly/index.html

Another place I thought was really cool was the rooftop garden near the High Street Kensington tube station, it's not always open though, depends on whether there is a special event

http://www.roofgardens.com/introduction/overview/

thanks for the suggestions--i should have also said, i'll be there the first week of August.

Kew Gardens sounds like it would be lovely to visit on a Sunday afternoon. thanks!

Though this special weekend is over you may find some good ideas from this New York Times article:

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/05/2...LXFcc32Qmdjf7w

It is probably necessary to register at the NYT site but it is free and a perusal of the travel section always gives some wonderful ideas to justify the effort of registering.

St. James Park is beautifully planted and has a wonderful collection of birds. Regents Park also has some wonderful gardens and its tapdancing geese made it onto America's Funniest Home Videos this year. Embankment Gardens, which run parallel to the Thames from Embankment Tube Station to Waterloo Bridge is a terrific urban oasis. All of these parks have restaurants with big windows and/or outdoor seating. Can't comment on the food; I've never tried any. Your mother might get also get a kick out of luncheon or tea at the Orangerie in Kensington Gardens. Wander among the flowers and the swan flock, then nibble. Food is decent and not obscenely expensive.
Have a great trip

The Victoria and Albert Museum has just opened it's re-designed garden. It's meant to be pretty good (and to be honest I had no idea it even had a garden). Could be a nice opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

You don't say when you're going but I thought that the roses and wisteria at the St. Paul's Cathedral garden in late spring were gorgeous.

MissZiegfeld, just a word of caution about Kew Gardens. It is a Botanic garden and may disappoint anyone who is thinking strictly "flowers". You don't mention your mother's age but Kew is immense. If she or you are limited in any way there is a hop on/hop off vehicle that is a wonderful way to get around.

The website is great: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

If I take these good ideas and others, ask my electrician, and look from west to east, I get these results. May I add a word of warning ? I fear that the months of dry spring and summer have damaged our gardens, and I think lawns will be brown by August. My strawberries are sad, for example.

The National Gardens Scheme for England and Wales includes a Garden Finder: you select by county, London, and by date. http://www.ngs.org.uk. Gardens large and small open to the public for charity.

The National Trust site includes Gardens, with alphabetical list of properties with good gardens. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/themes.htm

The English Heritage site selects houses and castles with good gardens http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...x.asp?mkey=145

The Royal Horticultural Society site http://www.rhs.org.uk/index.asp, has a Garden Finder, then you select county, London

Garden tours: http://www.gardenvisit.com/to/london_garden_tours.htm

London Attractions and Sights Tourist Guide:
http://www.dolke.co.uk/parks.htm

Ideas about gardens in and around London are in the weekly travel sections of four major English newspapers: http://www.timesonline.co.uk, http://www.independent.co.uk, http://www.telegraph.co.uk and http://www.guardian.co.uk

The Royal Parks. http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/tourists/.The site lists them thus
Bushey Park
Richmond Park
Regents Park
Kensington Gardens
Hyde Park
Green Park
St. James Park
Embankment Gardens
Kensington Gardens,
Greenwich Park
Charlton Park

Open Garden Squares weekend falls in mid June. Visitors can find out what goes on behind the railings of some exclusive spaces for a fee of 5 ($9.35); some gardens are free. A total of 117 gardens opened in 2005, including several for the first time. The site www.opensquares.org.uk lists participating gardens with map details, a short history of each and information about tours, refreshments available and other events that take place in some of the gardens. Check the Web site for days open, as some are open one day only. Tickets are available at most gates or can be bought online at www.capitalgardens.co.uk.

Bushey Park

Kenwood, Hill House, Hampsted Garden Suburb

Richmond Park, with deer, by the Thames

Kew Gardens. www.kewgardens.org

Syon House, Hampton Court and Ham House.

Holland House, Iverna Court, Pembridge Square and Ovington Square in Kensington and Ranelagh Gardens, Chelsea

Chelsea Physic Garden. Sloane Square tube, then bus

In Notting Hill - Lansdowne and Elgin Crescent Gardens and Stanley Crescent Gardens - which were featured in the film "Notting Hill," with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, along with Edwardes Square, near Earls Court, a three-acre garden with meandering paths.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has just opened its re-designed garden.
Rooftop garden near the High Street Kensington tube station. Open when there is no special event see http://www.roofgardens.com/introduction/overview/ Kensington

Kensington Gardens, and the Orangerie for luncheon or tea Green Park

Hyde Park

Green Park

St James Park is beautifully planted and has a wonderful collection of birds given by foreign heads of state to the Queen, and a restaurant

The Museum of Garden History in Lambeth. Victoria tube, then bus

Lillington and Longmore Gardens and the Riverside Walk Gardens in Westminster;

Westminster Abbey: the secluded College Garden. http://westminster-abbey.org/

Embankment Gardens, with café, run parallel to the Thames from Embankment Tube Station to Waterloo Bridge,

Lloyd Square in Islington

Charterhouse Square, featured in the 1990's "Hercule Poirot" television series (Florin Court on the east side appeared as Whitehaven Mansions). Situated near the Barbican Center, it was developed as a residential quarter in the 17th century on the site of the 14th-century plague pits.

St. Paul's Cathedral garden in late spring: the roses and wisteria are gorgeous.

Clapton Pond and the St. Mary's Garden Project in Hackney. Old Street tube

Dulwich Park, especially in the rhodendron season. Also the American Garden and the Dry Garden. Train from London Bridge to North Dulwich

The Horniman Gardens, Forest Hill. Train from London Bridge

Charlton Park. Train from London Bridge

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The Rose Garden at Greenwich Royal Park is wonderful.

ttt

More gardens In London: Chiswick House (near Tube Hammersmith) has lovely walled garden.

Eltham Palace, south of Greenwich, train from Charing cross), rock garden and rose garden.

Kyoto Garden in Holland Park.

Hill gardens at Hampstead Heath, Tube: Golders Green.

Not in London, But Privy Garden in Hampton Court has one of the most beautiful flower beds in the summer.

Judy: Many thanks. I have added them to my list

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For outdoor dining in a garden setting, there's a lovely restaurant with outdoor seats in St James Park called Inn The Park Tel 020 7451 9999
From Hardens: "A “great terrace” adds to the “unique” charms of this “wonderfully exciting” new building, by the St James’s Park lake".

The restaurant is pricey, so great for a treat, although they also have a small sandwich bar.